Joining Commissioner Handy for the awards ceremony at Police Department headquarters were Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe; Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond; Department of Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty; Small Business Services Commissioner Robert Walsh; Human Resources Commissioner Robert Doar; and representatives of the Hundred Year Association and its 200 member organizations.

“Today, with the help of one of our city’s great community organizations – the Hundred Year Association, we’re honoring the very best of New York by recognizing 10 of our most committed, exceptional public servants,” said Mayor Bloomberg.  “We’re also taking the opportunity to invest in the dreams of some of our best and brightest.  Our youth are the future of New York, and the young scholars we’re honoring today re-affirm that our city’s best days are still ahead.”

Deputy Mayor Holloway said, “New York City continues to be a place where over eight million people live, work and play every day because of the essential services that the City provides, first and foremost public safety. Our City has the greatest public servants in the world, and it is an honor to work alongside them. Today, with the help of our partners from the Hundred Year Association, we celebrate them and their children, whose achievements will build an even stronger future for New York.”

“The civil servants we honor today bring prestige to the City by going beyond their job descriptions to give New Yorkers world-class service, every single day,” said Commissioner Handy. “We are proud to assist the Hundred Year Association in rewarding the achievements of our city workforce and the broad range of vital work that they perform.”

“On behalf of the Board of Governors and members of the Association we thank Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Wells-Handy and her staff for their assistance in supporting and organizing this unique Public / Private Program, created to recognize and reward outstanding achievement in the workplace and in the classroom,” said Clinton W. Blume, III – President of The Hundred Year Association of New York.

This year’s highest Public Service Award, a $3,500 award, sponsored by The Chief-Civil Service Leader, went to Police Officer Dawn Townsend, a 21-year veteran of the Police Department who has served as Community Affairs Officer at the 73rd precinct for the past seven years.  She has been a volunteer facilitator of a women’s empowerment group for the past five years, providing education and access to family planning and domestic violence resources, as well as educational and employment opportunities, and training in proper etiquette.  She has worked continuously with the Brownsville Partnership and other Brownsville-based community organizations on issues of job training and readiness.

The largest scholarship, the $5,000 Elaine Wingate Conway College Scholar Award sponsored by Conway Foundation, went to Stephanie Guevara, a junior at Hunter College of the City University of New York. She is the daughter of Alva Guevara and the recipient of a New York State TAP Grant.

Since 1958, the Association has highlighted the close partnership between the City’s private sector and City government by recognizing outstanding career civil service employees. Named for the Association’s founder, the Isaac Liberman Public Service Awards are available to employees whose salaries do not exceed $81,000. Individual cash awards range from $1,000 to $6,000.

The Association’s E. Virgil Conway College Scholar Awards Program was founded in 1971 to assist academically qualified children of career civil service employees to obtain college educations. College Scholar Awards are granted to promising students whose gross family incomes do not exceed $110,000. The scholarships recognize excellence in scholastic achievement and community service. College scholarships generally range from $1,000 to $6,000.

Founded in 1893, the company currently has ten locations in New York City.

Current president Gerald Modell will assume the role of chairman.

After working as a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Eric Modell joined Modell Financial ten years ago.  He currently serves as a director of the National Pawnbrokers Association. In 2010, he was elected president of the Collateral Loanbrokers Association of New York.

The year is 1903. In Kitty Hawk, N.C., the Wright brothers are flying their first aircraft. The first World Series is underway between the Boston Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates. And the Great Train Robbery is debuting as the first silent film across the country. That same year, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Montalbine family – five brothers who immigrated to the United States from Italy – is starting Roman Stone Construction Co. Today, 107 years later, Roman Stone is not only still in businesses but thriving in the precast concrete industry.

The external changes Roman Stone has endured since its founding – The Great Depression, two World Wars, 19 presidents and the digital revolution, to name a few – are almost unfathomable. But as the United States has evolved throughout the past century, so has Roman Stone. It is a business steeped in equal parts tradition and innovation – honored to look back but not afraid to look forward.

Layne Urbas, executive vice president, is immensely proud of the company’s rich history. As he enters the company break room, his focus turns to four black and white photos on the wall. Pointing to the photo of the company’s first plant, located in Brooklyn, Urbas tells a story that exemplifies just how much times have changed.

“I don’t think the business resembles what it did when they started it years ago, but it’s a different world out there and I think they would be very proud to see that it’s still going.” – Tom Montalbine

“They used to shovel the material onto the elevator by hand, and one day one of the Montalbine sons went to his father and said, ‘Hey, why don’t we buy a front loader,’” Urbas said. “He said to the son, ‘What’s the matter, you don’t want to work anymore?’ The father didn’t understand the concept of a machine making it faster. He figured his son could do it just as fast.”

The other photos depict the Montalbine brothers in various settings, including two of them posing with workers on a job site. Although it’s only a photo, it’s easy to see the determination in their eyes, and that drive remains with the company today.

Family Ties
When current company president Tom Montalbine, the only Montalbine working at the plant today, came on board in 1992, he and Urbas knew Roman Stone needed to evolve. The office had only one computer, nicknamed Wanda because they always wondered what it would do. There was room to increase efficiency and safety on the plant floor as well.

“We’re in a great market but we were kind of pigeonholed in the products we produced, so we wanted to diversify and move into new things,” Montalbine said. Statistically, only 32% of family businesses are passed down to the second generation, and 12% make it to the third. Closing or sale of the business often happens due to disinterest or failure to remain viable, but Montalbine and Urbas are determined not to let either of those factors permeate Roman Stone.

Both truly appreciate the business because they started at the ground level. Montalbine came to the family business in a roundabout way. After earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in international finance, he was working in accounting for an international nonprofit before deciding to join the family business. When he came to the plant he started as a maintenance mechanic and then moved to production supervisor.

“Tom really earned his stripes,” Urbas said. “He has the respect of everyone here, because he worked his way to where he is now and he knows all the aspects of the business. When he tells somebody to do something a certain way, it’s because he did it himself.”

Montalbine is not one to sing his own praises, but Urbas has an easy time listing the many ways he has enhanced the company. “Tom was very concerned about not only learning how to produce concrete more efficiently, he was also concerned about safety within the plant,” Urbas said. “He conducted numerous seminars with the men discussing ways they could do safety procedures, and he made everyone get hard hats and safety glasses.”

While not family by name, Urbas is certainly family in spirit. The Montalbine family history is a topic he is passionate about, because he attributes his current position solely to their generosity and kindness. “I’m particularly proud of the trust that the Montalbine family put into a person like myself, who is not a member of the family, to end up ultimately being one of the guys running the business,” he said. “I’m like the character Tom in the Godfather movies. I’m the good German kid they adopted.”

Urbas came to Roman Stone in 1977 as a truck driver and was embraced by Tom Montalbine’s father, Nazzareno (Naz), and 2nd cousin, Carl Montalbine, who became his mentor. Over the years they promoted him from truck driver to  dispatcher, mechanic and shipping manager. Eventually he was promoted to vice president of sales and then to his current position.

“My mentor decided he wanted to promote from within with people who really knew the business, and that’s why he gave me the first promotion,” Urbas said. “From there I recognized how the broker that was handling our sales was falling down on his end, and that was the springboard to me starting the first Roman Stone sales department.”

Hanging on his wall – visual proof of his pride – is a letter he asked to be drafted when he was elected as a director of the company in 1994. One sentence reads, “A director was elected for the first time in the history of the Companies from outside the Montalbine Family to hold office.” The fading signatures of Naz and Carl Montalbine can be seen at the bottom.

“I’m particularly proud of the trust that the Montalbine family put into a person like myself, who is not a member of the family, to end up ultimately being one of the guys running the business.” – Layne Urbas

One of the biggest contributions Urbas has made to the company is the renewed focus on on-time deliveries he instilled years ago, after taking an NPCA-sponsored course that showed late deliveries were the biggest complaint amongst precast customers. On-time deliveries became Urbas’ passion, and the plant began requiring drop-dead dates on all sales orders.

“The focus Layne gave the company on punctuality with our deliveries really gave us a big edge over the competition,” Montalbine said. “He introduced the catch line ‘Best Boomed Deliveries, On Time- Every Time’ and it has become representative of our company and our dedication to our customers.”

While Tom Montalbine is the only family member at the plant today – other Montalbines serve as shareholders – Roman Stone remains very much a “family.” As Urbas walks through the plant, he points out workers on the move and stops those in his path. He tells a story about each that demonstrates a deep knowledge and appreciation. He also knows how many years each has been with the company – more often than not 10-15 years or longer. In his eyes, everyone has a significant role. The camaraderie among the workers in the plant is easily apparent, and the respect they have for Montalbine and Urbas is equally evident.

In a world where loyalty on the part of employers and employees is becoming a thing of the past, it’s just the way  Roman Stone operates. As secretary treasurer Sharon D’Agostino says, “Once you get in here you don’t leave, because it’s like a home. It’s like a second family.” D’Agostino joined Roman Stone 22 years ago as the bookkeeper. Describing how she got into the company, she said, “Katherine, an old employee, had to move to Florida and that’s how I got my job. She really loved it here, and every time she came back from Florida she would tell me she hated going and I’d better not leave.” Like Montalbine, Urbas and almost everyone at Roman Stone, D’Agostino simply cannot imagine leaving the company and has seen a tremendous amount of growth.

“When I first started, Tom’s dad and Carl had these little black books, and I would write what our sales were for the month and what our checking account balances were for the month,” she said. “And that was it. The company was basically kept by those. Since I started we have tripled sales and we’ve really diversified. We’ve really come so far in 22 years; we’ve just grown leaps and bounds since I’ve been here.”

The precast Permutation
Although Roman Stone experienced success early in the 20th century in the construction and foundation business, the changing landscape of America necessitated the company do the same. Over time, Roman Stone was reshaped, and by the 1950s the company was taking a new direction: precast concrete.

“We had dabbled with some precast because we were producing lead-lined bricks for a company that made X-ray machines,” Urbas said. “From that we were able to get approached by Con Edison.”

Consolidated Edison Co. (Con Edison), a large New York City power utility, came to the Montalbines with a need for scalloped spacers to separate the round concrete pipe it used as conduit for its wiring. After that contract expired, Roman Stone was given a contract to produce the conduit itself, which had evolved to become square in shape on the exterior. Looking for a way to improve the way the pipe was produced, Roman Stone developed an extrusion process by working with a local machine shop in Brooklyn. The new process allowed Roman Stone to make the conduit less expensively than the competition, and it wasn’t long until they received the bulk of the work. The conduit has been the plant’s core product ever since.

“We’re extremely proud of our 50-year relationship with Con Edison,” Urbas said.

To produce the conduit through extrusion, the concrete is loaded directly from the batch plant and pushed through a square opening at the other end with a consistent hole bored through the center. The plant produces a variety of shapes and lengths that allow Con Edison to meet the demands of any project. The extruded conduit is loaded into metal forms to help the fresh concrete retain its shape. Before it’s loaded onto carts that transport it along rails laid throughout the plant, a worker uses a machine to taper the ends to a specially formed shape. The conduit gets identical ends that are later fitted together using plastic couplings to ensure a watertight fit.

The concrete conduit provides a number of benefits. “The worst thing for an electrical cable is something that conducts electricity. Concrete does not, so it can’t electrocute somebody,” Urbas said. “And when a cable is fried it would  weld itself to a steel pipe or burn plastic, but with our pipe they can just pull out the cable from both ends. The best part,  though, is nobody has figured out the shelf life of concrete conduit. I think the Long Island railroad found a piece that was 98 years old, so it’s at least 100 years.”

The growth in business led the Montalbines to look for room to grow. In 1962 they purchased nine acres of land in Bay Shore, Long Island, to build the current 33,000-square-foot plant. The location allows the company to serve  metropolitan New York City, along with Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Since that time, the product line Roman Stone offers to the electrical construction industry has expanded. Today, the plant can produce approximately 2,000 feet of conduit in a standard workday, and also produces precast concrete manholes, light pole bases, and junction and splice boxes in a variety of sizes. In 1991, Urbas recognized another  opportunity to ensure Roman Stone could provide a complete package to the electrical construction industry. His idea was to begin offering the various cast iron covers needed for many of its products, rather than forcing the contractor  to track down the needed covers.

Road to the Future
The growth Roman Stone has seen under the direction of Montalbine and Urbas has included updating the plant and creating new product lines to complement the pieces it has cast for years. Standing by the extrusion machine, Urbas  points out visual evidence of how much the plant has evolved. He first points to the wall that once held controls for the machinery, and then to the automated controls that run it today – another improvement he credits to Montalbine.

“About five years ago we got some help from an automation specialist and replaced most of the manual controls with Programmable Logic Controls,” Montalbine said. “We reduced the number of pilot air valves by 60% which increased the reliability of the machine, increased production and made the machine really quiet.”

Standing in front of a computer and control box that run the plant’s two mixers, Urbas describes how much the plant has changed at even the most core level – the way it batches its concrete. In order to be approved by the New York  State Department of Transportation, which it wanted to produce pull boxes and bases for, Roman Stone needed to become certified by the NPCA Plant Certification program.

“We used to batch it all by hand, but now, because we entered into the quality assurance program run by the NPCA, it’s all computerized,” Urbas said.

This led to a big shift for Roman Stone. With NPCA Plant Certification in place, the company began looking for other products to produce for the NYSDOT. The next idea came after Urbas saw a picture of one of his fellow precasters  working on a road in the NPCA publicationPrecast Solutions. That gave birth to the idea of creating a proprietary  Precast Concrete Pavement System (PCPS), which became known as Roman Road Systems. The process of developing the PCPS system and getting it approved by the NYSDOT led to the hiring of Roman Stone’s first full-time engineer in  January, yet another step forward for the ever-evolving company.

“I think we have good employees and I think they’d [Montalbine brothers] realize that they did a wonderful thing.” – Tom Montalbine

Montalbine and Urbas immediately recognized the immense advantages of PCPS, including double to triple the lifecycle of traditional fixes and installation in a fraction of the time. Traditional road work can close down stretches of road or intersections for days, weeks or months as the existing road is removed, the site is prepped and a new road  poured and cured. The use of PCPS eliminates many of the inefficiencies.

Most of the work is completed in the precast plant, before the road is ever closed. Slabs are poured, stripped and stored at the plant, allowing Roman Stone to build an inventory large enough to complete the project without delays for pouring. Once on site, the damaged road section is cut using a template Roman Stone designed to ensure an exact fit. The exposed surface area requires much less preparation due to the use of a special urethane lifting and  stabilization process. After the surface area is graded using a scratch template, also designed by Roman Stone, the area is compacted and the slab is lowered in. Roman Stone uses Uretek to pump a high-density urethane blend through  pre-drilled ports in the slab until the slab is perfectly level with the surrounding road and completely stabilized.

The entire process, from the removal of the old concrete to the setting a new slab, takes less than one hour, and as many as seven slabs have been installed in one workday. Once the slabs are installed, the road is ready for traffic in just 15 minutes. A major intersection can be completed in just one evening, and by working on small sections at night, roadways can be reopened each day for rush-hour traffic.

“Our hope is that this is going to be one of the tools that DOTs can use to extend the life of their concrete pavements,” Montalbine said. “I think it’s something that’s needed and that there is a huge opportunity out there.”

Robert Weyrauch, a job supervisor with Ahern Contractors Inc., worked with Roman Stone on the first project to use the Roman Road System. In total, 35 slabs were used on a project on Route 27. “The reasons why we picked the Roman Road System is because I felt that it would not only be cost effective but also reduce the amount of time that would be necessary to complete the project,” Weyrauch said. “Our expectations were not only met but they were exceeded in the sense that we completed it in a tighter time frame than anticipated.”

The Roman Road System has been tested extensively by the NYSDOT, both in the Roman Stone yard and in the field. The success of these trials has led to approval for a much larger-scale project that will include a four-mile stretch of four-lane highway that will include 800 slabs.

The next product decision made was to license the J-J Hooks barrier product from Easi-Set Industries, and then to begin producing catch basins. “Once we were doing the road slabs, that opened a new consumer base to us, so we decided the temporary barrier and catch basins would be perfect for us,” Urbas said. “We didn’t have anyone selling J-J Hooks barrier up here and we felt that the same people who would be buying our road slabs would buy our barrier and catch basin.”

With a new engineer in place, Roman Stone also began working on precast buildings. “Our new engineer is an expert on precast buildings, so we decided that would be something good for us to go into as well,” Urbas said.

Reverent Roots
While the Roman Stone Construction Co. of 2010 bears little physical resemblance to the one pictured in those four black-and-white photos hanging in the break room, the common traits are easy to identify: dedicated employees focused on hard work, quality products, great customer service and innovation. Montalbine is proud of the  opportunity his ancestors created for him, and he’s confident that if the Montalbine brothers could see the business  today, they would feel the same. “I think we have good employees and I think they’d realize that they did a wonderful thing,” he said.

“I don’t think the business resembles what it did when they started it years ago, but it’s a different world out there and I think they would be very proud to see that it’s still going.”

Kirk Stelsel is communication manager at NPCA.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Edna Wells Handy today joined representatives of the Hundred Year Association of New York to honor 10 outstanding civil servants and 15 academically talented children of City employees, who received $22,500 in cash awards and $32,000 in college scholarships from the Association’s members.

Joining Commissioner Handy for the awards ceremony at Police Department headquarters were Human Rights Commissioner Patricia Gatling, Small Business Services Commissioner Robert Walsh and representatives of the Hundred Year Association and its 200 member organizations.

“These public employees exemplify the highest standard of service to the people of New York City,” said Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. I am grateful to the Hundred Year Association for generously recognizing their efforts.”

“The civil servants we honor today bring prestige to the City by going beyond their job descriptions to give New Yorkers world-class service, every single day,” said Commissioner Handy. “We are proud to assist the Hundred Year Association in spotlighting the achievements of our city workforce and the broad range of vital work that they perform.”

“For over 50 years, we’ve been proud to honor the career municipal employees who devote their time and energies, in and out of the workplace, to improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers, and we are equally proud to support the education of so many deserving children of civil servants,” said Clinton W. Blume III, the President of the Hundred Year Association.

This year’s highest Public Service Award, a $6,000 award sponsored by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, went to Dorothy Matthew, the administrator of Main Street Legal Services, Inc., the in-house legal clinic of the City University of New York School of Law in Flushing, Queens. For over 25 years, Ms. Mathew has been dedicated to supporting the law students and clinical faculty of the clinic, which serves over 1,000 low-income New Yorkers a year.

The largest scholarship, the $6,000 Charles E. Inniss College Scholar Award sponsored by National Grid, went to Anna Chang, who is a freshman at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at City College, CUNY. Her mother, Anna Chang, is a Public Health Advisor for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Founded in 1927, the Hundred Year Association of New York celebrates the business, professional, educational, religious and charitable organizations of New York City that are at least one hundred years old. Since 1958, the Association has highlighted the close partnership between the City’s private sector and City government by recognizing outstanding career civil service employees. Named for the Association’s founder, the Isaac Liberman Public Service Awards are available to employees whose salaries do not exceed $81,000. Individual cash awards range from $1,000 to $6,000.

The Association’s E. Virgil Conway College Scholar Awards Program was founded in 1971 to assist academically qualified children of career civil service employees to obtain college educations. College Scholar Awards are granted to promising students whose gross family incomes do not exceed $110,000. The scholarships recognize excellence in scholastic achievement and community service. College scholarships range from $1,000 to $6,000.

A complete listing of this year’s 25 winners is available at the DCAS website, www.nyc.gov/dcas.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – PORT RICHMOND – The year was 1895. Grover Cleveland, the 24th President, was completing his second term in the White House. Teddy Roosevelt was leaving his post as U.S. Civil Service Commissioner in Washington D.C. to become the New York City Police Commissioner.

Slightly more than 50,000 people lived on Staten Island, and it would be about two years until Staten Island became part of New York City.

A group of women, mostly affiliated with the Staten Island Reformed Church located on Port Richmond Avenue, called a meeting on February 20 to organize a day nursery.

Based on their observations and understanding of the needs of families residing in their community, they believed that by providing quality child care services, parents would be able to help themselves and their children by securing employment. The Apollo band room on Heberton Avenue was rented at $4 per month. The Port Richmond Day Nursery and Central Relief Association was formed.

On March 11, the nursery opened to the public. Thirteen children were cared for on that first day and 138 during the first month. During the first year of operation, 2,200 children received care. The total expenses for that first year were $739.99. In addition to daily child care, medical services, meals, coal, and trips for the children were donated.

The first graduating class of – in 1897. (Photo Courtesy of Staten Island Historical Society)
STILL THRIVING

The year 1895 was an important one for the advancement of psychological sciences as well. Alfred Binet (Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test) opened the first psychology laboratory to study psychodiagnosis. Sigmund Freud published a plethora of articles, including his famous “Studies on Hysteria.” The “Principles of Psychology” by William James, the father of American psychology, was already five years old.

Around the world, Alfred Dreyfus was stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island, “Swan Lake” was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russia, and a type of radiation later known as x-rays was discovered.

The late state Assemblywoman Elizabeth Connelly attended the 102nd anniversary of the school in 1997. (Photo Courtesy of Staten Island Mental Health Society)
The Port Richmond Day Nursery and Central Relief Association continued to function and flourish. It was incorporated in 1905. In 1954, it relocated to larger quarters in the New York City public housing complex in Mariners Harbor. In the late 1950s, the Port Richmond Day Nursery and Central Relief Association, Inc. merged with the Staten Island Mental Health Society, Inc. While the merged corporation retained the name Staten Island Mental Health Society, the Port Richmond Day Nursery continued to grow.

In 2009, with a capacity of 57 preschoolers at any one time, it served almost 100 children.

Port Richmond Day Nursery is at 166 Lockman Ave., in the Mariners Harbor Houses. Call 718-494-0400.

Handy will also Lead the Department of Records and Information Services, which will be Consolidated into the Department of Citywide Administrative Services

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today appointed Edna Wells Handy as Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. She will play an integral role in the Administration’s ongoing cost-saving, consolidation and shared services initiatives being led by Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith. Handy will also lead the Department of Records and Information Services, which will be consolidated into the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, creating opportunities for cost savings. Commissioner Handy currently serves as Deputy Attorney General for Administration in the Office of the New York State Attorney General and has a distinguished career in government and in the nonprofit sector that includes stints as an administrator at the City’s Department of Education and Health and Hospitals Corporation, at Hofstra University and the NAACP, and as a prosecutor. Commissioner Handy replaces Martha K. Hirst, who left her post as Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services this summer. Donald Brosen has served as Acting Commissioner of the department since Hirst’s departure. The Mayor was joined by Deputy Mayor Goldsmith at the announcement in the Blue Room of City Hall.

“The Department of Citywide Administrative Services is an agency often unseen by the general public that plays a major role in the operations of City government,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “It oversees hundreds of millions of dollars of back-office and shared operations and is a key part of our effort to consolidate City operations, make them more efficient and less costly. I believe we have brought in the right person to help lead those efforts – Edna Wells Handy. She has a distinguished record in government and she will be able to help us seize opportunities to take innovative new approaches to reducing our expenses and delivering better services. By consolidating the Records Department into the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, we will create efficiencies in record retention and document management, and capitalize on new technologies to improve City operations.”

“The department’s role as the City’s backbone for critical agency operations places it at the nexus of our reform strategy,” said Deputy Mayor Goldsmith. “Edna is going to help lead our efforts to reshape fleet management, human capital, real estate management, procurement and other areas as we rethink how we use our talent, assets, and tools to create a more efficient, 21st Century government.”

“I am humbled by this opportunity to work in Mayor Bloomberg’s Administration and to work directly with Deputy Mayor Goldsmith, a renowned innovator,” said Commissioner Handy. “I know that together, with the dedicated men and women of the department, we can achieve the goal of providing world class services at reduced costs.”

The Department of Citywide Administrative Services ensures City agencies have the resources and support needed to provide the best possible services to the public. The agency supports City agencies’ workforce needs in recruiting, hiring and training City employees; establishes and enforces uniform procedures to ensure equal employment opportunities for employees and job candidates at City agencies; and provides overall facilities management, including security, maintenance and construction services for tenants in 54 public buildings. The department also is responsible for the purchase, sale and leases of City property, as well the purchase, inspection and distribution of City supplies and equipment. The department monitors City agency vehicle fleets; establishes, audits and pays utility accounts that serve 80 City agencies and more than 4,000 buildings; and implements energy conservation programs throughout City facilities. The agency has a $1.2 billion budget for the current fiscal year and has 2,400 employees.

Commissioner Handy will also lead the Department of Records and Information Services, which will be become a part of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. The consolidation will provide significant operational and administrative benefits through streamlined management and more effective records management and archival services. The Records Department will benefit from more effective space management planning, which will result in real estate related savings on storage facilities, and more cost-efficient procurement. The Department of Records and Information Services provides Citywide records management services, including processing, conservation and storage of agency records. It also operates the Municipal Archives and the Municipal Reference and Research Center. Commissioner Handy will replace Records Commissioner Brian G. Andersson, who has joined NYC & Company and has been working to help identify marketing opportunities for the City’s records and archival assets. Eileen Flanelly has been serving as Acting Commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services. The agency consolidation will require passage of a Local Law.

Prior to her service in as Deputy Attorney General, Commissioner Handy served as Deputy Executive Director for Human Resources at the City’s Department of Education, where she led a redesign of the Division of Human Resources and a series of diversity initiatives. She has served as General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs at the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and as General Counsel for the New York State Conference of NAACP Branches and the St. Paul Community Baptist Church of Brooklyn. Commissioner Handy also has served as the Interim Executive Director of the Hale House a Harlem based nonprofit dedicated to building better futures for children and families in need.

Additionally, Commissioner Handy served as a prosecutor, as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and as a Bureau Chief and Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.

Commissioner Handy has taught law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, City University of New York, Harvard Law School, Hofstra Law School, New York Law School and St. John’s School of Law School.

Commissioner Handy attained a Bachelor of Arts from New York University, where she was a member of the Coat of Arms Honor Society and attained a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law School, where she was Associate Editor of the Black Law Journal. Commissioner Handy resides in Brooklyn and has four daughters. She is the widow of Michael J. Handy, a United States Air Force Vietnam veteran who directed the City’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs for 10 years under Mayors Dinkins, Giuliani and Bloomberg until his passing in 2003.

The Mayor thanked Nathan Leventhal, Chairman of the Mayor’s Committee on Appointments and Andrea Shapiro Davis, Special Advisor to the Mayor, for their efforts on the appointment search.

Details for the Event:

Friday, November 12, 2010

Union League Club

38 East 37th Street

New York, NY

Cocktails: 6:00 p.m. Dinner: 7:30 p.m.

Dancing With the Dan Myers Orchestra

Business Attire

Please RSVP by October 27

“After nearly 30 years of service to the people of New York City, few people deserve the opportunity to look for new challenges outside City government more than Martha,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “She has been a superb Commissioner and a great partner in our efforts to ensure City government is not just running smoothly, but is constantly improving and finding new ways to better the lives of all New Yorkers. Before she leaves City service, I’ve asked Martha to take on just one more major project for us.”

“It has been an honor to serve as Commissioner for eight-and-a-half years under Mayor Bloomberg,” said Commissioner Hirst. “He challenges agency heads to take initiative and get results, and lends his support at every turn. I will always be grateful to him for giving me the privilege of leading nearly 2,000 dedicated colleagues at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Given the opportunities I have had to work hard to improve government and to make a real difference, I couldn’t be more fortunate, and I am proud that the Mayor has asked me to lead this important reform effort.”

In her new role, Commissioner Hirst will serve as a special advisor to Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith and will chair the Workforce Reform Task Force, a working group that will formulate possible legislative and policy reforms to empower City employees, including revising or eliminating rules and procedures that restrict performance. The task force will issue recommendations in the fall.

At the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Commissioner Hirst advanced the transformation of Civil Service administration, oversaw the creation of an on-line application system and established two computerized testing centers. She crafted, secured approval of and activated a five-year plan to modernize the City’s job classification system, while complying with legal mandates, strengthening the Division of Citywide Equal Employment Opportunity, and establishing  meaningful public-private partnerships with the New York Blood Center and the 100-Year Association to foster the volunteerism amongst of City employees and highlight their service achievements. Under her direction, the department led City government in small purchase procurements with minority- and women-owned businesses.

During her tenure as Commissioner, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services constructed the City’s three Family Justice Centers, and managed renovations of City facilities and secured sites for the construction of City facilities, including: the Public Safety Answering Centers in the Bronx and Brooklyn; the new Police Academy in Queens; the 121st Police Precinct on Staten Island; and major headquarters consolidations for the Departments of Cultural Affairs, Corrections, Education, Health and Transportation. Through an aggressive program to maximize surplus City property, the department sold 318 parcels at auction – producing $92 million; turned over 666 parcels to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development for affordable housing; turned over 781 parcels to the Department of Parks and Recreation to create open space; and, just last month, secured City and State legislative approval to sell small surplus parcels to adjoining homeowners across the City’s. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services generated more than $15 million in savings through lease audits, renegotiations and cancellations during her tenure.

To help meet the PlaNYC goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from City buildings by 30 percent by 2017, Commissioner Hirst created an expanded Energy Management Division, which has completed energy benchmarking of the 2,790 largest City-owned buildings, started more than 200 energy retrofit projects, and secured $80 million in Federal stimulus funding. Through targeted vehicle purchasing practices, Commissioner Hirst helped transform the City’s vehicle fleet into the greenest public sector fleet in the country.

Prior to leading the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Commissioner Hirst served for six years as Deputy Commissioner for Solid Waste Management and Planning at the Department of Sanitation, where she expanded the recycling and waste prevention programs and oversaw the Fresh Kills landfill closure. She also led the team that developed and obtained City and State legislative and regulatory approvals for the Solid Waste Management Plan Amendment, which became the foundation for the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan the City is implementing today. From 1982 to 1995 Commissioner Hirst worked in City Hall representing, consecutively, Mayor Edward I. Koch, Mayor David N. Dinkins, and Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani at the City Council. Her many legislative efforts included work on bills that created the Department of Homeless Services, the Administration for Children’s Services, and the City’s first recycling program; passage of landmark civil rights legislation; and major revisions to City’s Fire Safety code. Additionally, she served as a chief negotiator during numerous City budget negotiations.

She began her career in City government as a housing policy and legislative analyst at Department of Housing Preservation and Development. She holds a Masters in Urban Planning from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in American History and Urban Studies from New York University.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Small Business Services Commissioner Robert W. Walsh today presented the 2010 New York City Neighborhood Achievement Awards to 17 recipients from all five boroughs. Established in 2002, the awards honor organizations, businesses and individuals that have demonstrated excellence in enhancing New York City neighborhoods by fostering economic opportunity. Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Walsh presented the awards at a reception at Gracie Mansion.

“Many of New York City’s local businesses and community members play a vital role making our neighborhoods great places to live, work and visit, and they deserve our recognition,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Tonight we honor and celebrate the recipients of the 2010 New York City Neighborhood Achievement Awards for their hard work and their commitment to the vitality of our City.”

“We are honoring individuals, organizations and businesses that represent some of the 300 diverse and unique neighborhoods of New York City – neighborhoods made infinitely better because of this year’s recipients,” said Commissioner Walsh. “Great cities are built on great neighborhoods and I want to thank tonight’s awardees for their commitment to building strong communities, and creating jobs and opportunities for New Yorkers.”

The Leadership Award was presented to two individuals:

George Kaufman — Mr. Kaufman is chairman of both Kaufman Astoria Studios and the Kaufman Organization, a commercial real estate company. In 1980, he acquired Astoria Studios, a lone building in an underdeveloped area of Astoria. His vision was to create a vibrant, full-service production center capable of handling any type, size and style of production, while also serving as a catalyst for neighborhood economic growth. Kaufman Astoria Studios is now the biggest film and television production studio east of Hollywood, making Astoria a world-class destination for film and television production. The studio has created hundreds of jobs, provided office space for new tenants and attracted numerous businesses to the neighborhood, including national retailers, restaurants and a multiplex theater. The Kaufman Astoria Studios complex is also home to The Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, The Museum of Moving Image and the new Stage K, a 40,000-square-foot film and television production studio. The studio complex creates production, arts and business opportunities for current and future generations of New Yorkers.

Mary Wittenberg – Ms. Wittenberg is the president and CEO of the New York Road Runners, a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to growing the sport of running and enhancing health and fitness for people of all ages for 50 years. Every year, New York Road Runners puts on more than 60 races, including the ING New York City Marathon, of which Mary is the race director. Winding its way through all five boroughs, the race is the largest of its kind in the world and puts a spotlight on New York City’s many neighborhoods. With more than 43,000 runners, 6,000 volunteers, and two million spectators, the citywide economic impact of the ING NYC Marathon is estimated at more than $250 million each year. In addition, every year 100 U.S.-based charities use reserved marathon entries as fundraising vehicles for their organizations, collectively raising over $20 million.  Citywide, New York Road Runners’ running-based youth programs serve nearly 100,000 children in hundreds of schools and community centers. The youth programs promote children’s physical fitness, character development, and personal achievement in communities across the City.

The Small Business of the Year Awards were presented to five businesses:

Sweetriot, Downtown Manhattan – Sarah Endline launched sweetriot in October 2005 with the dream of creating a candy company that sold healthy, whimsical and socially responsible products.  Sold in 2,500 retailers nationwide, including Zabar’s, Gourmet Garage and Garden of Eden in New York City – sweetriot specializes in all-natural, high-quality dark chocolate products, from its original dark chocolate “peaces” collection to the recently launched yumBar collection.  The company equitably sources its cocoa directly from Latin America and uses recyclable, reusable packaging that features original artwork from emerging artists. sweetriot is dedicated to offering consumers a healthy, on-the-go dark chocolate fix.  Located in Downtown Manhattan, sweetriot employs five people full time and offers part-time internships to students from New York University, Columbia University, Barnard College and Pace University.

Monique Greenwood’s Akwaaba Mansion Bed and Breakfast, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn – Monique Greenwood has owned and operated the Akwaaba Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Bedford-Stuyvesant for 15 years. The Bed and Breakfast offers a unique experience for all its guests, from residents looking for a getaway to visitors interested in exploring the culture of Brooklyn. Monique has dedicated herself to the growth of her enterprise, as well as the development of the neighborhood, serving as a tireless advocate and constant sounding board for her fellow merchants.  Every year, she hosts a retreat for local merchants at the Bed and Breakfast. She also recently hosted a reception that allowed another tenant to raise funds and resolve a serious tax issue.

Formula “B” Parisien Beauty School, Sunnyside, Queens – Carmen Ledesma immigrated to the United States from Paraguay with two goals: to give her three children the best education possible and to open a business. In 1993, she opened her first business, a beauty salon, in Sunnyside, Queens, employing one person. Today, Carmen owns two full-service salons and the Formula “B” Parisien Beauty School, which employ nine Queens residents full time. Formula “B” Parisien Beauty School provides disadvantaged individuals with the skills they need to begin a career in the beauty industry. Carmen has been a strong voice for her community and fellow entrepreneurs; she advocated successfully for New York State to provide free English classes for foreign-language entrepreneurs and she is actively advocating for affordable healthcare coverage for small businesses.

South Bronx Food Cooperative, South Bronx – The South Bronx Food Cooperative is a grocery store that is operated by local residents and dedicated to providing healthy and affordable food to the community. When Zena Nelson founded the South Bronx Food Cooperative in 2007, the tiny store operated with five members and was open only on Saturdays.  Today, the SBxFC has attracted more than 200 cooperative members, quadrupled its inventory, and moved to a 1,400-square-foot location open seven days a week. The South Bronx Food Cooperative contributes to the community of the South Bronx beyond its mission of providing fresh and nutritious products by offering educational opportunities like cooking and yoga classes, many of which are in English and Spanish. Located in a neighborhood that is historically underserved, the goal of the South Bronx Food Cooperative is to help improve the various health disparities faced by residents.  The only co-op in the borough and one of five in the City, the South Bronx Food Cooperative is small but mighty, and is well on its way to starting a local food movement.

Atlantic Salt, Inc., Port Richmond, Staten Island – Active since 1977, Atlantic Salt, Inc. is a family-owned business that operates a marine terminal on Staten Island’s north shore. Dedicated to helping local and state authorities keep the roads safe in bad weather, Atlantic Salt’s marine facility receives salt from around the world and sells it to highway departments, municipalities and institutions throughout the tri-state region. In August 2009, Atlantic Salt brought together the Staten Island community by holding the first-ever “Atlantic Salt Maritime Festival,” a free celebration to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Hudson’s voyage into New York Harbor. The festival opened a marine industrial area not typically accessible to the general public, and brought together local businesses and residents while heightening public awareness of one of the City’s working waterfronts.

The Norman Buchbinder Neighborhood Beautification Award was presented to two organizations:

Out2Play – Out2Play, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing schoolchildren with safe, fun and developmentally beneficial play spaces. With funding and support from private donors, elected officials and the Department of Education, Out2Play transforms empty, asphalt schoolyards into vibrant play spaces, giving thousands of children the chance to run, play ball, climb and be active in a safe, supervised environment. Out2Play develops playgrounds from start to finish by identifying schools, raising the necessary funds, working with the school community and architects to design the playgrounds, hiring contractors and then overseeing construction. In the past three years, Out2Play has created 80 playgrounds that span all five boroughs and nearly one million square feet of previously vacant space. The organization recently secured a grant from the Department of Education to construct 70 more playgrounds across the City. Out2Play not only provides children with spaces for physical activity, but also revitalizes the community, which results in a sense of pride for all residents.

Trust for Public Land – The Trust for Public Land is a non-profit organization that creates outdoor spaces, such as parks and public gardens, to improve communities and the quality of life for residents. This national organization has extended its efforts in New York City by creating programs to make sure that all residents, especially children, have easy access to outdoor spaces.  In partnership with PlaNYC, the organization’s NYC Playgrounds Program will establish 151 playgrounds and parks throughout the city, bringing 380,000 children new places to play. The Trust for Public Land engages school teachers and administrators, students and members of the community in the design of recreational areas suitable for each neighborhood.  Since the early 1970s, the Trust for Public Land has helped construct over 300 parks and other spaces, and has helped to create and restore nearly 70 public gardens. The Trust for Public Land’s work has transformed spaces that will benefit communities across the five boroughs for years to come.

The Development Award was presented to The Archway of DUMBO, Brooklyn. The Archway is a 7,000 square foot tunnel under the Manhattan Bridge, paved with historic Belgian block.  The Archway, which was closed for 17 years and used as a New York City Department of Transportation facility, was recently reclaimed by the Dumbo Improvement District in an effort to better serve the local community. With Rogers Marvel Architects, PLLC and the approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the space has been repurposed for more sustainable uses revolving around public art and cultural programming. Since the construction was completed last year, the Dumbo Improvement District has brought an eclectic mix of cultural and artistic events to the Archway, including the Brooklyn Flea, DUMBO Fight Night, and live viewings of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. This new public space has brought a wealth of social and cultural benefits to the neighborhood.

The Partnership Award was presented to Volunteers of Legal Services of Manhattan. Volunteers of Legal Service has worked for 25 years to connect New Yorkers with high-quality legal assistance that they could not otherwise afford. The organization’s Microenterprise Project provides pro bono legal services to small businesses and entrepreneurs, helping them structure their businesses, review contracts and leases, and address intellectual property issues. Volunteers of Legal Service recruits top law firms and matches them with both non-profit organizations and economic development agencies to serve the City’s business community. These legal partners empower entrepreneurs and small business owners with the knowledge they need to make sound legal decisions that can have a long-term positive impact on their success.

The Placemaking Award was presented to Red Hook Food Vendors of Red Hook, Brooklyn. On summer weekends, 10 street food vendors hailing from Latin America park their trucks at the intersection of Bay Street and Clinton Street in Brooklyn to serve food to people spending their day at nearby Red Hook Park. These traditional artisan cooks are collectively known as the Red Hook Food Vendors, and have been a staple of Brooklyn summers for the past 36 years.  Originally an informal open-air market, the Red Hook Food Vendors have grown from a handful of individual vendors into a coalition of small businesses who have an official relationship with the Department of Parks and Recreation. The vendors have put Red Hook on the culinary map, bringing new energy to the historic neighborhood and attracting visitors from all over the City. Many of the vendors have expanded their operations and now run successful satellite stands at various locations citywide, including Brooklyn Flea and Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield for 2010 Summerstage Concert Series.

The Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise Advocate of the Year Award was presented to two individuals:

Reverend Jacques A. DeGraff – Reverend Jacques DeGraff is the Vice President of One Hundred Black Men, Inc., a member of the Minority Business Leadership Council, and a board member of Nontraditional Employment for Women. He also serves on the pastoral staff at the historic Canaan Baptist Church in Harlem. In 2009, Reverend DeGraff served as the lead representative from the M/WBE community during extensive negotiations between the City of New York and the Building Trades Council, which resulted in the Project Labor Agreements, covering most new public building construction and building renovation over the next four years. Thanks to the guidance of Reverend DeGraff, the Project Labor Agreements include groundbreaking commitments that allow for greater access to work by M/WBE firms. The Project Labor Agreements will save the City nearly $300 million, restoring dozens of major infrastructure projects and creating hundreds of construction jobs.

Alfred Placeres – Alfred Placeres is the president of the New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, a board member of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and has been involved in Hispanic advocacy in New York, Washington D.C., and abroad for over 30 years. Mr. Placeres is an immigration attorney and serves as a director for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Foundation, where he chairs the subcommittee on immigration. Since 2004, Mr. Placeres has served on the New York City M/WBE Advisory Board, advising the Department of Small Business Services on how to make M/WBE certification more accessible and valuable. He has helped Small Business Services develop strategies that have led to an increase in the number of certified firms from 1,035 in June 2006 to nearly 2,800 today.  Throughout his time on the M/WBE Advisory Board, he has consistently served as a consensus builder and champion of the program.

The Workforce Innovation Award was presented to Hostos Community College in the South Bronx. As the only public institution of higher education in the South Bronx, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College provides innovative workforce development initiatives to an area that has some of the highest poverty and unemployment rates in New York City. Hostos meets the needs of low-income students from diverse backgrounds through a wide range of programs, including health associate’s degree programs in fields such as nursing and dental hygiene, training designed for non-native English speakers and a program to help public housing residents overcome multiple barriers to employment. All students intern locally, and many graduates have returned to work in their home communities to do their part in helping transform this area. Through these programs, Hostos is providing critical training and education to residents, while also increasing the community’s access to affordable health services.

The Service Award was presented to two individuals:

Stuart Saft – Stuart Saft is a partner and head of the Global Real Estate Practice at Dewey & LeBoeuf, LLP, a leading global law firm providing clients with both local and cross-border solutions. Stuart served for a decade as the chairman of the New York City Workforce Investment Board, seeing the City through its darkest days after September 11, 2001. Under Stuart’s leadership, New York City transformed its workforce system, growing the number of Workforce1 Career Centers from three to ten, and increasing the number of New Yorkers placed in jobs each year from 500 to 25,000. He has been a steady, devoted, passionate leader.

Rocco Damato – Rocco Damato is the CEO of A.L. Bazzini Co., Inc., which has been producing quality nuts, dried fruits and confections for more than 100 years. Rocco has been a member of the New York City Workforce Investment Board for more than eight years. During his tenure, New York City’s workforce system has grown not only in size but also in strength. As the chair of the Workforce Investment Board’s Workforce Policy Committee, he has provided strategic thinking and innovative ideas, developing policies that are practical and outcome-oriented for both jobseekers and businesses.

Contact:

Stu Loeser/Andrew Brent                               (212) 788-2958

Sarah Krauss (Small Business Services)         (212) 513-6318