PA NEWS - Port Authority Retirees Association, Inc.

PA NEWS
Published weekly for Port Authority and PATH employees
Retirement News
See pages 3, 4,
and 5.
O
n behalf of the late
William R. DeCota,
Aviation Director
Susan Baer accepted
the 2010 William E. Downes
Jr. Memorial Award in
Pittsburgh last week at the
Airports Council International –
North America’s 19th Annual
Conference and Exhibition.
The Downes Award is
presented by ACI-NA to
an individual who has
demonstrated outstanding
leadership in promoting
Susan Baer accepts the Downes Award for Bill DeCota
the cause of airports and
on September 29 from ACI-NA President Greg Principato
aviation throughout the local, (left) and ACI-NA Board Chairman G. Hardy Acree.
national, and worldwide
said 2010 ACI-NA Board Chairman G.
communities. The award, which
Hardy Acree. “Whether you worked at
commemorates the former Chicago
an airport, airline, or in the governaviation director, is the highest honor
ment, people listened when Bill
given by ACI-NA.
spoke. No one is more deserving of
“A strong and authoritative voice
this award than Bill DeCota.”
on the issues of importance to our
Click here to view ACI-NA’s video
industry, Bill was respected by all who
tribute to Bill DeCota.
had the privilege of working with him,”
Let’s Do Lunch at EWR
Deputy Executive Director Bill
Baroni opens Tony Roma’s,
the new restaurant in Newark
Liberty International Airport’s
Terminal A concourse, presecurity. It is one of several
new restaurants at EWR
operated by Areas USA, “the
leading provider of food,
beverage, and retail services
in the U.S. travel hospitality
industry.” With the Deputy
Executive Director are (from
left): Rich Lombardo, Kevin
Reynolds, and Joshua
Humphrey of Areas USA; Aviation Concessions Senior Manager Susan Bush; Brad Tollefson
of Westfield Concession Management; EWR Concessions Manager Odete Cunha, and New
Jersey Airports General Manager John Jacoby. The ribbon cutting took place September 28.
Mike Dombrowski
PA Employees
Volunteer in
Region
ACI-NA Honors Bill DeCota
Robert Levy Photography
Come celebrate Operations Services
Director Alan Rhome’s 41 years of dedicated
service at his retirement celebration on
Friday, December 10, 5 to 9 p.m. at Iberia
Tavern & Restaurant in Newark.
“The Big W” – LaGuardia Airport General
Manager Warren Kroeppel – is calling it a
career after 32 years of service. You can
wish him happy retirement on Monday
November 15, 5 to 10 p.m., at Russo’s on
the Bay in Howard Beach.
EWR Chief Operations Supervisor
Rich Hammer has been cleared for takeoff
after 36 years of dedicated service. His
goodbye bash takes place on Thursday
November 18, 6 to 10 p.m., at Puccini’s in
Jersey City.
After 42 years of service, PCD’s
Robert Gaffney is retiring. His farewell
celebration is set for Tuesday, November 9,
5:30 p.m., at Campino Restaurant in Newark.
The retirement celebration for
Peter Rinaldi, “An Engineer’s Engineer,”
takes place on Thursday, November 4, 5 to
9 p.m., at SPQR Sal Anthony’s in Little Italy.
The Queen of PATH’s Records –
Anne Greco – is relinquishing her crown,
and her retirement breakfast is set for
Tuesday, November 16, 9 to 10 a.m., at JSTC,
1st floor.
Departing LGA for retirement are
Bill Chatterton, Bruce Metzger, Erick
Strandfeldt, and Roger Toale. You can
wish them farewell on Wednesday,
November 10, 3 p.m., at Ricardo’s in Astoria.
After 25 years of service, Procurement’s
Iris Aguayo is heading for Florida. Her
goodbye bash is set for Tuesday, November
16, 12:30 p.m., at Angelo & Maxie’s, near
PA headquarters.
Terry Mastropasqua and Randy
Migliano are driving out of the GWB Auto
Shop and into retirement. You can wish
them farewell at Windsor Gardens in Lodi
on November 19, 6 to 10 p.m.
October 7, 2010/Volume 9/Number 40
Leadership
Fellows
Calendar
PAHS Breakfast
Vaughn Programs
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and
Technology is offering graduate and
undergraduate programs for Port Authority
employees to be conducted on-site at
LaGuardia Airport.
For more information, contact Vaughn
College at 718 429-6600, ext. 117, or e-mail
the admissions office at admitme@vaughn.edu.
Jazz in Jersey
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PA News / October 7, 2010
Eleanore Kellaher (foreground), who
loves bridges, told her son it was on
her “bucket list” to tour the George
Washington Bridge, so he contacted the
Port Authority and made the request for
her. “I was a bit concerned that Mrs.
Kellaher might have trouble with some of
the tower’s ladders and catwalks,” said
Maintenance Planning Supervisor Hector
Eugui, “but my concerns were allayed as
I watched the spry 92-year-old in action.”
Retired Chief Traffic Engineer Ken
Kellaher, Mrs. Kellaher’s son, is also in the photo, as is her daughter, Mary Gengler.
Kids Have Their Day at LGA
Soon-to-be-retired LaGuardia Airport
General Manager Warren Kroeppel
(left) and Assistant Chief Operations
Supervisor Kevin Dauwalter join the fun
at the airport on September 25, otherwise known as Kiwanis Kids Day at LGA.
About 3,000 visitors enjoyed the nice
weather and the opportunity to see all
types of new and old aircraft, as well as
airport firefighting and police emergency
equipment and the PAPD K-9s.
TEB Hosts ‘Wings & Wheels’
Operations Services Communications
Equipment Specialist Mike Shaw befriends a
World War II-era Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
fighter last month at the Aviation Hall of
Fame’s 2010 Wings & Wheels Expo at
Teterboro Airport. The expo is a fundraiser
for the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum,
which is located at TEB. About 5,000 people
attended the expo on September 25 and 26.
Attractions included new and vintage aircraft, vintage autos, and PA Police aircraft
rescue and firefighting vehicles. “Events like Wings and Wheels, Kiwanis Kids Day at LGA,
and Airport Day at EWR put a positive and friendly face on our agency and help us build
stronger community ties,” said Aviation Assistant Director Ralph Tragale.
M. Shaw
Retiree and jazz guitarist Joe Frame
has three gigs upcoming – tonight from
7 to 9 at Starbucks, 693 W. Edgar Rd. in
Linden; Saturday with his Framework
Quartet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Barron
Fest, Parker Press Park, Rahway Ave. in
Woodbridge; and Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m.
at the Halo Lounge, 14 Glen Rd. in Rutherford.
Nonagenarian Tackles the GWB
N. Epstein, American Airpower Museum
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month,
the Port Authority Hispanic Society invites
fellow employees to this year’s breakfast
program on Thursday, October 14, 8:30 to
10:30 a.m., at Club 101 in midtown
Manhattan.
Honored guests included Miguel
Algarín, author, scholar and founder of the
Nuyorican Poets Café, and Lillian Rodríguez
López, President of the Hispanic Federation.
See Employee Bulletins for more details.
PA employees from Port Commerce and
Audit – (from left) Louis Vitale, Amanda
Valdes, Ella Shomshonov, Patrick Thrasher,
and a friend, Chris Casazza – joined 25,000
of their closest friends to walk or run
through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel on
Sunday, September 26, as part of the 2010
Tunnel to Towers event, which benefits the
Stephen Siller Children’s Foundation. The
foundation and event honor FDNY Firefighter
Siller, who jumped off his truck and ran in
his gear to the World Trade Center on 9/11 after his truck was barred entry to the tunnel.
Those interested in the foundation or in making a donation can visit Port Commerce’s page
at active.com/donate/ssfdnychildrensfdtn/portcommerce.
Hector Eugui
Human Resources is now recruiting
for the 2011 Leadership Fellows Class.
This highly competitive, two-year rotation
program provides fellows with four to five
assignments in the Port Authority’s different
business units, field facilities, and corporate
offices.
The rotations are complemented by
classroom training, coaching by senior
management, and visits to PA facilities.
Applicants must be a 2010 or 2011
graduate of a master’s degree program
and have demonstrated leadership skills
and a strong commitment to public service.
Please refer qualified applicants to
jointheportauthority.com for more information and application instructions.
Motivated internal applicants who meet
the above criteria and wish to compete for
a position in this high-potential program
also are welcome to apply. Additional information for internal applicants can be found
through PeopleSoft Self Service.
The application deadline is November 15.
PA Staffers Run from ‘Tunnel to Towers’
T
he Port Authority’s third annual
Remembrance Through Renewal
initiative was a great success,
thanks to the dedication and hard work
of PA volunteers.
The number of volunteers has
grown each year, with more than
250 employees now providing services
to communities in the bistate metropolitan region.
The communities touched by
volunteer efforts also grew, with
projects added in Hoboken, Lower
Manhattan, and the Bronx.
Each photo on these pages represents the positive impact one individual
can have on a community.
The PA volunteers included Nidia
Abreu, Atef Ahmed, Joseph Alem,
Alberto Anton, Gwendolyn Archie,
Irene Au, Roanne Bacchus, Cynthia
Bacon, Dorian Bailey, Lou Baratta,
Joseph Barry, Julia Basile, Orlando
Benitez, Amit Bhomick, John Biront,
Peter Bitwinski, Lisette Bowen,
Frantz Bricourt, Caroline Brossard,
Lilliane Buchanan, Jessica Carmona,
Christine Chaplinski, Anna Cheng,
Rose Chin-Galarza, Bonnie Choi,
Caleb Chu, Stella Cicchetti, Patty
Clark, Eleanor Clarke, Rosina
Codrington, Tiffany Coles, Phyllis
Collin, Tom Comerford, Frantz
Constant, Celestina Coston, Janet
Cox, Marjorie Crump, Michael
Cutruzzula, Monica Dacosta, Frantz
Dambreville, Sheryl Davenport,
Barbara Davis, Yvette Davis, Maria
De La Cruz, Chantay DeLoach, Kirit
Desai,
Lena
DeSantis,
Nick
Detaranto, Lisa Dewey-Mattia, Anne
Marie DiNicola, Miriam Diaz,
Pasquale DiFulco, Daniel Duffy,
Bobby Egbert, Joseph Ehrlich, Robert
Eisenstat, Kara Eusebio, Janice
Evans, Neville Evans, Julie Evans-Als,
Morris Faitelewicz, Eugene Fasano,
Sheryl Fields, Patricia Fix, Craig
Fraser, Ann Freedman, Raul Garcia,
John Garrone, Stacey Gibson
Williams, Alan Ginder, Jay Glass,
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PA News / October 7, 2010
Continued on page 4
Continued from page 3
Barbara Gleaton, Sharilyn Golden,
Glenessa Gordon, Ronald Gordon,
Kess-Ann Grant, Cynthia Gwaro,
Maria Hamel, Mary Lee Hannell,
Jeremy Hanson, Tania Hedlund,
Barbara Heim, Flora Heun, Adrienne
Hodge Lee, Glenda Hutchinson,
Earlyne Johnson, Stephen Jones,
Lois Jones, Jay Kairant, Morgan
Keane, Rhonda Kearse, Meghan
Kelley, Stephen Kern, Julia Kerson,
Pramod Khanna, Cristina Kiley,
Catherine Kim, Eunice Kim, Susan
Komorowski, Robert Komurek,
Thomas Koster, Chiu Kun Wu, Robin
Lance, Dawn Larson, Donna
LeBourne, Wing Kin Lee, Susan
Levey, Alexander Levi, John Lew,
Frances Libenzon, Sandra Lillo,
Hong Lin, Frank Lombardi, Paula
London, Yrenilsa Lopez, William
LoSasso, Marisol Mallen, Maria
Malone-Hodges,
Jean
Marie
Mitchell, Cheryl Marshall, Michelle
Martin, June Matthews, Robert
McKee, Quinzell McKenzie, Debra
McKenzie, Lottie McKnight, Nadia
McLean, Genelle McMillan, James
Mernin, Deyssi Mesa, Karen Mesko,
John Miller, Tanisha Minto, Paul
Mitchell, Gail Mitchell, Ruth
Montgomery, Sochieta Moth, Siu
Moy, Elizabeth Mullaney, E.J. Mullins,
Andrew Murray, Edward Nathan,
Tam Nguyen, Nicole O’Brien, Kelly
O’Donnell, Kevin O’Driscoll, Nancy
Olson, Victoria Ostolozaga, Mark
Paquiz, Lydia Parada, John Paradiso,
Robert Parsekian, Vickie Pelzer, Nina
Pepe, Sidel Perez, Ivy PerryShaBethea, Sean Pflug, Mary
Plaskon, Brett Porigow, Valerie Pratt,
Theodore Przybyla, Jessica Puliafico,
Arlyn Purcell, Jessica Rahner,
Graciela Ramirez, Ester Regala,
James Reinish, Oscar Restrepo,
Elizabeth Reyes, Serina Rhoden,
Renea Richardson, Bethzayda
Rivera, Tammy Robinson, Jose
Rodriguez-Espinal, Paul Rothman,
Angela Ruales, Bradley Rubinstein,
4
PA News / October 7, 2010
Continued on page 5
Continued from page 4
Sheri Ruffin, Javier Salinas, Frank
Scerbo, Michael Schmidt, Julio Sesti,
Jay Shuffield, Gerald Simpkins,
Dorene Smith, Laurie Spencer,
Danielle Stewart, Nancy Stocco, T.J.
Storch, Mario Suarez, Jasmine
Suarez, Kyle Sundin, Saleem Syed,
John Tellefsen, Sean Thomas, Patrick
Thrasher, Janice Timkee-Barrow,
Susie Tom, Jacqueline Torchi,
Michael Torella, Teresita Triay, Anne
Marie Trotta, Paula Turner, Midori
Valdivia, Rosemary Varela, Tim
Volonakis, Gail Ward, Basil Webster,
Kellyann West, Denise Williams,
Versell Wilson, Jean Wilson, Gregory
Wong, Hiloreen Woods, and Gina
Zellner.
Organizations Aided By PA Volunteers
The All Stars Project of New Jersey, which creates outside-of-school educational and performing arts activities for thousands of young
people from disadvantaged communities in and around Newark.
Doc to Dock, which works to improve global health by shipping surplus medical supplies from the United States to areas in need.
The Friends of Loew’s, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore and operate the landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Jersey City
as a multidiscipline arts and entertainment center.
The Greater Newark Conservancy, which promotes environmental stewardship to improve the quality of life in New Jersey’s
urban communities.
The Hoboken Shelter, which provides meals for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and support services.
The Jubilee Center, an after-school and summer safe haven for children in Hoboken’s public housing.
King Manor Museum, which focuses on the role of U.S. Constitution signatory Rufus King and his sons as national figures in the early
antislavery movement.
The Prospect Park Volunteer Corps, which helps maintain and improve the park via woodland restoration, cleaning, greening,
and planting.
The American Red Cross.
The South Queens and Variety Boys & Girls Clubs, whose goal is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from at-risk
and disadvantaged circumstances.
Sustainable South Bronx, which works with the residents of urban communities like the South Bronx to improve their environmental and
economic conditions through education, job training and public advocacy.
The Tribute WTC Visitor Center, which offers “person-to-person history” linking visitors who want to understand the events of 9/11 with
those who experienced them.
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PA News / October 7, 2010