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Connect to the Best
January / February 2025
Read our latest issue below, or keep scrolling for behind the scenes pictures, videos and information.
A “Best Of” issue? Aren’t those things rigged?
Questions like that are why we never wanted to do one.
But everyone kept asking. We can’t even count how many times we said no. Then finally, someone suggested we create a panel of judges. It was brilliant. And so our inaugural Connect to the Best contest began to take shape.
We believe in transparency, so here’s how we selected the winners and why this contest is unique.
Step One
Like other contests, we offered everyone the opportunity to submit businesses and professionals for consideration. Simultaneously, we gave everyone the opportunity to apply to become a judge, and we gently encouraged a few leaders in the community to apply. We offered a spot on the panel to all judges who applied (pg. 31); only one applicant did not respond to our invitation.
Step Two
Once the nomination period ended, we organized all nominations and sent them to the judges to review and add rank. The nominations helped judges who weren’t familiar with a business/professional understand why they were a worthy candidate for the award. After the judges completed their rankings, we tallied them.
Step Three
We held a meeting for the judges to discuss the businesses nominated and make their own suggestions. While we led the meeting, we let the judges determine the criteria they would use, discuss the nominees and decide the winners. We did not force or veto any decision they made.
Members of our community selected each winner. No business or professional paid for their win.
Step Four
After the judges selected all the winners, we clarified the categories.Then we facilitated a discussion among the judges to finalize the runners-up.
We’re very pleased with the results, and we hope you are too. We hope to see even more nominations next year and perhaps a few new faces on our judging panel.
Congratulations to the winners of our inaugural Connect to the Best (pg. 38). You are truly some of the best in our region.
Happy New Year,
Gia Miller & Justin Negard
P.S. We’d like to give a warm welcome to all our new readers in Armonk, Chappaqua and Pleasantville. We now mail Connect to Northern Westchester to over 26,000 homes and businesses, making us the largest publication in our region. We’re glad you joined us, and we hope to hear from you.
