Long Island Advance publisher Tuthill to be honored

Later tonight, Thursday, April 20, the Brookhaven Chambers of Commerce Coalition will host their annual outstanding member of the year awards reception at Stereo Garden in Patchogue.

During the reception, the Long Island Advance’s publisher, J. Terry Tuthill, will be awarded as the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce’s winner.  The choice, according to Patchogue chamber executive director David Kennedy, was a unanimous one by the board.

“Terry obviously has been our board of directors for at least 20 years; he’s always supportive and the first one willing to volunteer,” he said of the decision. “Without Terry and the Advance, we wouldn’t have our annual publication Discover Patchogue. The Long Island Advance is like the bible of Patchogue. If you want to know the history of the community, they have documented our history in a positive way for 150 years. Terry was an easy choice and is one of our most important members.”

Tuthill is the owner and publisher of the oldest operating newspaper in Brookhaven Town, and the longest continually operated business in the Village of Patchogue. He has been a member of the Patchogue Chamber since the early ‘90s. Prior to that, his father, John Tuthill, whom he succeeded as publisher, was a member before then, and his grandfather was one of the first members.

“I’m very thankful and humbled to receive this nomination from the chamber; it was never my intent to look to be honored. I just love being a part of the business community, helping small businesses succeed by getting their message out and promoting events for all our local chambers, which in turn goes back to supporting local businesses,” he said of his nomination.

This year marks the 23rd anniversary of the BCCC awards and will include two new grants developed during COVID, which help relieve small businesses. Since businesses are no longer recovering, according to the chambers coalition, the grants have been renamed the Brookhaven Incentive Awards, in addition to the Small Business Improvement Award, as well as the special Economic Stimulus Grant for chamber organizations.

The awards ceremony validates the local small businesses and the chambers that they belong to by recognizing their strengths in partnerships while also recognizing their accomplishments.

The highlight of the event will include a very special award for the overall Chamber Member of the Year for all of Brookhaven Town.

The 2023 grant and award recipients include the $500 incentive grant for Treehouse Childcare in Mastic/Shirley; $1,000 incentive grant for L.I. Pro Nail in Farmingville Hills; $1,200 improvement award for 2nd Chance in Gordon Heights; and the Economic Stimulus Incentive Grant for $1,000 to the Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce.

ADDITIONAL AWARD WINNERS:

• Bellport- Daniel Haynes

• Farmingville Hills- Emily and Mike Liebler

• Gordon Heights- Synethia Grainger

• Greater Mastic Beach- Dean Denninger

• Greater Middle Country- Romaine Perkins

• Mastic/Shirley- Joseph Colucci

• Medford- Niel Marturiello

• Greater Port Jefferson- Doug Quattrack

• Moriches- Paul Quinn

• Mt. Sinai/Miller Place- Holly Bottiglieri

• Port Jefferson/Terryville-Dee Earle

• Rocky Point/Sound Beach- Ralph Ferrara

• Ronkonkoma- Mick Du Russel

• Three Village- John McGregor

The overall chamber member of the year will be awarded tonight.