Written by Kayla Schmidt
Somers resident Marialisa Zywotchenko is president and owner of Cyrus Contracting Corporation, works with many local businesses on a daily basis. She sees behind the scenes, and she brought that unique perspective to the table.
Why did you want to be a judge?
Well, I was asked, and I’m always happy to contribute to the community where I work and live; I’m always happy to be involved.
What’s your professional background?
I’ve been operating my company, which is a design-build firm, since 2009 in Westchester County. So, I interact with a lot of homeowners and other small businesses, especially in northern Westchester.
What perspective did you bring as a judge?
Well, my business is about managing other businesses, so I have a lot of experience with other businesses in the county. I also have the perspective of someone who works in the home improvement community, and I don’t think any other judge has that experience.
What did you expect as a judge?
I didn’t know what to expect before the meeting, but it was a very fluid and open process. We were all encouraged to give our honest opinions, so it was really just about all of us sitting around a table and discussing the different categories and the different entries in the categories, which was very nice. In terms of what I was looking forward to, I’m always interested in the restaurant/eating out category because I consider myself a foodie, so I was excited for that.
What kind of judge are you?
There were a couple of times where I would dismiss a business if I thought they didn’t really fit in the upper tier, but I’m definitely not overly critical. So, I’d like to think I’m more on the kind side.
Which famous judge best matches your personality?
I don’t know—I don’t really know any.
What was the biggest challenge as a judge?
I didn’t really find any part challenging. I found it fun. It was very entertaining and amusing, and I liked it.
Last question: Who would make a better judge, Elmo or Miss Piggy?
Miss Piggy; she has some style. Elmo doesn’t even wear pants!
This article was published in the January/February 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Kayla Schmidt
Kayla Schmidt is a freshman at Horace Greeley High School. She is part of the newspaper and the SADD club, and she is also the co-manager of the track team. In her free time, Kayla enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and dogs, along with reading (preferably on the beach).
