[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 78 (Friday, June 16, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO DR. ROY A. HASTICK, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2006

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Roy A. 
Hastick, Sr., a distinguished member of the Brooklyn business and civic 
communities. It behooves us to pay tribute to this outstanding leader 
and I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his impressive 
accomplishments.
  Dr. Roy A. Hastick has served as President/CEO/Founder of the 
Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI) for 
almost 20 years. Under his leadership, CACCI has promoted economic 
development on behalf of Caribbean American, African American, women 
and other minority small business owners and has become an 
internationally recognized business organization with a membership of 
over 1,700 in the United States and the Caribbean. Prior to starting 
CACCI, Dr. Hastick published the West Indian Tribune, a tabloid 
newspaper which served as a launching pad for the development of the 
Chamber, and which became the voice for the Caribbean American 
Community, and a business networking vehicle.
  A tireless advocate for economic and community empowerment, Dr. 
Hastick helped to form several immigrant organizations and served for 
over 16 years in various capacities including 1st Vice Chairman of his 
local Community Board in Crown Heights Brooklyn. He currently serves on 
several small business advisory boards including: the New York State 
Governor's and New York City Mayor's Small Business Advisory Boards 
which advocates on behalf of minority and women owned business; JP 
Morgan Chase Bank, and the board of directors of the Brooklyn Navy Yard 
Development Corporation, Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation, New 
York Congregational Community Services, SUNY Jobs for Youth, and 
American Red Cross of Brooklyn. For six years, he has served as a 
delegate to the United Nations.
  Dr. Hastick has been an ardent supporter of Two-Way trade between the 
United States and the Caribbean region. As an elected delegate to the 
1995 White House Conference on Small Business, he campaigned to get 
Two-Way trade with the region into the final recommendations submitted 
to the United States Congress. Under his leadership, CACCI has 
undertaken several extraordinary and challenging initiatives including: 
conducting over 600 business seminars, providing weekly business 
clinics for start-ups and emerging businesses to access financing, 
contracting and procurement opportunities; promoting trade and 
investment opportunities between the Caribbean and the United States, 
and undertaking energetic and rapid responses to hurricane disasters in 
the Caribbean region. For the past 3 years, CACCI has managed, Flatbush 
Caton Merchants Mart, a city-owned Brooklyn-based micro enterprise 
incubator which houses 61 vendors and occupies 9,000 sq. ft. of space. 
CACCI's Educational Foundation supports micro-entrepreneurship, 
hurricane disaster relief efforts and provides scholarships for 
disadvantaged young people.
  Dr. Hastick has led several trade missions to the Caribbean region, 
hosted numerous Caribbean Head of State on their visits to the United 
States and made presentations at Caribbean Heads of Government 
meetings. Under his leadership, the development of the first ever 
Caribbean Trade Center, a one stop capital shop for two-way trade that 
will occupy 20,000 sq. ft in a major commercial corridor in Central 
Brooklyn, is in its 2nd phase of development and has received financial 
support and commitments from the New York State Governor, Port 
Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York City Council, New York 
City Mayor, and has been endorsed by local, national and international 
business entities, including CARICOM. Expected completion date is Fall 
2006.
  Dr. Hastick has partnered with numerous economic development 
entities, academic and medical institutions, national and local 
community groups including the United States Small Business 
Administration (SBA) United States Department of Commerce MBDA, NYS 
Empire Development Corporation, NYC Small Business Services (NYC SBS), 
SCORE, City University of New York (CUNY), SUNY Downstate Medical 
Center, Caribbean Women's Health Association, African American Chamber 
of Commerce of Westchester and Rockland Counties, and the Korean 
American Small Business Service Center.
  He has received numerous awards including: the United States 
Department of Commerce and the New York State Small Business Advocate 
of the Year Awards; Korean American Small Business Service Center 
``Harmony and Unity Award''; Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award 
from the Shirley Chisholm Institute; Ron Brown Business Advocate Award; 
``Chamber of the Year Award'' from the NYS Hispanic Chamber of 
Commerce; honored by President William Jefferson Clinton at ``New York 
Day'' in Washington, DC; ``CEO of the Year 2000'' from the Brooklyn 
Branch of the NAACP, the New York State Hispanic Legislative Task Force 
2002, and the New York State Black and Puerto Rican State Senators 
Award. Dr. Hastick was also honored with an Honorary Degree, Doctor of 
Humane Letters, Honoris Causa by Medgar Evers College, CUNY at its 2001 
Annual Convocation Ceremony.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is incumbent on this body to recognize 
the accomplishments of Dr. Roy A. Hastick, as he offers his talents and 
services for the betterment of our local and national communities.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hastick's selfless service has continuously 
demonstrated a level of altruistic, dedication that makes him most 
worthy of our recognition today.

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