Prominent building industry leaders will gather for the New York Building Congress’ Industry Recognition Gala on November 20, 2019 at the Grand Hyatt in Midtown Manhattan. Hosted annually, the Industry Recognition Gala is a premier event honoring the ongoing work of New York City’s construction, design and real estate community and recognizing the contributions of some of the city’s most prominent leaders. This year’s Gala is led by Building Congress President & CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq.; Building Congress Chairman Milo E. Riverso Ph.d., P.E., CCM, President & CEO of STV; Co-Chairs John J. Cardoni, Northeast Region Executive of AECOM, and Elizabeth Velez, President of the Velez Organization; and Journal Chair Kelly Heuer, Senior Managing Director at Ankura.
The Guests of Honor are Victoria J. Cerami, CEO, Cerami & Associates, and Mitchel W. Simpler, PE, FAEC, Partner, Managing Partner Emeritus, Jaros, Baum & Bolles. The George A. Fox Public Service Award will be presented to the ACE Mentor Program of America and accepted by Peter J. Davoren, Chairman of the ACE National Board and President and Chief Executive Officer of Turner Construction Company.
For the critical role she has played in bringing acoustics to the forefront of architecture, Victoria Cerami is a recipient of the 2019 Industry Recognition Award. Ms. Cerami was among the pioneers of the concept that a building’s acoustics – once a niche expertise in the building industry – should be prioritized as part of the overall user experience. Her imprint can be felt through the signature voices she and her company bring to such iconic NYC buildings as Manhattan West, One Vanderbilt, The Ford Foundation, TWA Hotel, NYU Langone Kimmel Pavilion, Moynihan Train Hall, LaGuardia Airport, MoMA and World Trade Center redevelopment.
Mitchel Simpler is being honored as a dedicated leader, focused on the advancement of engineering innovation. He has acted as Project Manager and Partner-in-Charge on high-rise office buildings, healthcare and life science facilities, museums, residential and mixed-use buildings and hotels. Notable among Mr. Simpler’s projects are 1 and 5 Times Square; the Jerome L. Greene Science Center at the Columbia University Manhattanville campus; the New York Genome Center; the Belfer Research Building, the Whitney Pavilion and the Imaging Building for the Weill Cornell Medical College; and the Rohm & Haas Research Center in Shanghai, China. Mr. Simpler has also worked on cultural facilities and landmark buildings such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport. Mr. Simpler currently serves as National Chairman for ACEC.
The New York Building Congress will also present the George A. Fox Public Service Award to the ACE Mentor Program of America. Established in 2002, the award honors the extraordinary legacy of George A. Fox, P.E., a man of enormous vision and dignity. Mr. Fox inspired the industry through his unsurpassed construction expertise, and this award in his name celebrated his exceptional commitment to New York City, to the education of its youth and to public service.
The ACE Mentor Program was founded in New York City in 1994 by leading architects, contractors, engineers and owners with the goal of preparing high school students for careers in design and construction. ACE not only engages sponsors and volunteer mentors to expose students to real-world opportunities, it also financially supports each student's continued success, with over $15 million in scholarships awarded to promising participants since its inception. ACE has 70 affiliates and operates in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and has presence in more than 200 cities.
For more information on the Industry Recognition Gala, click here.
