REBNY's 14th Annual Commercial Management Leadership Breakfast award winners, award presenters, planning committee members, and keynote speaker Craig Ivey, President of the Con Edison Company of NY. Credit: Diego Guallpa

NEW YORK CITY—The Real Estate Board of New York recently handed out 10 awards to outstanding New York City commercial property management officials, including the coveted Edward A. Riguardi Commercial Management Executive of the Year, which went to Avi Itzikowitz, director of operations for ATCO Properties & Management, Inc.

The 14th Annual Commercial Management Leadership Breakfast was held earlier this month at the New York Hilton Midtown Grand Ballroom. In addition to the award presentations, Craig Ivey, president of the Con Edison Co. of New York, addressed the assemblage and discussed New York City's energy needs, natural gas capacity, the growth of renewables, and how new technology and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Reforming the Energy Vision process are shaping energy planning for the region's commercial property management community.

Ivey outlined Con Edison's $1.3-billion investment in new meters that will allow for two-way communication between customers and the company concerning energy consumption. These smart gas and electric meters will result in energy savings and allow the utility to restore outages faster, he noted.

“We believe that with careful planning, wise decision-making, and the strategic use of new technologies, we can build an energy system that will be cleaner and more efficient. We can create a system that lifts our economy while helping New York State and New York City meet their environmental goals,” Ivey said.

Other awardees honored at the breakfast, organized by the REBNY Commercial Management Breakfast Planning Committee, were:

Best Engine Room Award—chief engineer Bill Hurd, assistant property manager Anthony Vulaj and property manager Susana Kalaj of SL Green Realty Corp.'s 810 Seventh Ave.;

John M. Griffin Community Service Award—Deborah Tomasi, managing director at Boston Properties;

Rising Star of the Year—Evin Epstein, sustainability administrator at SL Green Realty Corp.'s 420 Lexington Ave.;

On-Site Manager of the Year—Joanne Porrazzo, VP and property manager at Vornado Realty Trust;

Portfolio Manager of the Year—Gene Hennessy, VP and senior operations manager at Rudin Management Co., Inc.;

Small Building Engineer of the Year—Gary Haftek, chief engineer at Edward J. Minskoff Equities, Inc.'s 51 Astor Place;

Large Building Engineer of the Year—Steve Nathan, chief engineer for Silverstein Properties Inc.'s 4 World Trade Center;

Security Professional of the Year—Thomas Clark, emergency action plan director at Paramount Group, Inc.'s 1633 Broadway; and

Porter of the Year—James Streppone, day cleaning foreman at Fisher Brothers' 605 Third Ave.

REBNY President John Barnes said of this year's honorees, “Running high-quality commercial buildings that make up the iconic New York City skyline requires strong leadership, sound professionalism, great skill, and team work. We applaud and thank those who comprise the heart and soul of our industry for their hard work and dedication.”

Instant Insights /

REBNY Honors Top Commercial Property Managers

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