Markos Lynn’s top Business Person

LYNN – Brother’s Deli owner George Markos walked away with the coveted Business Person of the Year Award at the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce’s 98th annual meeting Thursday.The packed event at the Logan Airport Hilton also brought recognition to several other business owners and community leaders from Lynn, Lynnfield, Swampscott and Nahant.Leslie Gould, the chamber’s executive director, emceed the evening along with John Olson, the organization’s chairman.”This is a great honor,” said Markos, who arrived in the United States in 1975 at age 15 and over the years built his downtown Lynn restaurant into a landmark. “I saw opportunity in Lynn.”Today, the restaurant serves 600-1,000 customers a day and on Thanksgiving Markos serves a holiday meal to 50-80 needy families.The President’s Award, given to the chamber member who goes above and beyond the call of duty, went to Susan Kreamer, a Lynn native, 2009 North of Boston Business Woman of the Year and a branch manager for Eastern Bank.The Multi-Cultural Business Leadership Award was given to Basillio Encarnacio, owner of the Rincon Macorisano restaurant in Lynn. Upon immigrating from the Dominican Republic in 1981, Encarnacio worked at jobs including a plastics factory until he was able to buy his own business. Sixteen years ago he opened Rincon Macorisano, which is among the city’s more popular establishments.The David S. Solomine Sr. Community Service Award went to Richard Kessel of Lynn Lumber, a community activist and volunteer whose efforts have helped organizations such as Girls Inc.The Rookie of the Year Award was given to Amy Drinan, owner of the Jack & Jill Hair Salon. Drinan was singled out for her community service and charity, donating time and resources to groups such as Serving People in Need.The Buddy Fennell Hall of Fame Award, which honors the late owner of the Capitol Diner in downtown Lynn, went to Francis and Andrea McAskill of Monte’s Pizza. The restaurant on Eastern Avenue opened its doors in 1946 and is still going strong. Known for its custom, thin-crust pizza, Monte’s was described at the event as a no-frills neighborhood restaurant where Lynn teenagers often go for a first date and where couples have been going for years.The Lynn City Pride Award was given to Dottie Thibodeau, a clerk at the city’s Inspectional Services Department. Efficient and filled with energy, Thibodeau has been called the backbone of the department, the go-to person for municipal information who always responds professionally and with a smile.The Swampscott Town Pride Award went to Town Administrative Assistant Maureen Shultz, the “hub of information” for bills, collections and other matters at Town Hall.The Nahant Town Pride Award went to Police Chief William F. Waters, who has announced plans to retire. The award was accepted by Robert Dwyer, the town’s newly-designated police chief, who will assume the office upon Waters’ departure in the spring. Waters has been serving the town since 1962 in a wide array of public safety roles, including call firefighter, permanent firefighter, civil defense director, police officer, harbormaster, and founder of the Ocean Rescue Team.The Lynnfield Town Pride Award went to Nancy Ryan, executive director of the town’s public library. The town library was established in 1795 with 70 subscribers and today has over 70,000 books.In his address as part of the chamber’s 98th annual meeting, Olson, owner of the Columbia Insurance Agency in Lynn, said, “These are challenging times for businesses and for their employees. It’s when businesses need the chamber most.”The event’s gold sponsors were Eastern Bank and ERC Wiping Products. The silver sponsors were Atlantic Ambulance, Monte’s restaurant and New Angle Glass Co. Bronze sponsors were the Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, Lynn Ladder & Scaffolding, and the Riverworks Credit Union. Jay Duchin of Duchin Productions provided the equipment and technology for the awards presentation.