Brett Freeman Full Bio

I’m honored to be nominated for the Somers Businessperson of the Year. As the publisher of The Somers Record, I’m proud to distribute 7,000 newspapers in the Town of Somers weekly. This is on top of the 23,000 newspapers that we distribute to other residents in four neighboring communities.

Our business truly serves the Town of Somers. In addition to highlighting all sorts of positive news about the community, we’ve also highlighted difficult topics, such as the heroin and opioid epidemic. During my tenure serving on the Somers Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, I lead the committee that organized a community panel discussion on the drug crisis, which was held at the Somers Community Center several years ago. In addition, we regularly donate ads to Drug Crisis in Our Backyard.

We also donate ads weekly to Putnam Humane Society and we donate ads annually to the Somers, Mahopac and Yorktown Relays for Life, the American Heart Association Heart Walk, the M.S. Society’s annual local walk, and the Somers Community Center’s annual cookie swap fundraiser. For many years, we also supported the Freezin for a Reason jump into Lake Mahopac to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

We are the top sponsor of The Somers Education Foundation’s annual gala, one of the top sponsors of the Women’s Resource Center annual food and wine festival, one of the top sponsors of the annual Support Connection “Support a Walk,” and a premiere member of the Somers Chamber of Commerce, Advocate Member of the Greater MahopacCarmel Chamber of Commerce, Diamond Sponsor of the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce and Gold Sponsor of the Katonah Chamber of Commerce.

We also work closely each year with the Somers Little Task Force and The Somers Lions Club to highlight their good causes. In 2013, I was proud to receive the Somers Lions Club’s Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award. I have also received the Putnam Community Service Network’s Award for Excellence in Communications; I was a co-recipient, along with my wife, of the “Community of Caring” Award from Community Cares; I received the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce Member Appreciation Award; and I was chosen as a 40-under-40 with the Putnam County Chamber of
Commerce.

I’m a past board member of the Somers, Mahopac and Yorktown Chamber boards, a past member of the Lake Mahopac Rotary Club, a past member of the Putnam Hospital Center Foundation board and a past member of the board of the New York Press Association. Each year, our newspapers win several journalism awards at the annual New York Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.

Currently and for several years, I volunteer each month with Hillside Food Outreach, where I deliver food to several needy families in Putnam and North Westchester counties. I am also a regular volunteer with Lakeview Community Church in Carmel.

My proudest roles are employer to over a dozen amazing colleagues; son to a wonderful mother and father; brother and uncle; father of two amazing kids; and a husband to a very patient and loving wife who supports me in every way.

Brett Freeman
Publisher
The Somers Record