Westchester County BOMA Names New Officers

The building owners group gets a new president and board. Also, the Long Island chapter of SMPS hosts "It's Not Easy Being Green" - a panel discussion on sustainable design.

New BOMA Leadership Slate

The Westchester County chapter of the Building Owners and Managers Association recently swore in new officers and directors, tapping Tammy Cuomo of Reckson Associates Realty as its new president.

Joining Cuomo as officers are John Goudey of RPW Group, who is the new vice president, and William Rifkin of Healthcare Realty, who is the chapter's secretary and treasurer.

In addition, David Block of CB Richard Ellis, David Friedman of Louis Dreyfus Property Group, Dean Bender of Thompson & Bender, Sean Brown of Kastle Systems, Charles Brown Jr. of C.W. Brown, Maryann Martini of MBIA Insurance, Kim Zaccagnino of W&M Properties, and Anthony Ivey of Mack-Cali Realty, have been appointed directors.

Apprentices to Gain Credits

A new initiative in New Jersey aims to give participants in construction industry apprenticeship programs the chance to earn college credit for the courses.

The credit system, called New Jersey Pathways Leading Apprentices to a College Education, is a collaborative effort of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the New Jersey AFL-CIO, and the state's 19 community colleges.

According to Gov. Jon Corzine's office, an estimated 5,000 trade apprentices will get access to college credits as a result of the program.

Moles Present 2006 Awards

The Moles, a national association for heavy contractors based in Woodcliff Lake, N.J., recently held its annual awards dinner at the Hilton New York hotel in Manhattan, where it recognized Edward Cruz, president and CEO of E.E. Cruz & Co., as its Member of the Year.

Cruz, a heavy construction company based in Holmdel, N.J., is working on a $250 million stormwater retention and treatment facility in Flushing Bay, N.Y., a $135 million expansion to a sewage treatment plant in Rahway Valley, N.J., and a $75 million improvement project for New Jersey Transit's Meadow Maintenance Facility in Kearny.

The Moles is composed of "individuals now or formerly engaged in the construction of tunnel, subway, sewer, foundation, marine, bug-aqueous, or other heavy construction."

SMPS Hosts Green Forum

The Long Island Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services recently held a forum on sustainable design and construction on Long Island.

Entitled "It's Not Easy Being Green," a wink at Kermit the Frog, the event brought together a panel of local industry experts who have gained professional accreditation from the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The panelists were: Anthony Musumeci of Emtec Consulting Engineers; Martin Dettling of the Albanese Organization; Evans Lizardos of Lizardos Engineering Associates; David Ashley of Ashley McGraw Architects; and Peter Caradonna of Peter Caradonna Architecture and Planning.

The panel discussed sustainable design aspects of several LEED-certifiable projects currently under construction in the area, including the Setauket Firehouse, the Suffolk County Environmental Center, Westhampton Beach Union Hall, and 1001 Franklin Avenue in Garden City. Some panelists recommended that their peers in the audience obtain LEED accreditation and join organizations such as the USGBC as a way to distinguish themselves professionally. The panelists also urged the audience to actively promote the use of sustainable design to the rest of the industry.

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