Outstanding Women 2015
Transcription
Outstanding Women 2015
OUTSTANDING WBC Outstanding Women 2015 WOMEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY 2015 OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY www.wbcnyc.org/outstandingwomen2015 OUTSTANDING 1 CELEBRATING OUTSTANDING WOMEN 2015 The indelible signature of outstanding professionals in any industry is marked by distinction, excellence and superior performance. Outstanding Women are a special breed. They demonstrate passion, perseverance and tenacity to overcome challenges that others may consider too onerous or too risky to surmount. They do it every day, without fanfare or recognition. Women Builders Council is proud to recognize women who represent top professionals in their respective market sectors of real estate, construction, transportation and related professions. These women serve as outstanding role models and sterling examples of professionals who every day are making their mark in their own careers as well as impacting the lives of others. Many are young, others are more mature. Their distinguishing common denominator is the quality of professionalism that they deliver to their companies and organizations in the highly competitive and high risk business arena of construction. 2 Deborah Bradley President, Women Builders Council, Inc. Founder and President, Deborah Bradley Construction & Management Services Inc. BUILDING A NEW FAMILY OF WOMEN BUILDERS Congratulations to the Women Builders Council Outstanding Women of 2015! On behalf of the Board of Women Builders Council, it is my pleasure and privilege to extend my sincere congratulations to WBC’s 2015 Outstanding Women. Each of the women recognized by WBC this year is very special and represents the new face of the building industry. In their very own way, and with their own stories, each of these women has risen through the ranks of their companies and organizations to attain a special level of distinction among their colleagues. Historically, women have been an invisible class within the building industry. ‘Men at Work’ signs are now changing to ‘People at Work’ and corporate suite offices are increasingly occupied by women who have demonstrated their ability to bring exceptional value to their organizations. Women are growing in number and as leaders. The women represented in the pages that follow are just some of the women in our industry who today are creating important change in their companies and organizations. We celebrate them, and we celebrate the companies and organizations that have the wisdom to advance women to new levels in the building industry. 3 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 Sandra Wilkin President, Bradford Construction Corporation Board Member, Women Builders Council BRAVA, WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION! We applaud the Outstanding Women of 2015. Every day, their work leads us toward a more equitable future. They create the momentum that inspires future women leaders. WBC uses its collective strength to impact public policy. We strongly support: ✓ The New NYS 30% Goals. In late 2014, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, “New York has done many things, but we still have more to do, and that is why we are proud to announce a goal of 30%, the highest in the United States, to continue this progression and momentum and ensure MWBEs are fully represented in this state.” ✓ The New NYC and NYS Disparity Studies. New York City and the state of New York will each be conducting a disparity study in 2015. Disparity studies are legally required and essential for determining government contracting goals. WBC will lend its efforts to ensure the studies include the many MWBE firms in our city and state. ✓ Reauthorization of NYS Article 15-A. This is the statute that creates and sustains entrepreneurial opportunities for small business enterprises. It is a law with a proven record of creating jobs. Without reauthorization, it will sunset and disappear in 2016. We must secure reauthorization. www.bradfordconstruction.com 4 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 “We honor the outstanding women in the building industry, and the many other remarkable women among us in companies and organizations throughout New York. Long may WBC’s Outstanding Women continue to build the skyline of New York.” ✓ The Minimum Wage Increase. Equitable pay in the building trades serves as an example for other industries across the state. Women are disproportionately represented among those who make the lowest wages, which unfairly suppresses their potential. Raising the minimum wage is a win for women in all industries. ✓ Legislative Relief for the Scaffold Law. We seek to reform the Scaffold Law 240/241. We are committed to supporting changes that will benefit us all. As a WBC co-founder, I am proud of what WBC has become. Since 2004, we have grown to include a robust board of entrepreneurs and corporate executives. We offer legislative advocacy, new business mentoring and development and recently added accounting and legal helplines. More importantly, we provide a forum for the Outstanding Women in our community. 5 EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT Deborah Bradley Founder & President Deborah Bradley Construction & Management Services Inc. TREASURER Geri Gregor Partner-in-Charge Grassi & Co. 6 VICE PRESIDENT Stephanie V. Burns Community Affairs Director Turner Construction Company CORRESPONDING SECRETARY Jayne Czik, Esq. General Counsel & Compliance Officer Citnalta Construction Corp. RECORDING SECRETARY Julie Valerio Senior Associate/Senior Project Manager STV, Inc. CO-GENERAL COUNSEL Loryn P. Riggiola, Esq. Partner Zetlin & De Chiara LLP CO-GENERAL COUNSEL Lina G. Telese, Esq. Partner Zetlin & De Chiara LLP CHAIR, WBC ADVISORY BOARD Cheryl McKissack Daniel President & CEO McKissack & McKissack BOARD MEMBERS Penda Aiken President/CEO Penda Aiken Lisa Buglione Vice President of Marketing and Business Development Star America Lisa Cassone Executive Vice President Cassone Trailer and Container Company, Inc. Linda Christensen-Sjogren Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Lend Lease Americas Debra Cole Client Relations Director HLW International LLP Nancy Czesak First Vice President Tishman Construction Corp. Lorraine D’Angelo, Esq. President LDA Compliance Consulting, Inc. Nanci-jean DeNapoli Vice President KND Electric Christine Donaldson-Boccia Executive Manager J.D. Traditional Industries Cindy Feinberg Partner Jacob Feinberg Katz & Michaeli Consulting Group Jenny Freeman, LEED AP, PE Senior Vice President and Director of Healthcare Hunter Roberts Brennan Gilbane Koch Client Relations Specialist Gilbane, Inc. Jean Greenlaw Vice President, Special Projects MBI Group Debra Inwald Founder and Principal Works-in-Progress Associates Carla Julian Senior Public Relations/Business Development Manager Granite Construction Company Gloria Kemper President Recon Construction Corporation Michele O’Connor Principal Langan Alexandria Perotti Project Manager Holt Construction Corp. Alma Smith Vice President McKissack & McKissack Melissa Steeves Senior Project Manager Sciame Construction, LLC Elizabeth Velez President Velez Organization Sandra Wilkin President Bradford Construction Corp. Andis Woodlief Director of the MWDBE/Affirmative Action Program Tutor Perini Building Company 7 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 Jane Chmielinski Chief Operating Officer AECOM SOME ADVICE FOR WOMEN, OUTSTANDING AND SOON TO BE! Several ‘North Stars’ have guided my actions and my reactions in my professional life. They are simple, but keep them with you to build a career filled with bankable success. 8 1. Self-worth is more valuable than net worth. If you tie your self-worth to those things that surround you, ultimately you become bereft of those things that are truly your core. As I moved up professionally, I discovered that my net worth was my reputation, not my most recent raise. Keep grounded and stay true to your values. People think they need to leave their soul in order to grow. They don’t, and inevitably they won’t. 2. Keep connected. You can get lost in the C-suite Bubble. You have handlers, things are done for you. Your world is elevated and you feel protected. But don’t stay long in that glass shelter. It’s important to consistently keep connected with your team. Understand where the rubber meets the road, and what your team’s pain points are. Your connection to your team at every level is your lifeline to professional success. 3. Focus on mutual benefits. When I first started out, I asked two key questions: Is it good for the clients? Is it good for the employees? If the answer is yes to both, your company always will do well, and the upside – you will get the right information faster to make better decisions. 4. Assume good intent. It’s been my experience that women assume that things happening around them are intended to make them look bad. But that’s a narrow lens through which to view the world. The world does not conspire to make you a failure. Once you take charge of your situation and assume good intent, the world is an easier place to manage. Once I assumed good intent, I was even more successful. 5. Don’t abdicate your power. Power is a hammer. Swing it in the right direction, nail your target and you are a winner. Leave it in your brief case, and you stay powerless. I sit through lots of meetings watching my colleagues be silent. Right after, they engage in sidebars and end runs that are usually WBC Outstanding Women 2015 Chief Operating Officer, President, Thought Leader. Role Model for the next generation of women leaders. Jane Chmielinski is one of our industry’s icons. Here’s some practical advice she shares with all women, outstanding and soon to be. very unproductive. My advice to women who tend to stay silent at meetings: Don’t abdicate your power. Say something when you know something. Ask, and you may be surprised that you get what you want. 6. Take the body blows for your team. When bad things happen to a good team, a great leader needs to take the body blows. Shield your team from all the corporate fray – give them their free space to do their jobs and perform high. That shelter can help them gain the confidence to continue and restore stability to the team and their work. Being a stand-up leader ensures that your team will succeed. 7. Be prepared that in life things can go from charming to alarming, and pretty quickly. My career was more of a lattice than a ladder. I didn’t move straight up the corporate ladder, sometimes I went sideways, even down a step. You need to be prepared for change. At the first sign of resistance, you can become a broken sparrow. What if you lost your job? Didn’t get a promotion? Women often tend to be more emotional than men, and when you are emotionally spent, you don’t make good decisions. Men tend to make decisions quickly; women spend more time and measure their responses. Be prepared, and have a plan for when life changes on a dime. 8. Apply for growth. Women don’t apply for promotions. They wait for someone to promote them. Compounding the challenge to moving up is that men are generally evaluated on their potential, and women are usually judged on their qualifications. To succeed, you need to have a plan for success. Apply for opportunities, don’t wait for them to find you. 9. Stay positive. Always see the upside in the worst of situations. Women live with glass ceilings, glass cliffs and sticky floors.; not an easy place to navigate smoothly. Light your way with optimism and use your lens for opportunities to steer your course. These nine “North Stars” have helped me set a path for a wonderful run. Let them guide you too. 9 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 WBC’s Outstanding Women Thaikisha Alvarez, Gilbane Building Company............................................................................................13 Constance Antzoulis-Stathis, Polo Electric Corporation .........................................................................14 Jennifer Armstrong, CHMM, LEED AP, Langan ..........................................................................................15 Jennifer Aument, Transurban.............................................................................................................................16 Magalie D. Austin, Esq., NYC Department of Design and Construction ............................................17 Kahli Baker, Turner Construction.......................................................................................................................18 Sally Bankes, Tappan Zee Constructors LLC..................................................................................................19 Caroline Barrnett, Arch Insurance Group, Surety Department .............................................................20 Jennifer Bilello, Sciame Construction LLC .................................................................................................... 21 Erin Felker Bond, Esq., New York Law School.............................................................................................. 22 Jennifer Brayer, HLW International LLP ......................................................................................................... 23 Belinda Butler, Tishman Construction, an AECOM Company ............................................................... 24 Lisette Camilo, Mayor’s Office of Contract Services ..................................................................................25 Hannah Carmical, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC ......................................................................................26 Laura Chapman, Liberty Mutual ...................................................................................................................... 27 Nada Cheiban, CCM, Gilbane Building Company ..................................................................................... 28 Melissa Chin, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC ............................................................................................... 29 Michelle Cooper, Columbia University Medical Center ........................................................................... 30 Eileen Della Volle, KS Engineers ........................................................................................................................31 Annemarie DiCola, Esq., Trepp LLC................................................................................................................. 32 Halle Doenitz, Leslie E. Robertson Associates ............................................................................................. 33 Rosemary Espinal, Turner Construction ........................................................................................................ 34 Sierra Farber, Traylor Brothers........................................................................................................................... 35 Rebecca Finlan, TDX Construction ...................................................................................................................36 Robin Fisher, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank ................................................................................................37 Jennifer Gallo-Sinapi, Five Star Electric Corp. ............................................................................................ 38 Eve Glazer, EY (Ernst & Young) .......................................................................................................................... 39 J. Naomi Glean, WDF, Inc. ................................................................................................................................... 40 Chelsea Goldinger, New York State Department of State ...................................................................... 41 Fanny Gong, Columbia University ................................................................................................................... 42 Victoria Graney, Fluor Corporation, TZC Constructors ............................................................................ 43 10 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 in the Building Industry 2015 Alexandra M. Greene, Office of the NYS Governor.................................................................................... 44 Jean Greenlaw, MBI Group ................................................................................................................................. 45 Jane Greenwood, Kostow Greenwood Architects ..................................................................................... 46 Yvette R. Hall, Empire State Development ................................................................................................... 47 Susan L. Hill, HFF .................................................................................................................................................... 48 Sarwat Izhar, P.E., SI Engineering, P.C. (SIE) ....................................................................................................49 Kerrie Jew, New York City Department of Small Business Services ..................................................... 50 Andrea Juda, Woods Bagot ............................................................................................................................... 51 Carla Julian, Granite Construction Company .............................................................................................. 52 Karla Beth Kudatzky, CBRE Group, Inc. ......................................................................................................... 53 Elizabeth Kupcha, CPSM, Kupcha Marketing Services ............................................................................ 54 Margaret Larkin, New York State Office of General Services ................................................................ 55 Wanda Lee, Turner Construction Company ................................................................................................. 56 Shari Leventhal, PE, LEED AP, Langan........................................................................................................... 57 Sabrina Levine, Fluor Corporation ................................................................................................................. 58 Shari Linnick, Trepp, LLC ..................................................................................................................................... 59 Erin Lloyd, Lloyd Patel, LLP ................................................................................................................................. 60 Nicki Louloudis, PE, Langan ............................................................................................................................. 61 Jane Lyons, Rhodes Associates ......................................................................................................................... 62 Cindy Malinchak, Environmentally Based Green Building ..................................................................... 63 Donna McAuliffe, CPA, Grassi & Co .............................................................................................................. 64 Lissette Miquel, HAKS .......................................................................................................................................... 65 Karen Morrison, P.E., Associated General Contractors of New York State......................................... 66 Jennifer Mackenburg Murphy, STV Inc. ...................................................................................................... 67 Tracy Mitchell, NYS Thruway Authority ......................................................................................................... 68 Kim Marie Neuscheler, Turner Construction Company .......................................................................... 69 Malory Nguyen, STV Inc. ..................................................................................................................................... 70 Terriann Nohilly, Turner Construction ........................................................................................................... 71 Alexandra Novak, Leslie E. Robertson Associates ..................................................................................... 72 Angela O’Byrne, Perez, APC ............................................................................................................................... 73 Kasey Pace, GRANT Engineering ...................................................................................................................... 74 Diana Parks, Tutor Perini Corporation ........................................................................................................... 75 11 Amy Phillips, Navigant ......................................................................................................................................... 76 Kristina Piccoli, Woods Bagot ........................................................................................................................... 77 Jeanette Pineda, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC .........................................................................................78 Joanna Powdhar, Tutor Perini Corporation ................................................................................................. 79 Anna Pshichenko, Sacks ..................................................................................................................................... 80 Tryphina Ramsey, NYS Office of General Services ................................................................................... 81 Lisa Ranello, Five Star Electric Corporation .................................................................................................. 82 Victoria Rasper, P.E. , Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC. ............................................................................... 83 Debra Romain, Deb Romain Consulting Inc. .............................................................................................. 84 Cassie Rosenthal,Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc. ............................................................................................. 85 Alessandra Rosso, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC ..................................................................................... 86 Olivia Rousso, Gilbane Building Company ................................................................................................... 87 Kimberly Sacramone, IIDA, LEED AP, HLW, LLP ......................................................................................... 88 Carla Sciara, Tishman Constructon ............................................................................................................... 89 Christine Shero, Lend Lease .............................................................................................................................. 90 Ruth Shragowitz, Columbia University ......................................................................................................... 91 Lori Ann Simon, DPC New York, Inc ................................................................................................................ 92 Alana T. Sliwinski, Zetlin & De Chiara, LLP ................................................................................................... 93 Kate Smith, Gilbane Building Company ........................................................................................................ 94 Joanne Stokes, Stokes Creative Group.......................................................................................................... 95 Beverly K. Swaim-Staley, Union Station Redevelopment Corporation ........................................... 96 Pamela Swanigan, State University of New York (SUNY) ........................................................................ 97 Geraldine Szabo, GKS Industries ..................................................................................................................... 98 Debra Tantleff, TANTUM Realty LLC ............................................................................................................... 99 Maria Torres-Springer, NYC Department of Small Business Services ............................................. 100 Becky Tung, WDF, Inc. ....................................................................................................................................... 101 Suzanne Veira, NYC School Construction Authority (SCA) .................................................................. 102 Ann Walker, STV Inc. .......................................................................................................................................... 103 Debra L. Weltmann, Weltmann Lighting, LLC .......................................................................................... 104 Robin Wilcox, NYC School Construction Authority ............................................................................... 105 Qiao Wu, Stokes Creative Group, Inc. ........................................................................................................... 106 Luling Yang, Langan Engineering ................................................................................................................. 107 Lourdes Zapata, Empire State Development ........................................................................................... 108 Lori Zehner, Esq., Americas region, Lend Lease ...................................................................................... 109 12 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 THAIKISHA ALVAREZ Estimator II Gilbane Building Company A new generation estimator contributing to her team, her company and her industry A seven year construction industry professional, Thaikisha Alvarez joined Gilbane Building Company in 2012 and is today part of its estimating team. Although she is the youngest estimator on her team, she has taken a lead role in training for the department. She educates new estimators on Gilbane’s take-off/pricing programs, procedures and document system, as well as organized training in advanced estimating tools for senior and chief estimators. Taking the initiative to learn 3D Modeling in Revit and Navisworks, Alvarez is currently spearheading the initiative to implement 3D take-off and estimation so the team can remain more competitive. In the coming months, she will be presenting time savings gained along with the risks and rewards of transitioning to 3D estimation to the department and Gilbane leadership. This initiative is anticipated to be an enormous breakthrough when fully implemented. When Hurricane Sandy devastated New York City, Alvarez volunteered to help Gilbane’s Rapid Repairs Program, which provided emergency home repairs in the Rockaways and ultimately allowed approximately 3,500 families return to their homes in just four months. After her first day as a volunteer, she was asked to join full time. Knowing the commitment meant working 16-hour days, seven days a week for several months (including working through holidays), she agreed because she wanted to help rebuild NYC and its families. Even after returning to her estimating role in the office, Alvarez continued to volunteer her time to Rapid Repairs on nights and weekends. Alvarez is actively involved in many of Gilbane’s organizations and Peer Groups, including the Women’s Peer Group, Gilbane Young Professionals, Gilbane’s Rebuilding Together (2013) and ACE Mentoring. She has been an ACE Mentor for three years and recently took over as the lead mentor. Prior to joining Gilbane, Thaikisha worked for Turner Construction as a Project Engineer on The Columbia University Northwest Science Building, an 188,000 square foot, 14-story research facility. Alvarez earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Engineering Leadership Development from Pennsylvania State University. She is fluent in Spanish and is a professional salsa dancer. 13 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CONSTANCE ANTZOULIS-STATHIS President and Owner Polo Electric Corporation An organic leader mobilizing a company for profitability and sustainability Constance Antzoulis-Stathis is President and Owner of Polo Electric Corporation and oversees the overall operation of the company, as well as developing and implementing long-range plans and goals to ensure continued growth and stability within the company. With over 20 years of construction experience and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Manhattan College, Antzoulis-Stathis confidently takes responsibility for all aspects of Polo Electric’s day-to-day operations, from business development, value engineering, estimating and bidding, through project completion. She is the driving force behind Polo Electric, working closely with business consultants, project managers, estimators, controllers and field forces. Through Antzoulis-Stathis’ leadership, communication and motivation skills and close ongoing ties to the construction community, Polo Electric has successfully grown its business over the years despite economic challenges. She has served as a backbone to Polo Electric, completing many prestigious multimillion dollar projects such as Le Cirque Restaurant, New York Academy of Science, MTV Headquarters, Cooper Union’s new Science Building, New York State Theatre, New York & Co, Deutsch and Yelp. Connie lives in Northern New Jersey with her two children and husband, Sam Stathis. Her daughter, Christina Stathopoulos, is a recent Cum Laude/High Honors graduate of Mount Holyoke College and her son, Yianni Stathopoulos, is a sophomore at Skidmore College. She is passionate and eager to further her involvement to secure construction employment and all opportunities for women. She enjoys hiking, harness racing, tennis and cooking. 14 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JENNIFER ARMSTRONG, CHMM, LEED AP Project Scientist Langan A project scientist who educates to chart new directions Jennifer Armstrong is a Project Scientist for Langan Engineering. Armstrong has 14 years of experience in environmental consulting, primarily focusing in brownfield redevelopment and due diligence. Her role as a Project Scientist is to lead due diligence efforts for clients considering investment in new properties as well as to direct investigation and remediation activities in support of redevelopment projects in New York City and throughout the United States. She has also managed several spill remediation projects. Armstrong’s brownfield experience in New York has included the remediation and redevelopment of several derelict manufacturing facilities and former gasoline stations, transforming them into functional residential properties and job creation centers. Throughout her eight-year tenure at Langan, Armstrong ascended from staff scientist to a member of the management team, and she has been a key resource for training staff in environmental due diligence. Her training role has been invaluable to the team, as the Environmental Group has grown by 40% over the last four years. Armstrong is dedicated to her clients and staff, and serves as a mentor to younger environmental staff. Armstrong is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and was a presentation contributor during ULI’s Annual Fall Meeting in 2014. She is also a member of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management and is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager. Jennifer Armstrong was born and raised in upstate New York. She attended Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. After college, she relocated to New York City to enjoy easy access to music, art and the cultural diversity only found in urban centers. Growing up in Upstate New York, Armstrong developed a natural love of the outdoors and a desire to preserve the environment. Her focus on remediation, brownfield redevelopment and sustainable living go hand in hand with these values instilled from childhood. Armstrong currently lives in Brooklyn and, when not working, loves to escape to the mountains for hiking or skiing, and enjoys traveling around the world. 15 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JENNIFER AUMENT Group General Manager, North America Transurban A leader in transportation innovation Jennifer Aument is Group General Manager, North America at Transurban. Aument joined Transurban in 2006 and now leads the Group’s North American business. Transurban is a leading international toll road owner and operator with long-term interests in Australia and the United States. Aument has played a key role in the development of a number of multibillion dollar transportation projects across the transit and highway sectors, including most recently the 495 and 95 Express Lanes. Prior to joining Transurban, Aument worked for Bechtel Infrastructure to successfully develop Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project – a $3 billion extension of the Washington, D.C. Metrorail system. She began her career working in the West Virginia state legislature and went on to work as a public affairs and policy advisor to energy, infrastructure and financial services companies, including major multinational corporations such as HSBC, Suez and General Motors. Aument serves in a number of leadership positions in the community and is a commissioner for the Virginia Port Authority – one of the largest shipping enterprises in the United States. She holds a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from West Virginia University. 16 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 MAGALIE D. AUSTIN, ESQ. Chief Diversity and Industry Relations Officer NYC Department of Design and Construction A diversity advocate advancing public sector procurement opportunities Magalie D. Austin serves as Chief Diversity and Industry Relations Officer with the New York City Department of Design and Construction. As such, she is responsible for creating innovative solutions to increase contract opportunities for minorities and women with the agency. In her role as Chief Industry Relations Officer, she serves as a liaison between members of the industry and the agency, promoting the reputation of the agency through outreach efforts. Prior to joining the Department of Design and Construction, Austin served as a partner in The Austin Firm, PL, which she co-founded, providing legal and consulting services to individuals and entities working on Haiti’s post-earthquake redevelopment. Before establishing her own firm, Austin was the Executive Director of Konbit for Haiti, a diaspora engagement organization that was formed in the immediate aftermath of the January 12, 2010 earthquake. Konbit for Haiti served as a bridge between Haitians living abroad and their homeland during a most crucial time. Austin began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Okla T. Jones in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where she had the distinct opportunity to be a part of the very first tobacco class certification trial. She subsequently went on to become the Dean of Admissions at the University of Illinois College of Law, where she raised the median LSAT and GPA while increasing the diversity of the class. She then headed the diversity program at the University of Illinois College of Engineering, where she created and implemented a program to increase diversity in STEM related fields at the high school, college, graduate and faculty levels. Austin is a graduate of St. John’s University and Tulane University Law School. 17 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KAHLI BAKER Project Manager Turner Construction A 20-year construction veteran who understands all sides of the construction business — technical and talent Kahli Baker is a Project Manager at Turner Construction Company. Baker began her career with Turner Construction in 1997 as a Procurement Agent on the WTC On Call Project. She was responsible for purchasing contracts for the fit-out on call work for future tenants of the World Trade Center. She later became a lead estimator in Turner’s centralized Preconstruction Division. As a lead estimator, she had the opportunity to work on projects such as 330 Jay Street and the MSG Training Facility. Later, she was promoted as a Project Engineer on the first green, environmentally sustainable, residential high-rise building in the United States. Her 20 years of experience in the industry led her to the Project Manager role on one of Long Island’s health care facilities. Today, she sits in Turner’s main office as a Procurement Agent on projects such as the New York Aquarium - Ocean Wonders Shark and several high-rise residential projects. Baker is pursuing her master’s degree in Human Resource Management with hopes of transitioning into talent management and career counseling within the business of construction. She maintains that developing and retaining human capital is a challenge in the construction industry and has recognized the need to get involved on the human side of the construction business. Baker is a Pratt Institute Graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. She has a sixteen year old son and two stepdaughters with her husband of 18 years. 18 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 SALLY BANKES Organizational Alignment and Partnering Leader Tappan Zee Constructors LLC A seasoned professional with a broad skill set, delivering consistent performance excellence In nearly 20 years of professional experience, Sally Bankes has had a diverse career. Bankes is currently serving as the Organizational Alignment and Partnering Leader on the Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement Project and claims many more accomplishments in her ten-year tenure with Fluor Corporation. Her experience includes: construction field engineering on an $850 million refinery expansion project in California; leading efforts to restore the Naval Support Activity Base in Millington, TN after major flooding in 2010; Deputy Project Director for Fluor’s contract with FEMA, including deployments to disaster recovery efforts for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and Corporate Strategic Planning for multiple business lines within Fluor. Through her career, Bankes has served in a variety of functions, including project management, sales and marketing, risk management, safety and organizational and talent development. She has performed these functions across multiple industries, including infrastructure, oil and gas, government, power and telecommunications. Prior to joining Fluor, Sally worked for seven years in the public sector. She served for five years at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, DC and served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras, designing and rehabilitating rural gravity-fed water systems. Bankes has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Civil Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 19 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CAROLINE BARRNETT Executive Underwriter Arch Insurance Group, Surety Department Building a career through experience and education Caroline Barrnett is an Executive Underwriter for Arch Insurance Group in the Surety Department. She handles the bonding needs for a book of domestic and international contractors operating primarily in the New York area. Barrnett graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and insurance. While attending Northeastern, she participated in the prestigious Co-op program and spent six months as a surety intern with Liberty Mutual, where she ultimately accepted a full time position after graduation. In this role, she handled a variety of domestic construction accounts in the New York Metropolitan territory and was involved in underwriting large, high-profile projects including Hurricane Sandy Recovery work and high-rise residential buildings near Manhattan. Barrnett earned her Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding certification (AFSB) and continues to actively participate in industry and educational events to strengthen her construction and surety market knowledge. Barrnett volunteers with New York Cares and is an active member of Arch’s toastmasters Club to enhance public speaking skills. She also enjoys traveling and staying active to offset her love of baking cookies. Barrnett aspires to continue her education and improve her golf skills. 20 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JENNIFER BILELLO Senior Project Manager Sciame Construction LLC A hands-on construction manager with interior and core and shell construction skills Construction LLC since 1998. Throughout this time, Jennifer Bilello has been with Sciame she has developed construction management skills in new construction, interior fit-out and renovation projects of various sizes, including work for agencies such as the NYC Department of Design and Construction and NYC Economic Development Corporation. Jennifer Bilello has been with Sciame Construction LLC since 1998. T She is currently a Senior Project Manager / Project Controls professional working developed construction management skills in new construction, interior on several projects, including Princeton University Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment, 130,000 square footwork new construction designed by Tod Williams of various asizes including for agencies such as New York City’s DD and Billie Tsien Architects LLP; 34 East 51st Street, a 75,000 square foot ground up Construction) and EDC (Economic Development Corporation). core and shell construction designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP; The High Line – Section 3, construction of the Eastern Rail Yards and the Western Rail Yards section designed by Diller Scofidio and Renfro Architects and various renovations and She is currently a Senior Project Manager / Project Controls working on upgrades projects for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. Center for Energy and Environment, a 130,000sf new construction desig st In addition, she was part of completing projects such as The Pierpont Morgan Library, Street, a 75,000sf ground up core and Tsien Architects LLP; 34 East 51 a 150,000 square foot museum designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms a three-five acres memorial by3the Skidmore, Owings & MPark, errill LLP; The High Line –designed Section , construction o renowned architect Louis I. Kahn, the Lycee Francais de New York school designed by Western Rail Yards section designed by Diller Scofidio and Renfro Archit Polshek Partnership and more. upgrades projects for Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum & Foundation. Currently, Bilello serves as co-chair of the Professional Women group at Sciame, a professional support group committed to cultivating professional women in the In addition, she was part of completing Pierpont Morg construction industry through mentorship, education,projects networkinglike and The leadership training. The goal of the committee to establish a platform to explore resolutions designed by Renzo Piano isBuilding Workshop, Franklin D. Roosevelt F to unique challenges that women encounter in the industry and to promote future memorial designed by the renowned architect Louis I. Kahn, the Lycee women leaders in construction. designed by Polshek Partnership and more. Currently, Jennifer serves as co-‐chair of the Professional Women at S group committed to cultivating professional women in the construction 21 education, networking, and leadership training. The goal of the committ explore resolutions to unique challenges that women encounter in the i WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ERIN FELKER BOND, ESQ. Assistant Dean, Academic Program Development Adjunct Professor, Center for Real Estate Studies New York Law School An educator with a practical understanding of the building industry Erin Felker Bond is the Assistant Dean of Academic Program Development and an adjunct professor at New York Law School. She is the former Associate Director of the Center for Real Estate Studies (CRES) at NYLS, where she developed programming for the City’s budding and experienced real estate professionals. As an Assistant Dean, Felker Bond works on a variety of special projects aimed at implementing the Law School’s strategic plan and ensuring that students are gaining the practical experience they need to have a competitive professional edge. She was recently invited to serve on the Advisory Board of the Center for Real Estate Studies and she continues to mentor affiliated students and recent graduates. Before becoming an attorney, Felker Bond lived in Washington, D.C. and worked for Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI). With a team of government relations professionals, she led a successful campaign for the reauthorization of Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), a business essential contracting vehicle, culminating with its inclusion in Title I of the 2005 Energy Bill. Felker Bond remains actively involved in the New York City real estate community. In 2014, at the end of her presidency of the Association of Real Estate Women (AREW), the memberships of AREW and NYCREW, a sister chapter of the CREW Network, voted to merge and create a single chapter of this national organization. AREW was the real estate industry’s longest-running and most consistent supporter of women real estate professionals. CREW New York will carry on the shared mission of AREW and NYCREW. For 2015, Felker Bond serves as the Immediate Past Co-President of CREW New York. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and son, visiting family and friends and running. She and her family are very active in a number of sports-related philanthropic efforts. She has also been active with the City Bar Justice Center’s Pro Bono Program for Foreclosure Prevention, assisting low-income New Yorkers with their residential mortgage situations and applying for grants on their behalf. Felker Bond holds a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, Foreign Affairs and Spanish. 22 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JENNIFER BRAYER, AIA, LEED AP Partner HLW International LLP A solutions-based design industry leader Technical innovation and creative design solutions are hallmarks of Jennifer Brayer’s professional career. With almost 30 years of experience with architecture and high-end interiors, Brayer, a Partner at HLW, specializes in the development, planning, design, construction and administration of new construction, as well as highly complex repositioning and adaptive reuse projects. The complete renovation of the JPMorgan Chase Headquarters at 270 Park Avenue and the conversion of a former dormitory (c. 1891) on Fordham University’s campus into a progressive business school, through the preservation of the four original, solid granite exterior walls, are among many creative projects in her portfolio. In recent years, she has been a visionary in the hardening of architecture, especially within urban contexts, against potential flood damage. Following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, she worked with a multi-disciplinary team on the development of various flood prevention solutions for the largest office building in NYC, 55 Water Street, including a barrier protection system almost invisible to the building’s occupants and visitors. 23 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 BELINDA BUTLER Safety Manager, Risk Management & Safety Tishman Construction, an AECOM Company A corporate safety professional providing service to her company and her community Belinda Butler began working at Tishman 11 years ago in the Purchasing department and has been instrumental in helping to develop Tishman’s Safety program. Butler works with Tishman’s Vice President of Corporate Safety for the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania regions, assisting with project proposals, Job Hazard Analysis reviews, training, budgets and program development. She provides Safetydepartment services and assists on-site safety managers as needed, as well as provides safety oversight for projects without on-site safety managers. Butler has worked on numerous projects including: One World Trade Center, International Gem Tower, 425 Park Avenue and 380 Madison projects in New York City. She is an active member of parent company AECOM’s Safety Health & Environment training and development planning committee and actively provides OSHA outreach training to community-based organizations such as Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center & CORE Services Group, Inc. Butler has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Baruch College and studied Business Administration at Borough of Manhattan Community College. 24 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LISETTE CAMILO Director Mayor’s Office of Contract Services A leader in government procurement best practices Lisette Camilo was appointed as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) and City Chief Procurement Officer by Mayor de Blasio in April of 2014. MOCS ensures Mayoral agencies’ compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements related to the procurement of goods and services. MOCS also administers a number of programs, including a capacity-building program aimed at the City’s nonprofit vendors. Last year, New York City procured $17.7 billion in goods and services to ensure critical government functions and to provide services to New Yorkers. Camilo began at MOCS in 2011 in the legal unit, most recently as its Acting General Counsel. Prior to that, she was Legislative Counsel at the New York City Council for the Contracts, Juvenile Justice and General Welfare Committees, where she drafted legislation and coordinated oversight hearings for these committees. Previously, she was an associate attorney practicing Immigration law at the law firm of Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco and she began her legal career as Counsel for UNITE HERE Local 100, which represents hotel, restaurant and commercial cafeteria food service workers. Camilo is a graduate of Columbia College, Columbia University and George Washington University School of Law. 25 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 HANNAH CARMICAL Human Resources Manager and EEO Officer Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC A professional with international experience focused on developing people and their strengths Hannah Comical is the Human Relations Manager and EEO Officer on the New NY Bridge Project working for Fluor Enterprises, member company for Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC. Comical has worked for Fluor in human resources for seven years, rotating though multiple business lines and functional areas. Prior to joining the project in 2013, she was stationed in Fluor’s Greenville, SC Office. Comical’s prior experience includes human relations generalist roles in Fluor’s Global Health, Safety and Environmental group, supporting 1500 HSE professionals globally and Fluor Government Group, supporting projects in Afghanistan and the US. Comical is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a bachelor of arts in art history. She received her professional in human resources certification in 2012. 26 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LAURA CHAPMAN Underwriting Consultant Liberty Mutual A seasoned surety professional leader Laura Chapman is currently an Underwriting Consultant with Liberty Mutual Surety. Chapman has served the Surety field for over 16 years with a focus on underwriting and supporting bonding facilities for contractors. During that time, she has supported firms ranging from start-up companies to large multinational organizations. In her eight years at Liberty Mutual, Chapman has taken on roles of increasing responsibility, which ultimately culminated in her current role as key member of the International and National accounts group. This current position involves the expansion of underwriting and management of the multinational construction firms in the metropolitan region for Liberty Mutual. Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Chapman spent almost six years with The Hartford, where she was responsible for account management for some of the largest construction accounts in the New York Metro territory. In addition to her primary tasks in an underwriting capacity, Chapman was also responsible for mentoring junior staff members as well as writing and implementing procedures for the underwriting group. Chapman is a Past President of the Surety Association of New Jersey (2004), and has earned her Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding designation. She is a member of the Liberty University chapter of the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business. 27 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 NADA CHEIBAN, CCM Project Manager II Gilbane Building Company A seasoned construction professional, with a bent toward education and professional development Nada Cheiban is a construction services professional with more than 18 years of experience in construction and architecture. She joined Gilbane in 2012 as Project Manager, and has been managing all aspects of the extensive architectural restoration for the award-winning Kings Theatre project in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to providing complete project management, from value engineering and risk assessment evaluation to overseeing the architectural construction work, Cheiban played a major role in educating field trade contractors on the historical significance of the project, providing them a sense of ownership in safeguarding and protecting historical elements. This approach gave everyone involved an understanding of the complexity of the job and fostered team relationships, which proved essential for the success of the project. Cheiban also assisted with Gilbane’s post-Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts in the Rapid Repairs Program. As a senior project team member, Cheiban supports her teammates by providing guidance and mentorship to project engineers, encouraging them to develop to their fullest potential. Prior to joining Gilbane, Cheiban served as a Construction Manager with Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) on capital projects such as the MTA Fulton Center, where she oversaw the restoration of the Historical Corbin Building. She also managed the renovation and systems upgrade of the USPS Morgan Processing and Distribution Center and the build-out of one of the largest NYC green roofs. Cheiban received outstanding recommendations from the GSA for managing various public projects and won the PB Americas Client Success Award. These projects include post 9-11 major lease alterations for the Department of Homeland Security and the construction of the multi-award-winning African Burial Ground National Monument. Cheiban has also worked for Marangos Construction Corporation, as well as Cabinet d’Architecture et d’Urbanisme and Associated Consulting Engineers in Beirut, Lebanon. Cheiban earned both a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a master’s degree in Architecture from the Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts. She is active in her local community, regularly volunteering and raising funds for her church and her son’s school. 28 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 MELISSA CHIN Field Engineer Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC Creating a career path through new project opportunities Melissa Chin began her career in construction as an estimator and today serves as a field engineer for Tappan Zee Constructors on the New New York Bridge Project. Originally from California, Chin moved to Minnesota to work for Granite Construction as an estimator. When a position opened up in New York, she moved east to work on the Queens Bored Tunnel Contract, working in Project Controls, performing change orders and dealing with the owner and later as a Field Engineer, in charge of demolishing the bentonite slurry plant. As that work ended, the Tappan Zee Hudson River Contract was awarded to a joint venture consisting of four companies, with Granite as one of the companies. Chin is currently a Field Engineer working with the Main Span and Approach Span group on pile cages, pile plug pours, elevators, maintenance travelers, catwalks, transverse walkways and other miscellaneous metal items. Chin earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. 29 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 MICHELLE COOPER Project Manager Columbia University Medical Center A project planning professional replete with construction, finance and sustainability skills As a Project Manager with the Capital Project Management team at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), Michelle Cooper manages planning and implementation efforts for major capital programs such as CUMC’s Revitalization Initiative, including new educational facilities for the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the School of Nursing and the expansion of Columbia Doctors throughout the metropolitan area. Prior to joining Columbia University, Cooper was a Vice President at Bank of America within the Corporate Workplace retail division. There, she was responsible for the implementation of major renovations and branch consolidations within BofA’s domestic real estate portfolio. Cooper has also managed real estate initiatives for Gensler, JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers and The Guardian Life Insurance Company. Cooper has earned a Green Belt in Six Sigma and maintains a LEED certification. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Construction Administration from Columbia University. She serves as a Board member for CREWNY and Rebuilding Together NY. 30 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 EILEEN DELLA VOLLE Vice President, Business Development KS Engineers A proven business development professional that recognizes the value of networks As Vice President of Business Development for KS Engineers (KSE), Eileen Della Volle draws from her vast experience working in the design and construction industry. She continues to play a key role in expanding KSE’s corporate presence into public private partnerships, education, science and technology and urban development in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Della Volle’s ability to develop long lasting client relationships has given her an expansive multi-level network. Her skills as a communicator have made her a sought after participant in developing public policy. Additionally, she possesses a unique understanding of diversity in the community and in the marketplace. Committed to community and philanthropy, Della Volle has a distinguished history of volunteer activities for Ocean County Community College, Kean University, Society for Professional Marketing Services and as a Board member on Southern New Jersey Development Council and the Women Political Caucus of New Jersey. NJ Biz Magazine has recognized Della Volle with their prestigious 40 Under 40 Award and as one of the Top 50 Business Women in the State. She is also the recipient of the SMPS NYC Chapter Marketing Achievement Award and the Odyssey International “Award of Excellence”. 31 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ANNEMARIE DICOLA, ESQ. CEO Trepp LLC An acknowledged industry voice in real estate and finance Annemarie DiCola, Esq., CEO of Trepp LLC, heads Trepp’s business as the global leader in the CMBS and broader CRE Finance industry. DiCola is an acknowledged voice in the industry, highlighted by Sokol Media as a “Top Woman in Real Estate” in 2013 and by Real Estate Forum magazine as a “Woman of Influence.” She has been profiled by The New York Times, interviewed on CNBC and lauded by the Women’s Venture Fund. DiCola was the Editor-in-Chief of The CMBS E-Primer (2007), an electronic publication of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC) designed for training in CMBS. She also served as the first woman President of the Commercial Mortgage Securities Association (CMSA), the trade organization of the CMBS industry (now known as CREFC). Actively involved in CREFC leadership since its inception, she served on the CREFC Board of Governors and also served on the Board of Directors of NYCREW, the New York Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (now known as CREW NY). DiCola is also a frequent speaker at industry events. She graduated from the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law. She received her B.A. from Fordham University, where she maintained a Presidential Scholarship and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude in cursu honorum. 32 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 HALLE DOENITZ Associate Structural Design Engineer Leslie E. Robertson Associates From father to daughter, engineering solutions are the heart of conversations Halle Doenitz is a licensed Professional Engineer who has been with the structural engineering firm Leslie E. Robertson Associates since 2011. Doenitz’s passion for engineering developed at an early age as her father is also an engineer. He is still practicing, and now they enjoy sharing project challenges and design solutions. Her project experience includes the Lodha World One Tower in Mumbai, which is currently under construction and will be one of the tallest residential buildings in the world. She is the current project manager of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design renovation project. She performs special inspections at LERA’s projects throughout the New York area, including at the NYU Langone Medical Center, Kimmel Pavilion and the Columbia University Medical Center, Graduate Education Building. Committed to returning to the community, Doenitz volunteers her time with the Engineers Without Borders and Construction organizations. Doenitz received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She was a member of Chi Epsilon’s National Civil Engineering Honors Society. 33 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ROSEMARY ESPINAL Superintendent Turner Construction From project engineer to superintendent, Espinal makes her mark! Rosemary Espinal is currently a Superintendent at Turner Construction’s New York Interiors Division. Espinal is currently working on the interior fit-out of 25 floors at the Freedom Tower for Conde Nast. In her 11 years with the company, she was a Cost Engineer on the Madison Square Garden Renovation project and has successfully overseen many projects from the preconstruction phase through completion in the capacity of both Superintendent and Project Engineer. Some of her projects include NYU’s Tishman School of the Arts Dance Studios, Silverstein’s WTC Marketing Suite at 7 WTC and WNYC’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. Espinal has contributed to project teams that have earned relationships with repeat, high value clients such as American Express, Brookfield Properties, Federal Reserve Bank and Hearst. Prior to joining Turner, Espinal worked for the NYC School Construction Authority. Espinal is also a mentor to young women seeking to pursue careers in architecture, engineering and construction at the Junior High School and High School level. She is a strong supporter of Turner programs such as Youthforce 2020 and Young Women on the Horizon, which educate and motivate today’s youth to pursue careers in the building industry. Espinal has helped to found Turner’s women’s organization, Make Your Mark, whose mission is to champion professional women in the industry. Espinal is a Rockland County resident, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She attended Barnard College and Columbia University and earned her bachelor’s degree in Architecture. During her time as an undergraduate student, she studied Architecture in Florence, Italy. 34 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 SIERRA FARBER Field Engineer Traylor Brothers A performance based leader in transportation Sierra Farber joined Traylor Bros., Inc. after graduating from Stanford University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering (emphasis in Structures) and a Master of Science in Construction and Engineering Management. Farber is currently the MEP Systems and Facilities Field Engineer on the $3.9 billion design-build Tappan Zee Bridge Project in New York, where she is playing a central role in planning and executing the renovation, abatement, demolition and construction of ancillary maintenance, State Police, tolling and other project facilities. Farber’s duties consist of internal and subcontractor budget tracking and forecasting; internal and subcontractor schedule development, coordination and oversight; prime contract and subcontract change management; subcontractor onboarding with special attention to the project’s DBE goals; RFI and submittal review and overall management; work, safety and quality plan development for various construction activities; on-site coordination with subcontractors; permit attainment and interfacing, collaborating and problem-solving with other teams, cross-site and cross-functional, to ensure overall project goals are met. Farber is a certified Engineer-in-Training and is currently studying to obtain professional engineering licensure. 35 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 REBECCA FINLAN Program Manager TDX CONSTRUCTION A seasoned construction professional with extensive real estate and development experience A program manager for TDX Construction, Rebecca Finlan has 15 years of experience in the real estate and construction industry. Finlan began her career at Arthur Andersen in Real Estate Consulting, followed by time in the luxury residential sector, working in the property management division for Rockrose Development. After receiving her master’s degree, she began her career in public service at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, serving as Vice President and Chief of Staff for the Real Estate Transaction Services Group. In this role, she oversaw a variety of large-scale public projects such as the construction of the new Yankees Stadium parking facilities as well as the new Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District. After a sabbatical in New Zealand, Finlan returned to New York as an advisor to the Executive Vice President for Capital Projects at the New York City Housing Authority. Here, she worked with elected officials and oversaw projects funded with city capital. She also managed an emergency response program for the New York City School Construction Authority, where she oversees repairs to New York City Schools. Finlan holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 36 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ROBIN FISHER Associate Director Newmark Grubb Knight Frank An outstanding deal producer Robin Fisher joined Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) in 2004 as an associate. She specializes in the tenant representation of financial service, legal, consumer, business consulting firms, and advises retailers and corporate portfolio operators on strategies for local and domestic asset optimization and site selection. In her first two years at NGKF, Fisher completed a record number of transactions with clients throughout Manhattan and the tri-state area. In 2009, Fisher restructured a 500,000 square foot domestic portfolio consisting of mostly retail, office and industrial assets in 85+ transactions that resulted in a 25% net savings to the client. She has handled similar projects for Burger King Corporation (involving approximately 400+ US retail sites) as well as BGC Partners Inc. (involving approximately 250,000 square feet across 40 national office locations). Fisher’s clientele includes Mitel, Wolford, Carmen Marc Valvo, McCann Systems, New York Sports Club, Hale and Hearty Soups, Bridgewater Advisors, Links of London, Mashable.com, Answers.com, News Distribution Network, TheaterMania.com, American Bureau of Shipping, VRM Consultants of NY, American Liver Foundation, Lifethyme Market, Dig Inn Seasonal Market and Gapstow Capital Partners. Fisher is the recipient of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s Rising Star Award for 2010 and the Real Estate Board of New York’s Most Promising Commercial Salesperson of the Year Award for 2008. She is a member of NGKF’s Leadership Council, an active member of REBNY and was elected to serve on the 2010 Board of Governors for the YMWREA (Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association) as Vice Chairman. She was elected to serve on the Board of the Executives’Association of New York City (EANYC) and sits on the Board of the Association of Real Estate Women (AREW). Fisher volunteers her time to The River Fund and St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters, who honored her as their Guest of Honor at the 2011 Women of Valor Event. She also contributes to the Enterprise Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness for local community development and affordable housing projects. At Cornell University, Fisher double majored in Spanish and American Studies, receiving her B.A. in American Studies. She was a consistent Dean’s List student and maintains proficiency in Spanish. 37 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JENNIFER GALLO-SINAPI Risk Manager Five Star Electric Corporation She Makes It Happen at Five Star Electric! Jennifer Gallo-Sinapi has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. Beginning with Five Star Electric Corp. in 2002, Gallo-Sinapi has been Risk Manager since 2008. Gallo-Sinapi handles all insurance matters involving the Company's 1,500 employees and portfolio of major public and private improvement projects in the City of New York. She is responsible for reviewing all trade contracts to determine insurance coverage requirements, arranging appropriate coverages with the firm’s brokers and insurers and confirming requisite coverages are obtained by the firm’s subcontractors. GalloSinapi also acts as a liaison between Five Star Electric and its carriers for all claims and outside counsel for all insured litigation matters. A graduate of St. John's Preparatory School in Astoria, Queens, Gallo-Sinapi is a native of Middle Village, Queens. 38 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 EVE GLAZER Senior Consultant Construction and Real Estate Advisory Services EY (Ernst & Young) A senior advisor with a construction and real estate track record Eve Glazer is a licensed Professional Engineer with nine years’ experience in the construction industry. Glazer is a senior consultant with EY’s Construction and Real Estate Advisory Services (CREAS) practice, where she advises clients on large scale construction projects in the United States and Canada. She provides internal audit monitoring services and assurance support across all phases of the construction life cycle. Her experience includes assessments of project governance and readiness assessments, contract compliance and project controls. Glazer serves on the CREAS People Committee. Prior to joining EY, Glazer served as Project Engineer/Senior Office Engineer for Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) for projects including the multibillion dollar Second Avenue Subway project for MTA Capital Construction and the Third Avenue Bridge project for NYC Department of Transportation. Her responsibilities included schedule update reviews, claims analysis, change order management, field engineering, document management, quality assurance and cost controls. In 2011, Glazer served as the chairperson of the PB Professional Growth Network, and she was recognized with the Emerging Professional “Rising Star” award in 2012. Glazer holds a B.S.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Princeton University and an M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management from Columbia University. She was a recipient of the Moles Student Award in 2006. Glazer is a member of ASCE, and she proudly serves on the City Poly High School Advisory Board. 39 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 J. NAOMI GLEAN EEO Officer WDF, Inc. Active involvement in ensuring diversity utilization for one of the nation’s leading MEP contractors J. Naomi Glean, Esq. is the Minority-owned, Women-owned, Locally Based and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for one of the nation's leading mechanical, plumbing, HVAC contractors and specialty general contractors, WDF Inc. WDF’s diversity initiative is at the forefront of its corporate mission. More than half of all WDF projects have specified participation goals for subcontractors owned by Minorities, Women or Historically Disadvantaged individuals. Glean works diligently to meet or exceed these goals in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as all relevant contractual requirements. She draws on her legal experience representing small business owners and as a Board member of the Church Avenue Business Improvement District when working as an advocate for M/W/L/DBEs. Glean previously held a similar role for a leading heavy construction company in New York, where she developed and implemented compliance initiatives and oversaw continuous program evaluation and improvement. She is also currently on the Law and Legislation and MWBE Committees of the General Contractors Association of New York and the MWBE Committee of the Building Trades Employers’ Association. In all of her roles, her main goals are to educate others of the purpose of the M/W/L/DBE program and help small and large businesses grow. 40 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CHELSEA GOLDINGER Community Affairs and Digital Communications Coordinator New York State Department of State Building a career on a passion for government, civil rights and public information Chelsea Goldinger is Community Affairs and Digital Communications Coordinator at the New York State Department of State. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania. Following her graduation, Goldinger joined Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s re-election campaign as a Finance Associate. In this position, she managed financial records for three separate state-wide campaign accounts, with contributions exceeding $50 million. She managed compliance for each of these accounts, including internal vetting, data entry and public reporting to the Board of Elections. Goldinger also planned and staffed over 50 fund-raising and political events; she was responsible for preparing the Governor’s briefing materials for these events. She also executed two sexual assault awareness and advocacy discussions to help promote the Women’s Equality Act. Goldinger also served as the campaign’s Volunteer Coordinator and was responsible for implementing the Manhattan Get Out the Vote strategy. Prior to the campaign, Goldinger interned at the Governor’s Press Office, serving as a regional representative to the Finger Lakes. She also worked at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in 2012, where she staffed and organized events for all of NYS’ elected officials and political leaders and interned at the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia in May 2014. Goldinger is passionate about civil rights and advocacy. She is excited to continue this tradition of dedication to public service in her recent appointment to the New York State Department of State as Community Affairs and Digital Communications Coordinator. At her new position, she will help empower businesses, consumers and the public with important anti-fraud, anti-human trafficking and immigration information. 41 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 FANNY GONG Assistant Vice President, Design Management Columbia University Experienced design leader building buildings and building careers Fanny Gong is Assistant Vice President, Design Management for Columbia University. Gong has an extensive global career. While serving as corporate architect for Citicorp for almost 10 years, her architectural design and technical expertise reached beyond the United States to marquee projects in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Gong participates in the Manhattanville Development Group at Columbia University bringing over 30 years of global building design management experience to the complex project. Gong has extensive experience in design and design management. Over her career, Gong has designed over 10 buildings worldwide. In the last seven years, she is responsible for managing the design of five new academic buildings with combined project costs of close to $1.5 billion at various phases of design and construction. Gong is also managing world class architectural firms such as Renzo Piano Building Workshop and Diller Scofidio Renfro, ensuring the designs enhance the image of Columbia University and create state-of-the-art educational space that continues to present Columbia University as one of the top Universities globally. Gong earned her bachelor’s degree in Architecture from City College of the City University of New York and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia Business School. Last year, Gong was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in recognition of her lifetime of contributions to the profession, the highest honor for an American architect. Gong also mentors younger professionals and that set an excellent example for her younger colleagues. 42 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 VICTORIA GRANEY Construction Engineer Fluor Corporation TZC Constructors Building career success through project experience Victoria Graney is a Project Engineer for Fluor Corporation’s Infrastructure business line, working on the $3.1 billion Tappan Zee Bridge project, as part of the joint venture, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC. Graney holds the role of Deputy Area Manager and Project Engineer for the roadway approaches to the bridge. She is responsible for over $120 million worth of scope, including new bridge pier and abutment construction, traffic management, utility relocations, retaining wall and noise wall construction and storm drain installation. Graney has more than eight years of experience in construction management and field engineering for a wide range of projects within commercial, manufacturing and life science and infrastructure industries. Since joining Fluor in 2007, Graney has held a variety of project and proposal-based roles. Previous Fluor experiences include field engineering and construction management for biopharmaceutical facilities ranging from $50 million upgrade projects to $580 million new construction in both California and Maryland. Graney has also worked as a field engineer and traffic manager on the 495 Express Lanes project in Fairfax, Virginia, a public private partnership with the VDOT encompassing development, finance, design, build, operation and maintenance of a $2-billion high-occupancy toll facility on the Capital Beltway. Prior to joining Fluor, Graney worked for WM Jordan and Lend Lease on commercial construction projects, including a high-rise complex and tenant improvement projects. Graney is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and is currently enrolled in a New Leader Program through Harvard Business Publishing. Graney lives in Tarrytown, New York. In her free time, she enjoys traveling abroad and spending time with friends and family. 43 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ALEXANDRA M. GREENE Empire State Fellow Office of the NYS Governor Education is my privilege. My privilege provides me with the consciousness to serve those without and the determination necessary to remain steadfast in that service. Alexandra M. Greene was appointed as an Empire State Fellow to the Office of the Governor in September of 2013. In this role, Greene assists in the development and implementation of policies in support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s civil rights and labor agendas. Prior to joining the Governor’s Office, Greene served as a Legal Associate at the Office of Labor and Employee Relations within the Newark Public Schools (NPS). In that position, Greene was responsible for addressing legal and policy issues pertaining to a variety of matters such as new school initiatives, federally funded grants, as well as the negotiation and compliance of collective bargaining agreements between NPS and eight labor unions. In addition, Greene assisted in the creation of district-wide policies to address emerging needs and maximize human capital. Greene earned her Bachelor of Arts in Human Development (Educational Psychology) from Boston College, a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law and a Master of Arts in Sociology and Education from Columbia University. 44 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JEAN GREENLAW Vice President Special Projects MBI Group A hands-on professional that everyone at MBI counts on Jean Greenlaw is the Vice President of Special Projects at the MBI Group. Greenlaw supports all business development efforts at MBI. She creates proposals and presentations on upcoming projects and leads the firm’s marketing initiatives to increase exposure in the marketplace. Greenwood has played an instrumental role in the ongoing development of a formal marketing department, design of a corporate identity and the production of collateral. She works with MBI Group’s estimating department and select project executives on the development of construction management proposals. Greenlaw also provides contract management services at the start and end of projects. She works closely with the firm’s project personnel, overseeing the production of contracts, permit and project start-up requirements, close-out packages and all special situations that arise. Ms. Greenlaw holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Associate’s degree in Interior Design with a minor in Small Business Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She also attended NYU for certificate classes in Classical Architecture, Compensation and Employee Benefit Management, Construction Management and Construction Estimating. Ms. Greenlaw has continued to build upon her knowledge and expertise in the construction industry by participating in field safety training such as OSHA, Site Sense II and 4-hr scaffolding training among others in support of the company’s initiative of surpassing safety standards. To comply with NYC DOB requirements for home improvement work she obtained her home improvement salesman license, and also obtained LEED AP and Green Advantage GA Commercial accreditation as part of the company’s commitment to sustainable construction. Greenwald is on the board of the Women’s Builders Council (WBC), and member of Urban Green Council, Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Professional Women in Construction (PWC) and American Institute of Architects (AIA). 45 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JANE GREENWOOD Principal Kostow Greenwood Architects A design leader with a driving vision Jane Greenwood is Managing Principal of Kostow Greenwood Architects. Greenwood’s collaborative leadership style, clear vision and common sense inform every aspect of the firm’s practice. She has directed a large body of work focused on broadcast, media, cultural and institutional clients over her 25-year career. Greenwood is actively involved from concept design through construction, and she sees each project as an opportunity to create extraordinary results by challenging conventional wisdom yet remains grounded in thoughtful solutions. Her direction brings a synergistic approach to architecture and business through smart decision-making and creative problem solving. This, along with a good dose of humor, is what makes Greenwood smile. Greenwood graduated with honors from Pratt Institute School of Architecture and is a licensed architect and LEED Accredited Professional. 46 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 YVETTE R. HALL Ombudsman Empire State Development An ombudsman extroadinaire, a very committed professional Yvette R. Hall is a Business Development professional with over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, project management and marketing principles. Hall specializes in providing project management of targeted Business Development programs that produce increased access to business contract opportunities for MWBE-certified firms within New York State. She recently joined Empire State Development as Ombudsman Business Advisor, Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development to expand her commitment to help MWBEs grow and gain contracting opportunities. Hall uses her educational foundation from Cornell University’s College of Engineering and her MBA from Columbia Business School to fortify her business consulting and program development perspective. 47 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 SUSAN L. HILL Senior Managing Director HFF A national financial leader in commercial real estate Susan L. Hill is a Senior Managing Director in the Houston office of HFF, one of the largest providers of capital markets transaction services to the US commercial real estate industry in the country. Hill has more than 28 years of experience in commercial real estate. Hill is primarily responsible for originating debt and equity placement transactions throughout the southern United States across all property types. During the course of her career, Hill has completed in excess of $7.5 billion in commercial real estate transactions. Her specialty areas include commercial real estate mortgages and debt and equity placement. Hill has worked with numerous clients including Accesso Partners, LLC; Cameron Management; Hines; Hudson Advisors; JP Morgan Investment Management; Parkway Properties, Inc.; Rosemont Realty, LLC; Seligman & Associates, among many others. An award winning professional, Hill received the 2014 Female Leader of the Year by Commercial Property Executive, the 2014 Outstanding Women in Banking and Financial Services award by The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston, the 2013 and 2010 Women of Influence for Commercial Real Estate by Real Estate Forum, the 2012 Top 15 Women in Commercial Real Estate by CREW Houston and the 2011/2002/2000 Houston Business Journal Heavy Hitter in Commercial Real Estate awards. 48 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 SARWAT IZHAR, P.E. President SI Engineering, P.C. (SIE) Building a new brand in engineering Sarwat Izhar, P.E. is the President of SI Engineering, P.C. (SIE). She co-founded the firm with her husband, Muhammad Izhar, PE in 2003. Izhar holds a master’s degree in Transportation Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). As a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, including NY, NJ, PA, CT, VA, MD and Washington D.C., she has 24 years of experience in the field of transportation engineering and lighting design and provides quality assurance and quality control for all size of design and construction infrastructure projects. As a chief executive officer, Izhar formulates the basic policy and guides the growth and direction of the firm. Her strong administration and management skills combined with highly competitive qualifications is an assurance to provide engineering services with excellence to all her clients, which includes but is not limited to NYCDDC, NYSDOT, NYCDOT, NYCDEP, PANYNJ, MTACC, TBTA, LIRR, NJDOT, NYCSCA, NYCEDC, VDOT, DC Water and other public agencies in the area. Since SIE’s inception, the firm has evolved into a highly recognized professional engineering firm and has established offices in New York, New Jersey and Virginia. SIE is now one of the fastest growing companies in the New York Metropolitan area, providing services in civil, highway, structural and transportation engineering, construction management and inspection, bridge, building and facility inspection and lighting design. 49 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KERRIE JEW Deputy Commissioner New York City Department of Small Business Services A consummate professional committed to small business growth Kerri Jew is a Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Small Business Services, where she oversees the City's Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program. Prior to that, Kerri served as the Executive Director of New York State's Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program. Jew has also owned and operated a small business in Westchester County and served as Chief of Staff for Columbia University Facilities. She began her legal career at Proskauer Rose, and spent several years as a federal civil rights litigator at the New York City Law Department. Jew graduated with distinction from Emory University School of Law. She earned her B.A. from Cornell University. 50 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ANDREA JUDA Marketing Manager Woods Bagot Facilitating excellent communications for building business Andrea Juda is a marketing manager at Woods Bagot New York Offices. Woods Bagot is a global design and consulting firm with a team of over 800 people working across Australia, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. For the past three years, Juda has been a key leader and solely responsible for the coordination of and responses to proposals and client management for the New York Studio of Wood Bagot. Since joining the firm in 2011, the office has grown from a staff of 15 to now 45 people, along with an increasing demand of client and project needs and external communication. Juda serves as the hub connecting the New York studio with Woods Bagot’s 15 offices around the globe. Capable of managing multiple complex tasks in a fast pace environment, Juda plays a critical role in coordinating the needs and different approaches of architects, engineers and clients at the critical initial and final periods of all projects. Recently promoted to Associate, her leadership within the office also includes the facilitation of internal project communication and efficient project standards streamlining all phases of design. Prior to joining Woods Bagot, Juda was Associate Creative Marketing Manager at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She received her M.S. in Integrated Marketing from New York University and a B.A. in English and Spanish with a minor in Linguistics from the University of Buffalo, graduating with High Honors in both English and Spanish. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Juda grew up in Buffalo, New York and has lived in New York City for the past 10 years. She is fluent in Spanish. 51 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CARLA JULIAN Senior Public Relations/Business Development Manager Granite Construction Company Experience and know-how goes to work for this top public relations professional Carla Julian serves as the Senior Public Relations/Business Development Manager for Granite Construction Company. Granite is part of the Tappan Zee Constructions who are building the New NY Bridge. As part of her work on this bridge project, Julian is responsible for managing the design build teams’ public relations, outreach and diversity initiatives on the 3.1 billion project. Julian has more than 10 years of progressive experience in versatile public relations management including strategic communications, public affairs and community outreach management that helps growing organizations achieve their goals of successfully engaging with key publics to nurture relationships in good times and in crisis. She has rapidly assumed growing levels of responsibility and worked to proactively communicate with media, community groups, elected officials and internal publics to ensure good relationships and the success of her organizations’ brand and reputation. 52 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KARLA BETH KUDATZKY Senior Real Estate Manager, Asset Services CBRE Group, Inc. A commitment to the highest quality of asset services drives this top real estate professional’s concern for tenant safety and security Karla Beth Kudatzky, a member of CBRE’s Asset Services team, arrived in New York after serving in Washington D.C as a U.S. Senate aide. Her graduation from the School of Public Administration and Government at The American University and her public service in the Nation’s Capital were the foundation of Kudatzky’s professional life. That path led first to an overseas position with an international corporation and then her true professional passion, working in the New York City real estate industry. It was first at Helmsley Spear that Kudatzky learned commercial building leasing, management, insurance, operations and construction. She then joined the Edward S. Gordon (now CBRE) downtown team to enhance her career through the management of New York City office buildings. The terrorist attacks of 1993 and 2001 refined Kudatzky’s approach to the real estate industry. Both events had a direct impact on office buildings under her watch as she acted quickly and effectively to protect the tenants, first responders and the buildings. Kudatzky worked ceaselessly to help bring the buildings and tenants back into productive occupancy in New York City. Those events and the challenges that followed motivated Kudatzky to be an advocate within the real estate and the construction industries for safety improvements for commercial buildings and their occupants. Kudatzky’s real estate career came full circle when she happily returned to CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm, where she currently manages the Commerce Building (708 Third Avenue) and the M&B Building (201 east 57th Street). She also is a significant participant for CBRE on other construction projects. Kudatzky works closely with OEM and DHS and is a proud member of Real Estate Board of New York and its Commercial Management and Grand Central Committees, BOMANY and its Codes and Regulations and Emergency Preparedness Committees, ASIS International, NYPD Shield, CREWNY, the CBRE Women’s Network and she is a Board member of the East Midtown Partnership. 53 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ELIZABETH KUPCHA, CPSM President Kupcha Marketing Services Committed to project success Liz O’Rourke Kupcha, CPSM is President of Kupcha Marketing Services, an M/W/ DBE certified marketing consulting firm that’s targeted to the needs of professional services firms. Service areas include proposal management, presentation preparation and coaching, media relations, event planning and community relations. Kupcha served two terms as President of the Long Island Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Prior to establishing her firm in 2010, Kupcha spent 15 years as an in-house marketer for various architectural, engineering and construction firms. She has been a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services since 1997. Kupcha has participated as a panelist for various industry-related presentations including Zweig White, the Fair Media Council and the American Institute of Architects’ Long Island Chapter. She has written articles on social media, business development and networking for Building Long Island magazine and the SMPS Marketer. Kupcha has also worked on the NYS MWBE Forum and the PSEG Long Island Energy Efficiency Conference. Kupcha has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from LIU Post and has taken MBA-level classes in Marketing at Iona College. She received her designation as a Certified Professional Services Marketer from the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Kupcha lives on Long Island with her husband, John, and her daughter, Jordyn. 54 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 MARGARET LARKIN Executive Director Design and Construction Group (OGS D&C) New York State Office of General Services A new design and construction leader at OGS, and it’s a woman! Margaret (Molly) Larkin is the Executive Director of New York State Office of General Services Design and Construction Group (OGS D&C) providing design and construction services on behalf of State agency clients. She is the first woman to hold this position. Prior to joining the State, Larkin worked for Gilbane as part of the team that, at the request of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, delivered the Capitol roof and skylight restoration project two years early with a savings of $2.8 million to the State. Under her direction, NYS OGS D&C reorganized to better focus on delivering projects to clients by prioritizing three key aspects of the program - cost, schedule and quality. D&C is part of the ongoing renaissance at OGS, which is dedicated to creating efficiencies in all the work it does on behalf of the people of the State of New York. Mentoring students from elementary to high school through different programs over the past decade, Larkin is committed to mentorship and is a strong advocate for creating awareness of the industry at a young age. She recently participated in the Women in STEM Panel as a resource for females from her high school, Loomis Chaffee, to converse with successful alumnae in the industry. Larkin received a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an MBA from Union College in Schenectady. She is an avid Union College Athletics fan, having played soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse as a student athlete. Larkin and her husband, Ed, have one daughter and are expecting another child this summer. 55 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 WANDA LEE Logistics Estimator Turner Construction Company Experience and community service breeds a unique type of leader Wanda Lee is the lead estimator for Turner Logistics’ (TL) New York office. Turner Logistics is an equipment procurement and supply chain management subsidiary of Turner Construction Company. Lee is responsible for preconstruction services associated with MEP Equipment (Mechanical, Electrical, Lighting and Plumbing), including estimating, purchasing, MEP coordination, project management, field coordination and schedule management for regional TL projects. Lee’s notable clients include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University, Bloomberg L.P., Brookfield Properties and Condé Nast. Prior to joining Turner, Lee worked for an interior renovation contractor and interned at an architectural firm in New York City. Lee enjoys volunteering her time at snack*, a not-for-profit organization that provides recreational programs for children with special needs. She is currently working with Turner’s community affairs department to develop more volunteer opportunities within the organization. She has also served as a co-captain for Turner’s YouthForce 2020 Adopt-a-School Program for the past two years. Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Operations from SUNY Maritime College, and a U.S. Coast Guard Third Assistant Engineer’s License. 56 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 SHARI LEVENTHAL, PE, LEED AP Project Manager Langan Committed to her profession and industry advocacy Shari Leventhal is a lead site/civil engineer and direct interface with veteran client groups and public officials, based out of Langan’s New York City office. She manages a diverse array of projects ranging from parks, residential/mixed-use, institutional and waterfront developments. Leventhal has successfully led the site development of several high-profile, large-scale revitalization projects. For Freshkills Park, a 2,000-acre landfill-to-park reclamation project in Staten Island, she designed a sustainable stormwater management plan using bioswales and sand filters, and obtained a NYSDEC Stormwater Treatment and Discharge Permit, which laid out the flow, testing, and discharge parameters for the full planned 30-year build-out. In Hunter’s Point South, the City’s planned 5,000-unit middle-income neighborhood, Leventhal is engineering the first development site, a public school, which is currently devoid of street grid and site infrastructure, requiring the coordination between a host of private and public stakeholders. In addition to her job responsibilities, Leventhal has taken on leadership roles within and outside of Langan. She currently serves as Co-Leader of Langan’s “The Next Generation Committee,” a forum for staff to formally voice concerns, ideas and feelings to the shareholders of the company. She also served as Co-President of the firm’s New York City office “Green Team” for three years. Outside of the office, Leventhal is Co-Chair of the Urban Green Council Emerging Professionals Group, which hosts monthly forums, and networking and professional development events geared towards academics and young professionals in the field of sustainable building and construction. Growing up, Leventhal was always a well-rounded student, and in particular she excelled in math and science subject areas. With the ability to understand “the big picture” and the intricacies of how things worked, pursuing a career in an engineering field was a natural fit. While visiting colleges, Leventhal realized that many schools that had strong math, science and business programs, also offered robust engineering programs. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Lafayette College in 2006, and anticipates earning a graduate degree in Civil Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in May of 2015. 57 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 Sabrina Levine Sabrina Levine is a Project Controls’ Specialist of SABRINA LEVINE Infrastructure business line. She is currently assigne Project Controls Specialist Hudson River Crossing project to build a new cable Fluor Corporation replace the existing Tappan Zee Bridge located in Ta role, she isisatthe scheduler Controls thelead heart of Fluorfor the project. Her in Corporation’s key Scheduler for the project’s inception allowed her to co-develop the New NY Bridge instituted the implementation of Project Controls’ man included the three-week look-ahead schedule, unit charts, and performance factor matrices; and is integr Time Impact Analyses (TIAs) and preparing reforecas Sabrina has nearly a decade of heavy civil construct includes field engineering and project controls ex Sabrina Levine is a Project Controls’ Specialist of Fluor Corporation’s infrastructure bridge projects. Since joining the company in Infrastructure 2008, Sabrina has held a business line. She is currently assigned to the $3.1 billion Hudson River Crossing Operations, Proposal Development and Project Controls. Prior to her current assignme project to build a new cable stay bridge that will replace the existing Tappan Zee field engineer the San Francisco Oakland Bay Self Anchored Suspension Bridge pro Bridge locatedon in Tarrytown, NY. and as a Planner for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor and the California High Speed In this role, she is the lead scheduler for the project. Her involvement from the project’s inception her to co-develop the baseline schedule; the implementation Sabrina isallowed a graduate of Clemson University withinstituted a bachelor’s degree in of Project Controls’ management tools that included the three-week look-ahead schedule, Management with a minor in Business Administration. unit rate and KPI trend charts, and performance factor matrices; and is integral in the creation of Time Impact Analyses (TIAs) and preparing reforecast schedules. Levine has nearly a decade of heavy civil construction experience that includes field engineering and project controls experience for large infrastructure bridge projects. Since joining the company in 2008, she has held a variety of roles in operations, proposal development and project controls. Prior to her current assignment, she served as a field engineer on the San Francisco Oakland Bay Self Anchored Suspension Bridge project in Oakland, CA and as a Planner for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor and the California High Speed Train pursuits. Levine is a graduate of Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in Construction Science and Management with a minor in Business Administration. 58 Constru WBC Outstanding Women 2015 SHARI LINNICK Vice President,Client Services Group Trepp, LLC Active professional with links through the industry Shari Linnick is a Vice President in the Client Services group at Trepp, LLC as well as an Adjunct Professor of Capital Markets in the Master’s Degree program at NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate. She has more than 15 years of commercial real estate experience, including expertise in CMBS, real estate capital markets, financial analysis and investment, sales and leasing, and brokerage. Linnick is an active member of CREW NY, and a past president and board member of New York Commercial Real Estate Women (NYCREW), the New York chapter of CREW Network. She was a mentor in the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate Mentorship Program from 2006 to 2008 and has been part of the Young Alumni Leadership Circle since 2006. In addition, Linnick co-chaired the Women’s Real Estate Network (WREN) at the Schack Institute from 2005 to 2006, and has been Chairperson of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC) Education Committee since 2013. In 2012 she was named one of the Top Women in Real Estate by Sokol Media, Inc. Linnick holds a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Finance from the NYU Schack Real Estate Institute and a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan School of Music. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. 59 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ERIN LLOYD Partner Lloyd Patel, LLP A broad based knowledge of business and law yield a top litigator and advisor Erin Lloyd is a founding partner of Lloyd Patel LLP. She spent nearly five years advising Judges in New York County Supreme Court and the Commercial Division before forming her own private law practice and later partnering with Yogi Patel. As a result, Lloyd is truly a general practitioner. Although primarily focused on litigation, Lloyd spends a substantial amount of her time advising small and medium-sized business and institutional clients on how to avoid litigation, including employment and compliance issues, contract drafting and negotiation and resolution of legal issues before they get to Court. Helping small and medium-sized businesses and firms understand their legal liabilities and protect their growing assets is one of the most rewarding aspects of her practice. Giving back to the community is of the utmost importance to Lloyd, who takes on pro bono clients each year, usually from underserved communities and always with extraordinary financial need. Lloyd and her partner, Yogi Patel, also work with Council Members and colleges in the City to offer free legal counseling directly to constituents and students. And each year the firm offers a summer fellowship to an exemplary law student with financial need. Lloyd was selected as a 2014 NYC Rising Star by Super Lawyers. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the Queens Bar Association, and the NYC Bar Association where she sits on the Labor and Employment Committee. She is an active member of the National Employment Law Association New York Chapter, where she sits on the Gender Discrimination Committee. 60 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 NICKI LOULOUDIS, PE Project Manager Langan Langan boasts a super tower expert from the ground up Nicki Louloudis is a Project Manager in Langan’s New York site/civil engineering group. Her primary focus is in land development projects with a concentration in grading and drainage, site layout, and utility design. Louloudis is responsible for design, regulatory permitting and project management of mixed-use, hotel, residential and institutional development projects throughout the five boroughs. In recent years Louloudis has supported the development of a number of high-profile, “supertall” towers in midtown Manhattan. Specifically, she worked on One57 and the Nordstrom Tower, and the latter is projected to be the second tallest building in the country when completed. Louloudis has also been involved with the city’s post-Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. She has provided damage assessment and repair design services for a number of New York City Housing Authority properties located in Coney Island, the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and northwestern Queens. Louloudis serves as a mentor for junior engineers within her group, and her experience and positive attitude has been critical to their professional development. Outside of the office, she is actively involved with several trade organizations, including the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Commercial Real Estate Women of New York. A first-generation college graduate, Nicki Louloudis credits her Greek-born parents for instilling in her the qualities of hard work and perseverance. They were profoundly influential in her desire to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a civil engineer. Louloudis earned her civil engineering degree from the Stevens Institute of Technology. After working for several years in both the public and private sectors, she earned her professional engineering license and took a brief break from the industry to raise two beautiful children. In addition to her work at Langan, Louloudis holds a New Jersey Real Estate Salesperson License and serves as a member of the Old Tappan Planning Board. 61 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JANE LYONS Managing Partner Rhodes Associates A strong advocate for women in real estate, finding them the right opportunities Jane Lyons is Managing Partner of Rhodes Associates, a premier executive search and organizational consulting firm serving the global mortgage finance, commercial lending and real estate sectors. During her more than 25-year career, Jane has completed over 700 assignments, building a reputation for her extensive market knowledge and a direct, disciplined approach that has matched clients’ business needs with their most successful executives. Lyons has partnered with her Rhodes colleagues to build one of the world’s foremost search practices serving the global real estate market. Rhodes is a member of IRC Global Executive Search Partners, a professional alliance of retained executive search firms committed to providing the highest standards in management recruitment services. A tireless advocate for the recruitment of women leaders in real estate, Lyons serves as 2015 Co-President for Commercial Real Estate Women of New York (CREW New York), having formerly served on the Executive Committee for the Association of Real Estate Women (AREW), which merged with NY Commercial Real Estate Women (NYCREW) in December 2014 to form the new organization. Lyons is also a member of the Urban Land Institute, Pension Real Estate Association, Mortgage Bankers Association and Commercial Real Estate Finance Council. She has also been active in community outreach, serving as a Board member for the New York Junior League and as a mentor for ULI’s Young Leaders Group. Earlier in her career, Lyons worked in marketing and sales for the Wharton Business School and CBS, Inc. 62 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CINDY MALINCHAK President Environmentally Based Green Building Shaping the future of a community and transforming the lives of at-risk youth Cindy Malinchak originally from the Pittsburgh area, brought her wealth of knowledge to the New York Metro area in 2002. Choosing Land Development and construction as her career path, Cindy Malinchak went on to form her own company “Environmentally Based Green Building” which has received numerous awards over the years and functions in both the developmental and construction areas of the market. Cindy Malinchak a LEED AP BD & C, stresses the need for sustainable measures throughout the construction Jield. Cindy Malinchak, has received numerous awards for her efforts including Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneur in the State of New Jersey and Outstanding Women of the Year by the Commission on the Status of Women for her efforts in the field of “Environmental Initiatives”. An avid supporter of Diversity and Inclusion, Cindy recently has been appointed as Director of Curriculum for the non-profit organization Sentinel Vocational Apprentice Training. In this capacity, Malinchak is responsible for educational programs and outreach for unemployed, underemployed and “at risk” youth in the Mount Vernon, NY area and beyond. Malinchak has currently solidified a vocational training program within the Mount Vernon High School to educate youth in the construction field and prepare them for viable employment. Cindy herself acts as an instructor for this program and mentors at risk youth. The Opportunity to bring about a real and impactful contribution to shaping the future of a community and transforming the lives of at-risk youth in that community was a driving force in accepting the challenge as Director of Curriculum. Malinchak intends to duplicate this public-private partnership model to elevate a community and its members thereby becoming the model for successful reinvention of a community. Malinchak herself continues to expand her knowledge of the building industry and is currently working on her Historical Preservation certification at the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in NYC. 63 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 DONNA MCAULIFFE, CPA Audit Manager Grassi & Co CPAs An accounting professional who really understands the industries she serves Donna McAuliffe is an Audit Manager and brings extensive experience to Grassi & Co, CPAs, especially in the real estate and construction industries. McAuliffe utilizes her expertise to assist clients with financial reporting, auditing, financial statement preparation, reviews and compilations. She also dedicates some of her time to mentoring up-and-coming staff members in the firm. Prior to joining Grassi & Co., McAuliffe worked for a real estate advisory firm where she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of financial reporting for multiple real estate portfolios owned by institutional and private investors. She is credited with initiating a fraud investigation, which resulted in the recovery of $2M in client funds. She has worked closely with acquisition and developer teams to review and modify financial terms for joint venture, construction and loan agreements. McAuliffe has also worked as a Controller and Human Resource Manager for a private equity firm. In that capacity, she implemented a new medical plan, which resulted in a 33% savings to the company and better coverage for the employees. McAuiliffe is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Manhattan College. 64 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LISSETTE MIQUEL Senior Vice President, North Mid-Atlantic Region HAKS Knowing your business translates into a great competitive edge Lissette Miquel is in charge of all operations, marketing and business development efforts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware for HAKS. HAKS is one of the leading minority-owned engineering firms in the United States, ranking 135 on ENR’s Top Design firms. With over 30 years of consulting experience in engineering, with an emphasis on business development and marketing, Miquel brings a wealth of knowledge and know-how to HAKS. She has served as Principal-in-Charge for HAKS’ construction supervision services for three contracts for the resurfacing of the New Jersey Turnpike; a construction inspection assignment for Route 35 improvements in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties; and for the New Jersey State Police Troop “D” Bloomfield Station, which received a 2015 ACEC New York Silver Award for Engineering Excellence. Miquel is a Professional Engineer in New Jersey and New York and a member of numerous professional organizations, including serving as Chairperson of ACEC NJ. 65 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KAREN MORRISON, P.E. Vice President of Transportation and Technical Services Associated General Contractors of New York State Industry knowledge and people skills rank high for Morrison Karen P. Morrison, P.E. serves as the Vice President of Transportation and Technical services for the Associated General Contractors of New York State. In her role she is a liaison for the construction industry group for all technical, administrative and contract issues relative to heavy-highway contract performance, training and specifications. Morrison is also serves as the contact between the membership and public owners such as NYSDOT and the NYS Thruway Authority, Department of Conservation and Comptroller’s Office. Morrison also manages and oversees the activities of the Highway Board of Governors and a number of work groups. A veteran of the construction industry and a well-respected Professional Engineer, Morrison is proud to have worked for a number of prominent construction firms on projects across New York State, where she gained valuable experience and built a successful 37+ year career. During her time in the field, Karen was known for bringing a smart and innovative approach to each project, having managed complicated multimillion dollar heavy/civil projects throughout her career. Her largest project – a $28.3 million dollar tunnel project in Rochester, NY, required thirty thousand cubic yards of rock excavation, twenty thousand cubic yards of concrete structures and tunnel linings, and a seven hundred lineal foot steel arch bridge with twin six foot diameter carrier pipes. On top of all that, the project team navigated a significant redesign resulting in a change order of $12 million. Born in Connecticut and raised in the Catskills, Morrison resides in Palatine Bridge with her husband, Brad. 66 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JENNIFER MACKENBURG MURPHY Director of Business Development STV Inc. One of the smartest business developers in the industry Jen Murphy is a construction professional with over 26 years of experience managing construction, design and program management services. She has been involved in more than $2 billion in construction and served a wide variety of project types including commercial, residential, hospitality, entertainment, cultural, transportation, mixed use, retail, and corporate interiors. She is focused on assisting clients in the development of the project team and process to achieve their goals. An advocate for women’s growth and achievement in the industry she participates as a member of the BWAF Board of Trustees and Co-Chairs the NEW Ambassador Council amongst participating actively in several other industry organizations. New to STV last year, Murphy is dedicated to growing the Construction Management Division in both the public and private sectors. 67 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 TRACY MITCHELL Diversity Compliance Manager New NY Bridge Project NYS Thruway Authority A committed professional who understands her industry Tracey Mitchell, a native of Mt. Vernon, began her public service career over two decades ago in Yonkers, NY, with a non-profit providing employment training to those in need. Tracey’s dedication and passion for helping others led to her promotion to Executive Director in 1998. After passage of the Workforce Investment Act, (WIA), Tracey spearheaded the City’s transition by creating the Yonkers One Stop Employment Center. The Center drew the attention of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, who visited Center after its recognition as a model of success. Tracey’s achievements then led to her appointment as Special Assistant to the Yonkers Mayor as Director for the Workforce Investment Board. In 2007, Tracey was appointed Director for African American Affairs for the Westchester County Executive. In this capacity, Tracey designed and implemented vital initiatives such as the County’s minority and women owned business program, which led to a sizeable increase in minority participation in Westchester County contract bids. In 2010, Tracey was appointed Director for Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action for Westchester County. In 2012, Ms. Mitchell became Diversity Compliance Manager for the New NY Bridge, one of the nation’s largest construction projects. With a DBE goal of $314 Million, Tracey works to ensure that DBEs are afforded every opportunity to benefit from this landmark project. Tracey has received numerous awards and holds a bachelor degree in Communications. Tracey is the proud parent of her daughter, Jasmine, and strongly believes “all things are possible through faith, family, and friends.” 68 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KIM MARIE NEUSCHELER Project Executive Turner Construction Company One of Turner’s strong women and one of its stars Kim Neuscheler is a Project Executive with Turner Construction Company and is currently responsible for a 1.1 million square foot Healthcare and Education facility on the upper east side of Manhattan for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and CUNY Hunter College. As a senior leader in operations for the company, with 20 years of experience in the design and construction industry, Neuscheler’s strengths lie in project management and operational organization, as well as client and project team relations. Her activities within the firm include the development of a new performance management system, staff mentoring, serving on committees to promote leadership and LEAN building processes within Turner and teaching internal classes to further develop staff education. Outside of the firm, Neuscheler is a strong advocate for the recruitment and advancement of women in the construction industry. She serves as a member of the Ambassador’s Council for Non-Traditional Employment for Women (NEW), an organization that trains, places and advocates for low income women seeking economic self-sufficiency through the building and construction trades. Prior to her career with Turner Construction Company, Neuscheler worked as a design architect with Voorsanger Architects, Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Willis, Bricker & Cannady Architects. Neuscheler was honored as one of ENR New York’s Top 20 under 40 in 2012 for demonstrating excellence and leadership skills in her profession as well as having a commitment to give back to her community. Neuscheler received a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University in Houston, Texas. 69 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 MALORY NGUYEN Project Engineer STV Inc. Dedicated to client satisfaction and excellent performance Majorie Nguyen is a project engineer with STV Inc. Nyuyen has extensive with construction inspection experience for the rehabilitation of residential buildings and superintendent experience in new construction. She is skilled at handling correspondence and submittals between contractors and architects, performing interior and exterior inspections to verify that specifications are followed, assisting in the review and estimation of change order proposals, reviewing progress payments and scheduling work. Nguyen began with STV as an Intern in 2007 and has risen through the organization with great consistency as a result of her dedication and hard work. She is currently working at STV’s LaGuardia Airport project as a project Engineer. 70 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 TERRIANN NOHILLY Cost Engineer Turner Construction Passionate about construction, inside and out While at UC San Diego working towards a degree in Chemical Engineering, Terriann became involved in a service learning project with Habitat for Humanity. She was instantly hooked by the team focused and tangible aspects of construction and set her sights to work in the industry. She began her career at Turner as an intern in 2008. In 2010 she was assigned to the $500M expansion at the San Diego Airport, where she spearheaded multiple technology initiatives. Her most notable technological contribution was “Turner Linked”. “Turner Linked”, the fusion of SharePoint, Bluebeam Revu, and a customized HTML dashboard, dramatically enhanced project communication. In 2012 Terriann’s creative new approach to document management was selected as the $10,000 first prize winner of Turner’s first ever Innovation Award. She was featured in the local San Diego newspaper, the Union Tribune, and appeared on local television to showcase this new system that had transformed the project. In addition to crusading within Turner for technology advancement and progress, she is works as an activist for the whole industry. Terriann is a member of the Construction PDF Coalition, a grassroots movement consisting of a small group of energetic and passionate young leaders across the AEC industry. In 2013 Terriann was selected as one of ENR California’s Top 20 under 40. She was awarded the Turner staff award in 2011 and 2012. She is club officer for her Toastmasters club and former competitive champion Irish dancer. Following a childhood dream to live in the “Big Apple”, Terriann moved in September 2013 from San Diego to NYC and now works as a Cost Engineer doing financial reporting and risk analysis. In April she will be promoted to Senior Cost Engineer. 71 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ALEXANDRA NOVAK Senior Associate Leslie E. Robertson Associates A 20-year, veteran engineer with global design experience Alexandra Novak is a Senior Associate at Leslie E. Roberts Associates. Novak is a licensed Professional Engineer who has spent the majority of her over 20 year career at Leslie E. Robertson Associates working on institutional, cultural and commercial projects in the New York region and throughout the world. As a Project Manager, Alexandra has a significant amount of experience on educational and renovation projects. Her projects include the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, CUNY Medgar Evers College academic building, the Mott Haven Campus for the NYC SCA, SUNY Cortland, Bowers Hall, and the Buck Institute for Age Research . In addition, she has worked on office towers and museums throughout the world. S Novak is fluent in Polish and English and received her Masters and Bachelors of Civil Engineering from the City University of New York. 72 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ANGELA O’BYRNE President Perez, APC An enterprising entrepreneur with a passion for design Angela O’Byrne is President of international design-build-develop firm Perez, APC. O’Byrne energetically champions the principles of smart growth in her home communities of New York City and New Orleans, and her frequent travels across the country and abroad. Born in Cali, Colombia, Angela fostered childhood dreams of becoming either a fashion designer or an architect, like her uncle. Since earning a Master of Architecture from Tulane University, and MS in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, O’Byrne has become a licensed architect in fifteen states, a licensed general contractor in two states, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional. O’Byrne is a passionate advocate for women in architecture and construction, and is involved in numerous professional and non-profit organizations dedicated to the advancement of women in the industry. Ms. O’Byrne has positioned her firm, Perez, APC as an industry leader in disaster recovery, as evidenced by an extensive portfolio of architectural and damage assessment work in response to Hurricanes Sandy, Katrina, Rita, Ivan, Gustav, Ike, and Isaac. A singer, golfer, music-lover, and globe-trotter, Angela relishes spending free time with her three grown children, and large extended family. 73 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KASEY PACE Director of Construction Services GRANT Engineering Pace continues to climb a steady ladder to professional success Kacey Pace is Director of Construction at Grant Engineering. Pace has over 15 years of experience in the construction industry on a variety of project types ranging from fast track interior fit-outs to complete removal / rebuild high rise mixed use specialty buildings. The ability to maintain relationships with clients, consultants and subcontractors, as well as the innovative approach to developing new construction programs that best achieve each client’s goals, makes Kasey not only an asset to GRANT but the building industry in general. If you asked Kasey to describe herself, she would in one word: Mother. If you asked her peers to describe her, it would be a combination of Quality, Knowledge, Loyalty and Assertiveness. Following her father’s footsteps and finding her passion for the built environment at an early age, Pace climbed the ranks from receptionist and administrator to project manager and senior project manager and then finally to her current position as Director of Construction at GRANT Engineering through a combination of intelligence, perseverance and humor. Working for Sciame for over a decade fostered the growth and the exposure to high profile / high demand / high reward projects which only elevated her abilities. In 2014, she joined GRANT Engineering as the Director of Construction Services and has been building the company to greater heights alongside her talented Team of professionals since. Pace resides on Long Island with her Husband, Joe, and is the mother of two boys, Jaxson, two-years-old and Aiden, one. 74 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 DIANA PARKS Vice President, Contracts Manager Tutor Perini Corporation Senior level expertise in infrastructure and P3s Diana Parks is Vice President, Contracts Manager at Tutor Perini Corporation (TPC), Parks is part of TPC’s senior management team with particular expertise in P3 and Design-Build infrastructure projects. Her responsibilities include negotiating contract and procurement documents during the industry review process of infrastructure proposals, including design-build agreements with equity members, joint venture agreements with partners and subcontracts. Parks provides overall contract guidance to the CEO, CFO, President, and Operational Vice Presidents. She was the lead for the DB joint venture on the LGA proposal last year and also has been closely involved in advising on the Hudson Yards, Eastside Access, Verrazano Bridge and City Island Bridge projects for TPC. Prior to joining TPC, Diana had a lead role in the Tappan Zee Bridge, Torronto Eglington and Dulles Phase 2 projects. During her years in private practice Diana exclusively represented public agencies in large, complex P3 and DB procurements. Some of her representative projects in the public sector included the LBJ managed lanes project, Mid-Currituck Bridge Project and GDOT’s managed lane project. 75 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 AMY PHILLIPS Director Navigant A senior advisor who brings the construction industry an in-depth working knowledge of the needs and concerns specific to the development, design, construction and litigation professionals supporting the build industry. Amy Phillips is a Director at Navigant Amy Phillips has extensive operational, development, and consulting experience in private and public real estate and has significant experience in advising developers on their new construction, renovation, acquisition and disposition strategies. In addition Phillips brings the construction industry an in-depth working knowledge of the needs and concerns specific to the development, design, construction and litigation professionals supporting the build industry. Phillips is a renowned expert in strategic planning, marketing and business development for professional services within the build industry. Utilizing these skills and network, she is responsible for helping Navigant’s Global Construction Practice continue as the industry leader via client outreach, industry presence and aiding the practice to expand the firm’s services both into new project types and geographic markets. Phillips frequently lectures to industry, trade and corporate groups on strategic planning and business development. She has presented professional development programs to a wide range of participants including lawyers, developers, architects, engineers, and consultants to the build community. Phillips is active in the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law and is on Women in Construction’s Executive Board. 76 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KRISTINA PICCOLI Registered Architect, Associate Woods Bagot Building success through successful project delivery Piccoli received her NCARB Certificate in July 2014. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the United States Green Building Council as a LEED Accredited Professional. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Architecture. Prior to joining Woods Bagot, Piccoli worked at Mancini Duffy in the New York headquarters and HSMM Inc. in Virginia Beach, VA. Originally from Virginia Beach, Piccoli has lived in Japan, California, and Maine, and has resided in New York City for the past nine years. Since joining Woods Bagot in 2010, Piccoli has served as a true office leader spearheading multiple projects simultaneously, coordinating both internal design efforts with external consultants’ contributions and client needs. Piccoli has worked on a number of significant projects for the studio’s interiors group, leading the design collaborative from initial concept, detailing and architectural drawings through completion, in addition to orchestrating all engineering disciplines: electrical, mechanical, lighting, plumbing, acoustical, audio visual, technological requirements and additional services required by a project. Recently, Piccoli was the Project Architect and Project Manager on the studio’s largest US interiors project to date, the IIDA People’s Choice award winning Westfield Headquarters project in Los Angeles. Piccoli was directly responsible for drawing complex plans and managing the drawing set and coordination with an extensive consultant team, ultimately taking charge of the project and site observation through project completion. Piccoli’s success with the project has fostered a lasting client relationship, as she continues to work with Westfield on the management of their local offices in New York. Her previous work also includes the Hakkasan Restaurants in prime national locations including the ICSC Gold Design/Development award winning New York City location, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Currently, Ms. Piccoli with working with global client, MetLife, on several simultaneous projects in multiple locations and varying scales. Internally, Ms. Piccoli leads the office through her participation in the New York Studio’s Practice Management Team and Technical Design Stream. The two project leadership teams work to efficiently manage the multiple processes associated with any given project and staff training, and quality of project documentation and internal review respectively. 77 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JEANETTE PINEDA Equitable Business Opportunities (EBO) & Contract Performance (C/P) Compliance and Contracts Administrator Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC Multi-tasker, experienced administrator, key team player Jeanette M. Pineda is contract administrator at Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC. An exceptional mult-tasker, Pineda has over 16 years of experience as an administrative assistant. Her responsibilities numerous office functions include payroll administration, A/P and A/R duties, interviewing and hiring of reception staff, compiling proposals, marketing, archiving, mass mailing, invoicing, customer service, and a diverse spectrum of office and management duties. Pineda provides superb customer service representation. She attributes this ability to understand the needs of clients as a result of her prior experience and training and in the hospitality industry. Her hospitality experience included Park Central New York Hotel and Le Parker Meridien Hotel. Prior to joining TZC, she worked for several firms, including Dimension Development Corp., Plaza Construction Corporation, Site—Blauvelt Engineers, Inc. and McClier. She earned an Associates of Applied Science in Hospitality Management from ITT Technical Institute and completed courses at New York City technical College at CUNY. 78 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JOANNA POWDHAR Assistant Project Manager Tutor Perini Corporation Breaking new ground at Tutor Perini Joanna Powdhar, a female Assistant Project Manager for Tutor Perini Building Corp., is a Mechanical Engineer and graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Currently Powdhar is working at the SUNY New Academic Building in Brooklyn, New York. As Acting PM she is responsible for client relations at the project level, management of staff and trades, oversees the CPM schedule, cost management and reporting. Powdhar’s previous experience includes HVAC consulting, estimating, commissioning and cost management. She brings her previous experience in the pharmaceutical industry, higher education, work at the World Trade Center complex and multiple large projects throughout NYC to her current position at Tutor Perini. Powdhar has assembled and developed a field staff which is 40% Female at the SUNY project including two project engineers and a superintendent. This team is a great example of the Tutor Perini Building Corp commitment to diversity.” 79 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ANNA PSHICHENKO Creative Director Sacks A positive, ‘do-it’ attitude drives exceptional creative work Anna Pshichenko is Creative Director at Sacks and provides all graphic, branding and creative design services for the firm’s clients. She oversees the design team and works closely with Sacks’ editorial and events staff. An organic optimist, Pshichenko brings an unwavering work ethic, solid organizational principles and a ‘do it’ attitude for getting complex projects done. She manages a team of two other designers. Pshichenko generates the firm’s creative content and designs, including websites, package design, stationery, logos and branding. She is able to synthesize feedback from a number of different sources into practical design solutions and apply research to produce a variety of sketches and models that demonstrate distinctive design solutions. Pshichenko has a good eye for aesthetic design, a flair for color and a solid understanding of the needs of the various clients that she serves. She is proficient in Adobe Creative Suites, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver and other painting and graphic design tools. She is able to work in a variety of media and meet tight deadlines while still delivering creative and innovative designs. Pshichenko emigrated to the United States several years ago. A native of the Ukraine, she graduated from Kharkiv University with a master’s degree in Marketing. 80 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 TRYPHINA RAMSEY Compliance Specialist NYS Office of General Services Providing public sector compliance solutions Tryphina Ramsey is a senior MWBE compliance specialist at the New York State Office of General Services where she provides day-to-day supervision to a dedicated team of specialists who are responsible for ensuring that the Office of General Services complies with the spirit and letter of New York State’s Executive Law - Article15A and the Diversity Act of 2010 that encourages the full participation of minorities and women in New York State contracting opportunities. Ramsey began her career in state government in 1988 with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. She joined the Office of General Services in 1994 as a secretary. Over the course of 20+ years, she was progressively promoted through the ranks, serving in all OGS major business units, including Procurement and Design & Construction. Ramsey rose from her role as an administrative assistant to her current position as senior MWBE compliance specialist where she now supervises a team of MWBE compliance specialists. She is a staunch advocate for the advancement of women and minorities in both state government as well as the construction industry. She is an able leader and well respected amongst her peers and associates. 81 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LISA RANELLO Controller Five Star Electric Corporation A diversified financial professional with extensive industry experience Lisa Ranello is a Controller at Five Star Electric Corporation. She has over 30 years of experience in the electrical contracting industry with a focus on accounting and project management. Ranello joined Five Star Electric in 2007. Her previous work included a series of growth positions that led to position as Executive Vice President at Electric Power & Light, Inc. in Staten Island. Ranello has had various professional affiliations, including a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Electrical Contractors, NYC from 20022008; Treasurer and Chairman of Finance & Investment Committee for the Association of Electrical Contractors 2005-2007; and service as an Employer Representative for various Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry funds including the Additional Security Benefits Fund, Annuity fund and the Health Reimbursement Fund. Ranello has also served on various NECA negotiating committees for Local Union #3 contracts. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Accounting from Baruch College at CUNY. She is married with two daughters and lives in Staten Island, New York. 82 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 VICTORIA RASPER, P.E. Field Engineer Traylor Brothers Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC. From intern to Field Engineer, building a bridge takes a strong team Vickey Rasper, P.E. is a field engineer with Traylor Brothers working on the New NY Bridge. Rasper started with Traylor Bros., Inc. as a Summer Intern in 2005 on the Galveston Causeway Replacement Project. For that project she operated the posttensioning jacks, documenting and submitting PT elongations, launched the Form Travelers and graded the various formwork components and assisted with surveys tracking the casting curve of the Cast-in-Place Balance Cantilever Main Span portion of the bridge. Rasper joined Traylor Bros., Inc. as a full-time employee in 2009 on the West Closure Complex project in Belle Chasse, LA, a key component in upgrading the 100 Year Storm Protection System around New Orleans. This project featured construction of the largest sector gates in North America which she played a key role in coordination of fabrication and setting each of the 750 Ton gates into place. She earned her PE license in the state of California in 2012. Rasper began work in 2012 on the Tappan Zee Bridge project. She has been working on a soffit system for supporting construction of the football-field sized footings of the Main Span portion of the bridge. This work spanned from conception of this construction method, vetting designs with consulting engineering firms, through fabrication and procurement of the precast soffit panels, formwork, and numerous temporary steel support structures, to field erection of the system above waterline and lowering the 2,500 Ton structure into the Hudson River to its final elevation, and finally sealing the structure so the water inside the “bathtub” could be removed allowing construction of the permanent footing to proceed. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Purdue University, School of Construction Engineering & Management in 2008. 83 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 DEBRA ROMAIN Principal Deb Romain Consulting Inc. Building her company strong, one project at a time Debra Romain is the sole owner of Deb Romain Consulting LLC., a regional signage system firm. She has consulted on projects on some of New York City’s most notable landmarks including Columbia University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Romain has over 15 years’ experience consulting and managing major sign and interactive touch screen projects. Romain holds a Bachelors of Business from Baruch College at City University of New York. She has completed programs at Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education, NYC Department of Small Business Certificate, MWL Construction Certificate / Mentorship Program and The Eugene M. Lang Entrepreneurship Center’s Community Business Certificate Program. Romain is a strategic professional. Client may commission wayfinding studies without immediately implementing them. This has taught Romain’s firm to create separate estimates for wayfinding studies and project implementation. With this approach, Romain is able to better calculate her firm’s cash flow requirements aligned with client payment schedules to ensure her firm’s growth and stability. Personal engagement from Romain has made a noticeable difference in how her clients perceive her. Romain is always onsite at every job no matter the time of day to ensure work was getting done properly. The firm has earned a reputation for reliable and high-quality performance on extensive wayfinding projects, which has also led to signage refresh work from existing customers. Romain’s firm designed the exterior pedestrian wayfinding and created a signage master plan for Columbia University’s Morningside Campus, in addition to signage at Columbia’s new Campbell Sports Center, Columbia University Business School, White Plains Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center, and CUNY. Civic minded, Romain has served on the boards of the Central Harlem Citymeals-on-Wheels and The Fordham Road Business Improvement District. She’s currently a member of the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce, National Fire Protection Association, Society of Environmental Graphic, United States Sign Council and the Women Builders’ Council, Inc. 84 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CASSIE ROSENTHAL Vice President Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc. Building a new brand for a family-owned business Cassie Rosenthal is a Vice President at Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc. (R&R) Prior to joining her family’s business in 2012, Rosenthal co-owned and operated two art galleries (Goff + Rosenthal) for nearly a decade--one in New York and one in Berlin. She was featured in The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Art+Auction, and Artnet, and was interviewed by the BBC Radio and CNBC’s High Net Worth television program as a commentator on the art world. At R&R, Rosenthal sources, analyzes and closes new business for the firm. Additionally, she has been instrumental in developing an integrated marketing strategy for the firm, including the recent re-branding of the company. She received her BA from Colgate University and a Masters in Art History from the Sotheby’s Institute in London. Rosenthal is one of the founding members of the New York Advisory Board for Let’s Get Ready, a nonprofit organization that supports first generation college-bound and low-income high school students through the collegegoing process. Rosenthal is also the President of the Board of WHOW (Women Helping Other Women), a charitable professional women’s networking group supporting the betterment of women and children. In addition to collecting art, Cassie also enjoys traveling, dining out, reading, shopping and sports. 85 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ALESSANDRA ROSSO Field Engineer Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC Growing her career on the job! Alessandra Rosso works as a Field Engineer for Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC. She began working for Granite Construction in 2010 as an intern and continued to work part time throughout college. She was a part of the Queens Bored Tunnel at the East Side Access Project and Path Hall Station at the world Trade Center in a number of departments, including cost, equipment and field engineering. In 2013, she was inducted in Chi Epsilon, the United States national civil engineering undergraduate honors society and received the General Contractors Association Scholarship. In 2014, Rosso received her degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Manhattan College. That same week, she became a member of a specialized group of engineers, superintendents and construction managers managing the reinforcement steel at the New NY Bridge. This team is currently overseeing the preassembly, installation, schedule and load out of reinforcement steel across the bridge. Rosso is specifically supervising the preassembly of the steel “cages” that are later loaded and secured onto a barge and taken to the bridge where they are set into place. 86 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 OLIVIA ROUSSO Project Engineer III Gilbane Building Company A star rising at GIlbane Olivia Rousso joined Gilbane Building Company in 2012 and at just under 25 years old has quickly grown to be an emerging construction leader. Upon joining Gilbane, Rousso worked on the NYC Rapid Repairs Project, which provided emergency home repairs in the Rockaways in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, allowing approximately 3,500 families to return to their homes in just four months. Rousso went on to become a Project Engineer for several New York-Presbyterian Hospital projects, where she trained new engineers on Gilbane’s systems and greatly contributed to the project’s success by stepping up as the acting project manager when needed and playing an integral role in turning over the Barbara Walters Acute Care Treatment Center to New York-Presbyterian. Currently, she is Site Superintendent overseeing the Infrastructure Upgrade Project at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York. Rousso recently earned a promotion to Manager of Engineering for New York City and New York State that will take place in April. In this role, she will be responsible for training new Gilbane employees in the Policies, Procedures andBest Practices for engineering activities on Gilbane projects as well as monitoring and aiding engineering staff across all projects. She has also been selected to participate in Gilbane’s competitive MCAP program, a twoyear program that accelerates employees through all aspects of the construction process for a well-rounded experience. As only one of two engineers selected from the pool of applicants, Rousso will spend one year in the field and another year in the office rotating through the departments of Purchasing, Estimating, Scheduling, Quality Management, Business Development, Accounting and BIM Modeling. She will graduate from the MCAP program in 2016. Rousso earned a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering with a Minor in Business Engineering and Entrepreneurship from the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She is a member of the NY Cares Volunteering network, and volunteers across all boroughs of New York City. 87 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KIMBERLY SACRAMONE, IIDA, LEED AP Managing Director and Design Principal for Interior Architecture HLW, LLP Expanding a brand through awardwinning design Kimberly Sacramone is Managing Director and Principal for Interior Architecture at HLW LLP for the firm’s New York and New Jersey offices. Sacramone has played a leading role in shaping the design direction of the NYC headquarters’ interior architecture practice. Her projects are diverse (Google’s Northeast Regional Headquarters, Hofstra, North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, the JetBlue Headquarters). Many have been published and have received industry awards. In recent years, Ms. Sacramone spearheaded the expansion of HLW’s East Coast operations with the opening of a Madison, New Jersey office earlier this year. She is a long-standing champion of the multi-disciplinary design practice in the tristate area. Projects with Panasonic, NBC, Disney, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals demonstrate the instrumental role she has played in bringing to New Jersey innovative design strategies for creative offices, pharmaceutical and technology spaces, and other corporate and branded environments. Sacramone has been with HLW for almost two decades and is now Managing Director of the NJ office. She was named by the IIDA as a national “10 to Watch” designer. 88 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CARLA SCIARA Senior Vice President and Project Executive Tishman Constructon 20-year construction veteran continues to share expertise for signature projects Carla Sciara is a Senior Vice President and Project Executive at Tishman Construction, an AECOM Company. Sciara joined Tishman in 1998 and has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. As a Senior Vice President and Project Executive, she works closely with clients and project personnel to bring to life some of the most complex projects in the city. Currently, Sciara is leading the extensive renovation of Carnegie Hall’s Studio Towers and backstage areas, a 167,000-square-foot, $230-million project. Other notable work includes serving as Lead Project Superintendent to transform a rundown former three-story automobile showroom on East 61st Street into a seven-story building inclusive of administration offices and high-tech research labs for Weill Cornell Medical College. She also served as MEP Project Manager and Superintendent for a regional and national award-winning research lab, the Michael F. Price Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Sciara earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from New York University and is OSHA 10- and 30-hour certified, a licensed Site Safety Manager, and a NYC DOBcertified Construction Superintendent. 89 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 CHRISTINE SHERO Finance Operations Manager, Vice President Lend Lease Learning, and now returning to her industry Christine Shero is currently the Finance Manager for Lend Lease’s New York office. She is responsible for management and project reporting and ensuring operational excellence through project reviews and risk management. Shero grew up in a family that has always worked in construction. She has been exposed to various aspects of the industry, acquiring vast knowledge and experience in construction. She began with Lend Lease as a Senior Project accountant over eighteen years ago. During her time at Lend Lease, she has had the opportunity to work in many varied roles of finance within both strategic and regional business units. Shero has been mentored and educated by some of the industry’s finest professionals. Having considered herself fortunate to have had these experiences, she is now committed to sharing her knowledge and experience in developing the next generation of accountants. Shero created a Project Accounting Network Group in her organization which includes members representing various geographic locations of the Lend Lease business across the Americas. This group collaborates and identifies best practices to ensure consistency of Project Accounting practices across the various business units. 90 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 RUTH SHRAGOWITZ Director, Project Management Columbia University An unwavering commitment to construction quality and equal opportunity opens doors wider for new opportunities at Columbia University Ruth Shragowitz is Director of Project Management at Columbia University. A 30-year veteran construction professionals, Shragowitz began her career as Development Officer for American Landmark Development. She moved on to David Frankel Realty where for six years she was Director of Development and Construction. In that role she served as an Owner’s representative on construction projects and brokered real estate transactions. She then joined Columbia University’s Facilities and Operations’ Department as a Project Director, a position she held of 19 years before being promoted to Director Project Manager five months ago. She oversees project managers on several University projects. Shragowitz is a member of the senior management team at Columbia University Facilities. Her meticulous attention to detail along with her unyielding commitment to access for minority and women owned firms makes her one of the most powerful voices within Facilities. She unabashedly holds the construction firms to task whenever she manages a project and she also passionately helps to mentor women-owned and minority-owned firms doing work with the University. Her commitment to ensuring quality construction and equal opportunity illustrates the very special professional she is. She has an undergraduate degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was an Eloranta Summer Fellow, and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California Berkeley receiving a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Citation. She is a licensed architect, a LEED accredited professional and a licensed New York State Real Estate Broker. 91 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LORI ANN SIMON Executive Marketing Director DPC New York, Inc An award-winning professional who knows buildings, inside and out Lori Simon is Executive Marketing Director a DPC, New York, Inc., a full service construction firm serving greater New York in all areas of exterior façade maintenance, including waterproofing, roofing, leak detection, LL 11, painting and coatings and construction management. Simon is well known both in public and private sectors as a reputable, cost-effective professional with outstanding customer relations, developing and retaining multi millions in sales for commercial, residential and institutional Clients since 1993. Simon is a well-known name in her field. She is an ongoing contributor to New York Real Estate Journal on subjects relative to water infiltration, preventive maintenance and LEED and environmental topics. She is also a guest lecturer at the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums’, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and the Manhattan and Metropolitan Resident Managers Guilds. Simon is a recipient of the prestigious Emma Lazarus Award presented by Associated Builders and Owners of NY for Dynamic Business Achievement in New York. Simon is a graduate of Westfield State University at the University of Massachusetts. She also holds a Public Relations degree from NYU Management Institute and a Construction Management Certificate with PACE. Simon is also a NYS and NYS certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE). 92 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ALANA T. SLIWINSKI Associate Zetlin & De Chiara, LLP Litigator on the rise at Zetlin & De Chiara Alana T. Sliwinski, an Associate with Zetlin & De Chiara LLP, represents construction and real estate development corporations and related entities in complex litigation, including construction defects, professional and premises liability, and environmental matters in both state and federal court. Her strong background in legal research, writing and oral advocacy enables her to effectively advocate intricate legal issues when handling all phases of pre-trial litigation, as well as in transactional matters. In addition to construction agreements, she has negotiated claims of employment discrimination, fraud and failure of business transactions her clients’ behalf. Sliwinski competed in two national Moot Court competitions and was actively involved with New York Law School’s Moot Court Association. She was a summer law clerk for Hon. Loren Baily-Schiffman, in New York State Supreme Court, Kings County. She is an active member of the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) American Inn of Court, the first Inn to be established in New York City. She is also a member of the New York City Bar Association, LGBT Rights Committee . Sliwinski advises clients in the construction, real estate and design industries on litigation, transactional and general business matters. She is experienced in taking depositions, drafting litigation documents and handling court appearances from pretrial through appeal. A skilled researcher and talented writer, she is adept at crafting arguments that effectively communicate the facts on her client’s behalf and drafting agreements that account for risks and contingencies. Sliwinski earned her Juris Doctorate at New York Law School. She holds a B.A. degree in International development and Political Science from Sarah Lawrence College. 93 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 KATE SMITH Quality Manager Gilbane Building Company A next generation leader committed to collaboration Kate Smith joined Gilbane in 2012 and currently serves as the District Quality Manager, responsible for ensuring contract compliance, client satisfaction, and implementation of Gilbane policies and procedures on all projects in the New York City area. Prior to this role, Smith worked on Gilbane’s Rapid Repairs project after Superstorm Sandy left families in the Rockaways homeless. Working around the clock, seven days a week leading Gilbane’s controls and reporting, streamlining information between the City, Gilbane, and Trade Contractors, Smith helped the team successfully repair 3,500 homes in a five-month span. Smith is responsible for establishing Gilbane New York’s Young Professionals Group. The group helps to facilitate growth of the new generation of Gilbane employees by providing opportunities for leadership development, community involvement, and the achievement of personal goals and credentials. She is also one of three women who started the Gilbane New York Women’s Peer Group that supports women’s professional development and peer-to-peer engagement through educational and training forums focused on sharpening skills and behaviors necessary to accelerate career advancement. Smith is a two time Gilbane Excellence award winner. This award is granted to individual employees whose efforts exemplify and model behavior in support of Gilbane’s Core Values and go above and beyond to deliver valuable service to internal and external customers. Prior to joining Gilbane, Smith worked for the preconstruction department at Skanska USA Building while pursuing her graduate degree. Smith earned both a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. She was a member of Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honors Society, and published her thesis titled, “Green Construction: An Exploration of Best Practices for the Proactive Contractor”. 94 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 JOANNE STOKES Founder and President Stokes Creative Group From construction photographer to fullservice communications firm In 1985, Joanne Stokes, founder and president of Stokes Creative Group, Inc., began Stokes Creative Group, Inc., formerly JMS Visual Communications, to support the needs of our clients and provide effective solutions to maximize their success. Stokes has led the company to become a major contributor in the transportation and construction industry. Her ability to aggressively pursue new business opportunities and create new plans to market the agency, through the right channels at the right time, has been the driving force to the growth of the company. Stokes is dedicated to cultivating relationships with customers rather than merely completing a transaction – always keeping herself accessible to her clients to ensure their confidence in having their goals met. She is involved in numerous professional organizations including Women in Transportation (WTS), Southern New Jersey Development Council, and is on the Board of Directors for ASHE SNJ. Stokes started her firm 30 years ago with nothing more than a camera and a dream. She began as a construction project photographer and grew Stokes Creative Group, Inc. to a full service marketing agency that specializes in the transportation and construction industries. As President of Stokes Creative Group, Inc. her leadership and drive, has gained Stokes the reputation of being one of the premier public outreach and communication firms in the region working on projects such as The New NY Bridge and New Jersey Turnpike Authority Interchange 6-9 Widening Program. As a WBE, Stokes has met and successfully overcome the challenges in this normally male dominated arena and has grown her firm to include offices in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and most recently Florida. Under Stoke’s leadership Stokes has been honored with many prestigious awards including 2013 NJ Small Business Growth Success Award, 2014 Bronze Telly Award, 2014 South Jersey Biz Small Business Award for Marketing, 2014 Gold Marcum Award and the 2015 AVA Digital Award. 95 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 BEVERLY K. SWAIM-STALEY President and CEO Union Station Redevelopment Corporation A proven professional with outstanding service to her industry As the President and CEO of the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, a nonprofit located in Washington, D.C. Beverly Swaim-Staley’s primary task is to uphold the USRC mission statement, including management of the leased operations of the multimodal transportation and retail center, and oversight of the redevelopment of the station complex alongside planning partners Amtrak and Akridge. Prior to joining USRC, Swaim-Staley was the first woman to serve as Maryland Transportation Secretary, from 2009 to 2012, with 10,000 employees and a $3.6 billion annual budget. As Secretary, she oversaw the only state department of transportation with direct supervision over all aspects of transportation including the State’s highway, transit and rail networks, motor vehicles, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and the Port of Baltimore. With nearly 14 years of experience as Secretary, Deputy Transportation Secretary and Chief Financial Officer for MDOT, Swaim-Staley has a deep knowledge of transportation management and finance. She oversaw negotiations to execute one of the largest public-private partnership agreements in the nation resulting in the construction of a new 50-foot berth at the Port of Baltimore. From 2001-2002, while serving as Deputy Secretary, she also served as Executive Director of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, a period which encompassed the terrorist strike on 9/11 and the subsequent revolution in airport security. She has also worked for the state legislature in Maryland and for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA). Currently she serves as a Board Member of the Mineta Transportation Institute. 96 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 PAMELA SWANIGAN University-wide M/WBE Director State University of New York (SUNY) Opening doors wider for MWBEs for SUNY through technology and diversity Pamela Swanigan, is SUNY’s Director of the University-wide Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program. In this capacity, Swanigan is responsible for the development, coordination and promotion of SUNY’s M/WBE procurement and program activities, serving as the System Administration liaison to all SUNY campuses and other state agencies on M/WBE program issues. She is a strong advocate for the M/WBE community working diligently to improve business and economic opportunities for New York’s minority and women business enterprises. Swanigan entered the Supplier Diversity field in 1994 in the area of certification and over the years progressed to become SUNY’s M/WBE Director. Under her leadership, SUNY has increased their M/WBE utilization from $42.7 million in FY 2011-12 to $91.5 million in FY 2013-14. For over twenty-six years, Swanigan has served in the public sector. She has completed a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Public Administration, at Syracuse University, completed the Public Management Institute’s program in Management Development Studies at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She has also taught social studies for a number of years before completing her advanced graduate certificate in School Building and School District Leadership at SUNYA. A guiding principle to Swanigan’s success is her philosophy that effective managers must build internal capacity by learning to use technology more effectively, and create opportunities for MWBEs to continue building positive business relationships with SUNY’s business partners, if they are to meet Governor Cuomo’s MWBE 30% goal. 97 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 GERALDINE SZABO Principal GKS Industries From asset manager to industry asset and resource Geraldine Szabo is currently a Principal at GKS Industries, a certified woman-owned supply company located in Islip, New York. Her company sells all building supplies for the commercial real estate industry. She began this company in 2013 with her niece Kaci Szabo. Prior to starting her supply company, Szabo was a Senior Asset Manager at JPMorgan Chase for the midtown portfolio, which included 270 Park Avenue and 383 Madison Avenue. She joined JPMorgan Chase during the construction project at 270 Park Avenue for LEED Platinum New Construction and Major Renovation. This project included new energy efficient systems, including new chillers, daylight harvesting on all office floors with occupancy sensors, a 54,000 gallon storm water reclamation tank, one of the city’s largest green roofs and over 200 bicycle racks to be used by the employees. A major accomplishment during this project was recycling 85 percent of the construction waste, which included almost one million square feet of carpet and diverted more than 12,000 tons of construction waste from the landfills. As Regional Director of Operations at Grubb & Ellis, Szabo was responsible for overseeing the management services of 40 million square feet of commercial real estate in the Northeast Region. With a strong background in property and facility management, she provided a high level of standards in building operations. She was responsible for developing training programs to assist with the implementation of green standards in the Property Management portfolio to help clients reduce energy costs. As a member of BOMA, she joined the Energy & Sustainability Committee to provide comments on all topics related to commercial real estate. She also participated on the Sustainable Building Council for the Urban Land Institute of New York. Prior to Grubb & Ellis, Szabo opened and managed the Hearst Tower, New York City’s first LEED Gold Certified 860,000 square foot building, which is the World Headquarters for The Hearst Corporation. She attended the commissioning meetings for all building equipment and was involved in the LEED submission process. At Tishman Speyer, she also managed 375 Hudson Street, a one million square foot Class A property located in downtown Manhattan. 98 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 DEBRA TANTLEFF Founding Principal TANTUM Realty LLC From property manager to business owner As Founding Principal of TANTUM Realty L.L.C., Debra Tantleff operates a certified Women’s Business Enterprise focusing on creating boutique multi-family and mixeduse communities in the New Jersey region. Before founding TANTUM in 2014, Tantleff worked for 12 years at Roseland, a MackCali Company, where she established a highly acclaimed reputation for delivering exceptional mixed-use developments. She started her career as a Project Assistant, providing on-site field office support for the construction of a luxury rental complex in New Brunswick, N.J. She then went on to become a Purchasing Agent before transitioning to the development side of the business as an Assistant Development Manager, where she was responsible for acquiring development approvals while managing sales, marketing, and construction activities. Tantleff was later named Vice President of Development for Roseland, overseeing a portfolio consisting of more than 3,500 residential units and 175,000 square feet of retail space in such markets as Morristown, N.J., and Port Imperial. Tantleff serves on the New Jersey Committee for the Regional Plan Association and the Board of Directors for Downtown New Jersey and is also a member of New Jersey Future and New Jersey Mixed-Use Developers (MXD). She has been recognized numerous times by the New Jersey Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders and was named Real Estate Forum’s “Top 40 Under 40” in 2012. Tantleff holds a B.A.S. from the School of Communication and Information Studies from Rutgers University, and a Masters in Real Estate Finance from the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University, where she serves on the Alumni Board. 99 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 MARIA TORRES-SPRINGER Commissioner NYC Department of Small Business Services Energizing New York City’s business community to increase economic development opportunities Maria Torres-Springer is Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. Torres Springer has a demonstrated record of expanding small business opportunities, with a history of building relationships with community, government and private businesses to support economic development projects throughout New York City. Her experience collaborating with local communities began when she worked at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a nonprofit focusing on bringing together community organizations and stakeholders with private and public resources to help revitalize neighborhoods based on locally-defined priorities. More recently, Torres-Springer served as the Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where she oversaw the development and implementation of more than 100 initiatives designed to support innovation and entrepreneurship across all industries. From directing the revitalization of a 27-acre district and surrounding area in Coney Island and creating an amusement and entertainment district to helping lead the Applied Sciences NYC initiative and spurring new applied science and engineering campuses across New York City, Torres-Springer has continually proven her commitment to creating a dynamic city economy that works for all New Yorkers. Torres-Springer has also served at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding as a Senior Policy Advisor and as the Chief Operating Officer of Friends of the Highline. Maria received a B.A. in Ethics, Politics and Economics from Yale University and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters. 100 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 BECKY TUNG General Counsel WDF, Inc. A top-flight negotiator and industry advocate Becky Tung is General Counsel at WDF, Inc., one of the country’s largest MEP congtractors. Tung was raised in New York’s Chinatown. She attended New York University, where she decided that a legal career would help her pursue her passion for justice. She interned at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, intending to pursue a career as a civil rights attorney. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Metropolitan Studies, she received her juris doctor in law from Hofstra University. She then worked at a boutique civil rights law firm as a litigation associate for several years. After successfully leading WDF to victory in a civil rights trial, in 2006, WDF offered to her the position of Associate General Counsel. Less than a year later, WDF promoted Becky to General Counsel. As General Counsel, Tung manages and oversees all legal matters for WDF and its affiliates. She provides counsel in contract, construction, corporate, labor, and employment law. As a result of WDF’s performance of work in the public and private sectors, Tung regularly interacts with public and private owners, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, vendors, sureties, insurance companies, and unions on a wide range of legal issues. She is a member of the General Contractors Association’s Law and Legislation Committee. WDF is a subsidiary of Tutor Perini Corporation. WDF’s projects include: the Freedom Tower; World Trade Center Towers 2, 3, and 4; the Bronx Zoo Madagascar Exhibit; Madison Square Garden; Resorts New York at Aqueduct; Hudson Yards; Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant; and Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant. 101 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 SUZANNE VEIRA Senior Director of the Business Development Division NYC School Construction Authority (SCA) An experienced professional with a keen understanding of processes and program to support small business Suzanne Veira is the Senior Director of the Business Development Division at the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA). As Senior Director, her Division is responsible for the management of the SCA’s Minority, Women and Locally Based Enterprise (MWLBE) program; the oversight and enforcement of compliance with the SCA’s subcontracting and work force participation goals; and in coordination with the Project Management Division, the oversight of the Agency’s Mentor and Graduate Mentor Programs. Since joining the SCA in 2007 as the Director of Operations, Veira has been instrumental in developing new systems and procedures to streamline and improve the Division’s effectiveness and strengthened its collaboration with other SCA Departments and governmental agencies. She was part of the team that developed the agency’s Vendor Access System, a one-stop on-line prequalification and certification system. Veira’s experience prior to joining the SCA includes over 20 years of government experience in roles as Executive Director of Procurement Initiatives for the NYC Department of Small Business Services and Director of Capital Budget for the NYC Department of Corrections. Veira received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Maryland and attended Long Island University for her M.P.A. She has a 14 year old son and resides in Brooklyn, New York. 102 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ANN WALKER Project Manager STV Inc. Experience drives successful project delivery at STV Ann Walker is a project manager and architect and STV Inc. Walker has more than 25 years of experience managing design, preconstruction, and construction phases of new construction and renovation projects for educational, judicial, and transportation facilities for clients in the private and public sectors. She is adept at serving as an extension of the client’s staff, and has performed consultant selection and contracting, constructability reviews, contract administration, cost control, and value engineering. A key member of the STV team since 2013, Walker is highly skilled in relationship building, leading and motivating diverse teams of consultants, contractors, and in-house specialists through project completion. Currently, Walker is providing Project Controls services to New York University Medical Center, for Super Storm Sandy-related projects. Walker is regarded by STV as a consummate professional and her project delivery outcomes continue to get rave reviews. 103 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 DEBRA L. WELTMANN Chief Executive Officer Weltmann Lighting, LLC Lighting a new success path for women owned businesses Debra L. Weltmann is Chief Executive Officer at Weltmann Lighting. She co-founded Weltmann Lighting, LLC in 2008. Her extensive understanding of business operations as well as her knowledge and experience of management and corporate relations has helped her advance Weltmann Lighting’s business and posture the company for growth and success. Weltmann Lighting is a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) with certifications from Empire State Development (ESD), NYC Small Businesses, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs. Weltmann oversees the company’s financial performance, customer satisfaction, loyalty, market share, and productivity. Her strong commitment to operational excellence, customer service and satisfaction as well as innovative approaches to business problems has elevated Weltmann Lighting to being a premier lighting distributor in the New York area. Weltmann provides services during all phases of a construction project. She works to share Weltmann Lighting’s mission and vision with its customers, manufacturers and in house team. She maintains, that her firm’s core principal is integrity. Her team works closely with each client to bring each project in on schedule and produce a professional and beautiful finished project. Weltmann is also a member of the Women Presidents Organization (WPO). She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and dual Masters Degrees from Hofstra University. 104 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 ROBIN WILCOX Mentor Program Director NYC School Construction Authority From an idea to a professional vision Robin Wlicox is the Director of the NYC School Construction Authority Mentor Program. Robin Wilcox came to the New York City School Construction Authority as a Programmer in the Program Development department in April 1990. Her plan was to remain at the SCA for a year or two and move on; however, 26 years later she holds the most rewarding position of her career as the Director of the Mentor Program at the SCA. Robin has worked with the Mentor Program in various capacities for the past seven years. She enjoys working with people, helping them to realize their dream of entrepreneurship and contributing to the success of their firm’s growth. Additionally, as a product of the New York City school system herself, she enjoys working for an Authority whose prime business is creating a better learning environment and experience for the school children of New York City. Robin is a graduate of the CUNY system and holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. Married for 16 years, Robin has one teenage daughter and resides on Long Island. In her spare time Robin enjoys living a healthy life style and enjoys running competitively, exercising regularly with her husband John and reading. In her spare time, she also volunteers to provide fitness training for her daughter’s swim and softball teams. 105 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 QIAO WU Public Outreach Specialist Stokes Creative Group, Inc. On time communications drives project success Quiao Wu is a public outreach specialist for the Stokes Creative Group, Inc. Qiao Wu is a is a multifaceted, public involvement and business development professional. A graduate of Villanova University and having worked with many major engineering firms prior to Stokes Creative Group, Inc. Wu brings an understanding of multi-platform mass communication strategies to the team. Her impressive analytical and strategic skills coupled with her ability to produce written content gives her the ability to create successful and effective public outreach campaigns – critical to communicating the clients’ message and reaching its target audience. Currently working on the New NY Bridge project, Wu has had her hands in everything from the public involvement plan to the design and development of the Tappan Zee Constructors website, quarterly magazine and monthly newsletter. She assists with developing all presentation and print materials necessary for public meetings and educational outreach support and was a key player to the implementation of the project stakeholder database. Her passion for learning also proves to be quite beneficial to the project team as well as to the Stokes’ team, thus stablishing her as a leader in her field. Wu brings a drive for perfection to everything she does and has pushed public outreach within the construction industry to new levels. She is currently overseeing the design build teams outreach efforts for the New NY Bridge project to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge. The massive project utilizes every form of outreach, and Wu keeps them all consistent and on schedule. 106 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LULING YANG Senior Staff Engineer Langan Engineering International experience makes this professional a national engineering resource Luling obtained her Bachelor of Engineering degree in Engineering Mechanics from Tianjin University in China, and graduated with her Doctor of Engineering degree in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. She is especially interested in geotechnical earthquake engineering and finite element modeling research and applications, and has gained knowledge and expertise through years of experience working on various types of engineering projects ranging from large infrastructure developments to commercial buildings. Luling is a member of the United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research. In recent years she has had a number of papers published at conferences and in journals. Luling serves as a reviewer for several civil engineering conferences and journals, sits on the editorial board for Journal of Civil engineering and Architecture, and is the Chief Editor for the International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering Research. Luling Yang is a senior staff engineer at Langan whose practice involves geotechnical consulting in support of projects located throughout the United States and around the world. Her knowledge of and expertise in earthquake engineering and finite element modeling makes her an especially valuable asset at Langan. Specifically, Yang has performed 3D finite element modeling for several complex projects, including the development of Ajyad Hotel and Hospital in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Representative experience includes the Sabic Main Building in KSA, the Bab Habshan energy production facility in Abu Dhabi, and Centre City Mall in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Outside of the office, Yang is actively involved in the academic world. She is a member of the United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research and has published technical papers for conferences and professional journals. Yang also serves as a reviewer for several civil engineering conferences and periodicals, including the Journal of Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering. She sits on the editorial board for the Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture and is the Chief Editor for the International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering Research. 107 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LOURDES ZAPATA Executive Director Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development Empire State Development Driving Governor Cuomo’s diversity agenda Lourdes Zapata joined Empire State Development (ESD) in October 2014 as the new Executive Director of the Division for Minority and Women’s Business Development. As Executive Director, Zapata is responsible for the development of the statewide MWBE procurement policy as required by Article 15A of the Executive Law and reflective of New York State Governor Cuomo’s priority to promote equality of economic opportunities for Minority and Women Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and to eliminate barriers to their participation in obtaining State contracts. In her role, Zapata oversees the Division’s certification, compliance and business development activities, and works with State Commissioners and the Legislature on matters affecting the MWBE community. Zapata is dedicated to efforts to achieve the Governor’s goals, and is committed to ensuring that minorities and women have their fair share of contracting opportunities with the State of New York. Prior to joining ESD, Zapata served as Senior Vice President for the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBRO). In this role, Zapata oversaw the community and economic development programs as well as real estate development activities. In addition to supervising the management of more than 750 units of affordable, market rate and special needs housing, she was also responsible for the creation and operations of numerous economic development programs in the Bronx targeted to businesses throughout New York State, particularly MWBEs. Zapata also previously served as Community Development Director for the City of Newburgh in Orange County, New York. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Zapata holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Law and Society/Women’s Studies from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. 108 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 LORI ZEHNER, ESQ. Associate Counsel Americas region Lend Lease A construction attorney with an engineering degree Lori Zehner, in her current role as Associate Counsel for Lend Lease, is responsible for the delivery of legal services to the project management and construction business units, including the review and negotiation of bids and contracts, and support of the delivery of construction projects across Lend Lease’s operations. She has successfully negotiated several high-profile projects throughout the New York City area, including some of the tallest and most iconic high-rise residential and mixed residential/ commercial buildings throughout the city. Zehner’s other responsibilities include the evaluation of commercial strategies, risks and rewards, negotiation of lease agreements, and working directly with project management and field personnel on contract administration and project management issues. She also conducts internal training sessions on a variety of legal, risk and project management topics. Prior to joining Lend Lease, Zehner was an attorney in private practice with Pepper Hamilton LLP in Philadelphia. While there, she counseled owners, contractors, construction managers and subcontractors throughout all phases of the construction process, including bidding, contract administration, and project close-out, as well as in litigation and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Zehner earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is a member of the American Bar Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers. 109 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 The company They keep AGC NYS Arch Insurance Group - Surety CBRE, Inc. Chatham Development Company Columbia University Medical Center Columbia University Deb Romain Consulting LLC Department of State DPC New York Empire State Development Ernst & Young LLP Construction and Real Estate Advisory Services Executive Chamber, Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Five Star Electric Corp. Gilbane Building Company GKS Industries, Inc. GPRO ELECTRIC Environmentally Based Green Building LLC GRANT engineering Grassi & Co HAKS HFF L.P. HLW International LLP Kostow Greenwood Architects KS Engineers Kupcha Marketing Services Langan Lend Lease Americas Liberty Mutual Lieslie E. Robertson Associates Lloyd Patel, LLP Mayor’s Office of Contract Services MBI Group Morgan Stanley Concept & Design 110 Navigant New York City Department of Design and Construction New York Law School Newmark Knight Frank NYC Department of Small Business Services NYC School Construction Authority NYS Thruway Authority Office of General Services Design & Construction Group Perez, APC Polo Electric Corporation Rhodes Associates Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc. Sacks Sciame Construction SI Engineering, P.C. SL Green Realty Corp. Stokes Creative Group, Inc. STV, Inc. SUNY Tantum Realty LLC Tappan Zee Constructors LLC TDX Construction Tishman Construction, an AECOM Company Transurban Group, North America Trepp, LLC Turner Construction Company Tutor Perini Corporation Union Station Redevelopment Corporation WDF Inc. Weltmann Lighting, LLC Woods Bagot Zetlin & De Chiara LLP www.sackscom.com ACHIEVING WBC Outstanding Women 2015 STRATEGIES FOR CAPACITY BUILDING, CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE An Industry Roundtable To Build Your Business 8:00 AM MORE STORIES | | 17 CLUB 101 BY WOMEN WHO CONTINUE TO CHANGE THE GAME Join leading women who share their stories of success and challenge in highly competitive and demanding building industry. 5:30 PM APRIL JUNE 18 CLUB 101 FIRST ANNUAL GOLF OUTING Wheatley Hills Country Club East Williston, NY 10:30 Check In & Lunch WOMEN BUILD NEW YORK A LEADERSHIP BOOT CAMP FOR WOMEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRIES Building the Next Generation of Women Leaders 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM JUNE 29 SEPTEMBER 11 111 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 enterprises STATHIS ENTERPRISES CONGRATULATES WOMEN BUILDERS COUNCIL AND ITS 2015 OUTSTANDING WOMEN Since its founding over 20 years ago, Stathis Enterprises and its family of companies have fostered diversity inclusion in all of its initiatives. Today, its companies stand strong as supporters of New York State’s initiatives to promote diversity inclusion and increased equal opportunity for small business, especially minority, women and disadvantaged business enterprises. We celebrate the work of Polo Electric’s President and our Outstanding Woman, Connie Antzoulis-Stathis. 112 www.stathisenterprises.com