The New York chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services recently opened its annual meeting with a speech about the "spiritual side of business" presented by cancer survivor and former monk Kenny Moore, who co-authored a book entitled The CEO and the Monk: One Company's Journey to Profit and Purpose. Attending the meeting were, from left: Moore; David Koren, SMPS New York chapter president; Maxinne Leighton, chapter director of special events; and Deborah Rosenberg, chapter vice president.

The New York Building Congress, the Real Estate Board of New York, New York Construction, Zetlin & De Chiara, and the Urban Land Institute recently held a seminar on mezzanine financing for construction projects, an alternative to straightforward equity or debt financing. Sitting on the panel, were, from left: Michael Zetlin, moderator, Zetlin & De Chiara; Robert Friedberg, BlackRock Financial Management; Howard Glatzer, the City Investment Fund; Richard Katzenstein, MMA Realty Capital; Mason Sleeper, Credit Suisse; and Simon Ziff, Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York recently awarded seven scholarships to third-year undergraduate engineering students in the New York City area. Another five scholarships will be awarded to students enrolled in upstate New York schools. Attending the ceremony, from left, were: Susan Walter, chair of ACEC New York's scholarship program; Kathleen O'Brien, Columbia University student; Irmak Turan, Columbia University student; Kathleen Munson, Manhattan College student; Jacquelyn Tookmanian, Manhattan College student; Michael Molloy, SUNY Stony Brook student; and Michael Della Rocca, president of ACEC New York's Metropolitan Region chapter.