Building Congress Event
91st Anniversary Leadership Awards Luncheon
NEW YORK BUILDING CONGRESS HONORS RATNER AND ROSE AT 91st ANNIVERSARY LEADERSHIP AWARDS LUNCHEON
Nearly 1,100 men and women from the design, construction and real estate community gathered on May 10 to pay tribute to the careers of two outstanding New Yorkers – Bruce Ratner and Daniel Rose -- during the New York Building Congress 91st Anniversary Leadership Awards Luncheon at the Hilton New York.
The luncheon also attracted a wide range of New York City officials, including New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, City Comptroller John Liu, Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
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After airing a video salute to the Bloomberg administration and the New York City Council for a decade of investment in the City’s schools, parks, bridges, transportation network and other essential infrastructure systems, Building Congress Chairman John M. Dionisio, Chairman and CEO of AECOM, said, “The Mayor and City Council understand capital investment and what it means for New York. Make no mistake about it: their achievements took an incredible amount of work and financial commitment. The Building Congress is deeply appreciative of Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn for their leadership.”
Speaker Quinn took the opportunity to praise her colleagues in the City Council. “We have been very lucky to have leaders in government who recognize the importance of capital budgets, especially during a recession,” when the construction industry was one of the few sectors hiring. She also praised the building community for its dedication to building New York.
Deputy Mayor Holloway, speaking on behalf of the Bloomberg administration, noted that the City has invested $78 billion over the past decade, adding, “Not only have these investments been an important continued driver of employment, but these are the types of investments that make New York City a place where people want to come and live,” long after the economy has fully recovered.
Rudin Management Vice Chairman and President Eric Rudin presented the 2012 Jack and Lewis Rudin Award for Service to New York City to Rose Associates Chairman Daniel Rose. “Dan’s incredible career has involved so many professional, civic and nonprofit activities that this presentation simply cannot do it justice,” Mr. Rudin remarked. “Few know that Dan created and implemented the Housing for the Performing Arts concept for New York’s Manhattan Plaza and founded, and now serves as Chairman Emeritus of, the highly-acclaimed Harlem Educational Activities Fund, whose inner-city students are flowing into the nation’s leading high schools and colleges. He has served with distinction on many other inner-city organizations and contributed generously to their capital programs. Dan truly is a renaissance man with a keen intellect and an extraordinary capacity for community betterment.”
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Mr. Rose used his acceptance to praise the Rudin family as well as his own, who helped instill in him the values of professionalism and giving back to the community. “Over the past half century, I have tried my best to be a professional in every sense of the word and to play my part in the pro-bono world.” He also noted that organizations such as the New York Building Congress are successful because they do more than serve the industry – they strive to create a better New York.
In presenting the Leadership Award to Forest City Ratner Companies Chairman and CEO Bruce Ratner, Luncheon Chairman Thomas Z. Scarangello said, “Bruce is an extraordinary New Yorker. Through his urban development efforts, he has been at the forefront of New York’s transformation, building some of the City’s most iconic projects,” including MetroTech Center, the New York Times building, New York by Gehry and Atlantic Yards. Mr. Scarangello, who is Chairman and CEO of Thornton Tomasetti, added, “He has done this with the highest quality construction, the most extensive public consultation possible, and the full partnership of government at all levels. Bruce serves New York in countless other capacities and is a generous benefactor of many worthwhile causes.”
Mr. Ratner, who also was praised at the Luncheon by Iron Workers Local 361, remarked, “Our Company only builds union, and we are proud of it. It’s the union worker who has made this City great.” He added, “I love this City. It has always been my love,” before reflecting how long and how far New York City has come since the social and economic ills it faced when he first moved here 45 years ago. “Tough times necessitated new ideas and innovation, and New York responded. Together with so many of you in this room, we have built the very best city in the world.”
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Building Congress President Richard T. Anderson told the audience, “This annual celebration has brought together members of the design, construction and real estate community of New York City each year, and we deeply appreciate your attendance today and your generous financial support.”
The Underwriters of the luncheon were AECOM, Forest City Ratner Companies and Rudin Management. The Journal Chairman was Joseph Gunn from Willis of NY. The Executive Co-Chairmen were Aine Brazil of Thornton Tomasetti, Jeffery R. Capazzi of The Jobin Organization; Con Edison; George J. Pierson of Parsons Brinckerhoff; Milo Riverso of STV Group; Lawrence P. Roman of WDF, Inc.; and Frank J. Sciame of Sciame Construction.
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The New York Building Congress is a non-partisan, public policy coalition of business, labor, professional and governmental organizations serving the design, construction and real estate industry. More information on policies, programs and events is available at www.buildingcongress.com.
