Merrick Chamber of Commerce honors its own

The Merrick Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated its annual Merchant and Professional of the Year awards ceremony at R.S. Jones Restaurant in the heart of downtown Merrick.

Dr. David Sukoff, who has had his orthodontic practice in Merrick for four years, was honored as the chamber’s Professional of the Year, and Fahmida Aziz, owner of Serengeti Design Studios, won Merchant of the Year.

“Winning the award was special,” said Sukoff. “It was very nice, but the bigger meaning was that I'm making a positive difference in Merrick.”

Sukoff earned his bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C. in 2003 and completed his dental training at the New York University College of Dentistry in 2006.

“We're not just the average practice. We're coming in here, and we're doing good things, and we're making a positive difference in people's lives,” Sukoff said. “I really think that is what the award means. I never just envisioned being a worker. I envisioned coming in and making positive changes.”

Sukoff is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Board of Orthodontics, the American Dental Association, the New York State Dental Association, the Northeastern Society of Orthodontists and the Nassau County Dental Society.

Sukoff recently moved back to West Hills, where he grew up. He attended Half Hollows Hills West High School, where he met his wife, Alissa. The two have been married for more than 10 years, and together they have three children, Joshua, 7, Sarah, 4, and Rachel, 2.

Aziz has lived in Merrick since 2002, when she moved here with her husband, Hasnain, from Lynbrook. "We literally fell in love with this town,” she said. ”Everything about it was great."

Aziz began doing freelance photography and videography shortly after the move. Her business flourished in 2006, and she opened her own studio two years later.