Gotthelf Named Long Island CFO of the Year

East Quogue resident Dede Gotthelf, the owner of in Southampton Village, has been named a CFO of the Year by Long Island Business News, an award for outstanding fiscal leadership and asset management.

Awardees' professional commitment and community involvement are also weighed. Gotthelf was chosen in the category of private companies with revenues less than $50 million.

Gotthelf has run Southampton Inn, which boasts more than 40,000 visitors a year, since 1998. In additon to 90 guestrooms, the inn includes , a conference center, and the 71 Hill Street office complex.

She also serves on the board of the Hamptons Visitors Council, an alliance of chambers of commerce, and founded "It Takes a Village," a movement among Southampton businesses of all stripes to attract visitors to the area year round, even during tough economic times.

“I founded ‘It Takes a Village,’ because many of us on the East End are small businesses owners," Gotthelf said. "By combining our efforts we can make a greater impact on regional tourism than any one of us could by working on our own.”

Gotthelf prides herself on supporting the community and local businesses by donating meeting rooms and the inn's ballrooms for fundraisers and training, and by hiring and purchasing locally.

“We buy as much as possible from our local merchants whether it's bedding and pillows or local farm produce, printers and equipment,” she said. “Our philosophy is that the hotel should reflect its surrounding culture and should give back to the community that does such an amazing job of attracting guests and visitors to the area.”

Each summer, Southampton Inn hosts a for Fresh Air Fund children and their host families.

Gotthelf is a graduate of The Brearley School and Williams College and was an adjunct professor at the NYU Real Estate Institute and vice president at the New York State Urban Development Corp. She is also currently the owner and president of Catcove Corp., a real estate firm.

The awards ceremony is Sept. 20 at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.