The Great Neck Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual awards dinner on Wednesday evening, Jan. 30, at the Officer's Club, Melville Hall, at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point (snow date Thursday, Jan. 31). Honorees include: Stuart Lubow, Jeffrey Phillips, Edna Mashaal, Donna Frasco, and Richard Stancati.

The dinner is priced at $85 per person, $90 at the door. For a reservation, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 487-2000, call Donna Frasco 498-9111 (ext. 111), or go online at greatneckchamber. org.

Journal ads are also available. For information about journal ads, either contact the Chamber of Commerce at 487-2000, call Donna Frasco 498-9111 (ext. 111), or go online at greatneckchamber. org.

The evening will feature cocktails and dinner, against the breathtaking waterfront backdrop at Melville Hall. Cocktails are 6:30 p.m., with dinner at 7:30. Entertainment will include a special performance sponsored by students of Great Neck Music Conservatory. Dance music will be provided by Stan Sussman of the Ken James Orchestra.

Stuart Lubow of Community National Bank will receive the prestigious Jesse Markel Award for outstanding service to the Great Neck Community. Mr. Lubow has been a banking executive for over 28 years and is a founder and the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Community National Bank, headquartered in Great Neck. He has chaired and participated in many conferences on banking related topics at both regional and national level. He is involved in a number of not for profit organizations, including The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. In 2006 Mr. Lubow was honored by the United Community Fund of Great Neck as businessperson of the year and by the Long Island chapter of Multiple Sclerosis as financial executive of the year. Chamber President Valerie Link says that Stuart Lubow "has contributed countless hours serving the Great Neck community."

Jeffrey Phillips of Café Rustica will receive one of the Robert E. Freedman Retailer Awards. Mr. Phillips has donated his restaurant for many, many Chamber events, as well as numerous other not-for-profit fundraisers. The Chamber is most appreciative that he is always there to help the community. Jeffrey Phillips started his business in 1993 and his love for food of all kinds and people of all types are the main ingredients in making Café Rustica a most successful business. Mr. Phillips' first thought of giving back to a most loyal community was through his children. He began to arrange field trips to Café Rustica for classes in Great Neck's different elementary schools and last year 12 classes toured Café Rustica and made their own pizzas, pasta and ice cream sundaes. In furthering his love and appreciation of the community, he started a monthly fundraiser, where one Monday a month, a different Great Neck charity is designated and 50 percent of all patrons' entire check from lunch or dinner is donated to that particular charity. Jeffrey Phillips also invites the members of a group home for mentally and physically challenged adults from Thomaston for holiday meals throughout the year to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas/Chanukah and Valentine's Day.

Edna Mashaal of Edna Mashaal will also receive a Robert E. Freedman Retailer Award for all that she has done for Great Neck. Her involvement in the community is vast including a board member of the Lake Success Civic Association, Great Neck Public Schools PTA boards, board member of the Golden First Bank in Great Neck, and a supporter of the Great Neck Senior Citizen Center, the Great Neck Historic Society and Winthrop Hospital Children's Cancer Center. She began a real estate career with Robert Freedman in 1983.

The Business Person of the Year Award will go to Donna Frasco, first vice president and branch administrator of Community National Bank. Ms. Frasco has been with CNB since its inception in April 2005 and has been instrumental in the bank's rapid growth and success. She was intimately involved with the bank's plans to open four additional branches in 2007. She is involved in a number of charitable, civic and business related organizations and is currently a board member of the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce.

Richard Stancati will receive the very rare Lifetime Achievement Award. This award has only been awarded three times to date. Mr. Stancati, a Great Neck resident since 1969, has touched every part of the community. Moving to the Old Village almost 40 years ago, he established Eastern Queens Cleaning, with offices on Middle Neck Road. Together with his wife Lolly, they next began Lolly's Catering, moving on to open their own highly popular restaurant, The Kitchen Restaurant, also on Middle Neck Road in the Old Village. Even today Richard still meets people who want to reminisce about their "favorite restaurant." With the opening of the restaurant, Mr. Stancati decided it was time to become active in the business community and he started with his Middle Neck Road work for Great Neck the Beautiful. Next came the Great Neck Village Crafts Fair, which he ran for about 25 years. He is also one of the longest serving Chamber directors and has been a major part of the success of the Chamber's Taste of Great Neck. Today he also serves on the Village of Great Neck's business and commerce committee, working on numerous projects to benefit the community. In 1991 he joined the USMMA as manger of Melville Hall and his reputation there has reached far and wide. Mr. Stancati and Valerie Link have spent many years serving the Great Neck business community and beyond. "I met Richard in 1985 and we have developed a fine, long-lasting friendship ... he well deserves this honor," she told the Record.

"Come and join us on Jan. 30 at our annual dinner," says President Valerie Link. "It will be a wonderful evening and we are so proud to honor all of these special people who do so much for the Great Neck community."