As the former leader of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Carlo Scissura says he can appreciate the critical role a chamber plays in developing the economy, putting residents to work and building a borough’s infrastructure.
Scissura, who now serves as the President and CEO of the New York Building Congress, was the keynote speaker at the Queens Chamber of Commerce Building Awards on October 27, a 95-year tradition that will honor this year’s best in construction.
“Queens has great waterfront property being developed in Long Island City and the potential for building at Sunnyside Yard are signs of so many things on the right track,” he added. “Queens is the most diverse county in America and ultimately it’s the people who come here to invest and build that drive the growth and change.”
Since 2017, Scissura has been at the helm of the New York Building Congress, a construction advocacy association whose membership has grown to 600, a 50 percent jump since he came on board.
He increased the organization’s budget by more than $1 million and moved its offices to Midtown Manhattan to increase visibility and make room for additional staff.
Prior to serving as president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, which became one of New York’s largest economic development organizations under his leadership, Scissura served both as the chief of staff and general counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
During his tenure, he restructured operations at Borough Hall and served as Markowitz’s senior advisor.
Despite the deep cuts in activity in 2020, Scissura said the building industry fared better than others given that essential construction continued.
“We are now the industry that is helping to get people back to work,” Scissura said, “which is so important for the economy in New York.”