The Highland Downtown Business Association

Trustees of the Highland Business Association (L-R): Treasurer Howie Schwartz, vice president Natasha Gasparro, president Mark Elia and secretary Christina DeMaio. (photo by Lauren Thomas)

The Highland Downtown Business Association serves as an advocate and a resource for local business. The group is comprised of business and property owners in the hamlet of Highland who meet on a monthly basis to brainstorm about ways to promote businesses in the area and how best to encourage the visitors who come to Highland for the Walkway Over the Hudson and to hike the Hudson Valley Rail Trail to see the hamlet as a destination. And with the recent rezoning in the town of Lloyd intended to encourage business, the group also wants to encourage prospective business owners to set up shop in Highland.

The organization’s current president is Mark Elia, with Natasha Gasparro serving as vice president, Christina DeMaio as secretary and Howie Schwartz as treasurer.

Last year the group raised more than $5,000 to put back into the community in a number of ways. The association partners with the town’s Events Committee on many of the annual holiday celebrations held in town, donating funds to help bring the events to the community and assisting with some of the hands-on work. They started a Highland Business Association Scholarship Fund for graduating high school seniors and donated money to the library and a local church. Funds were raised through holding mixers in local restaurants.

The Highland Business Association will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, February 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Coppola’s La Fantasia Restaurant, located at 3581 Route 9W in Highland.