WHAT'S NEW & WHO'S NEWS
Nazario to Direct Economic Development & Tourism Office in Rockland County
NEW CITY—Rockland County Executive Ed Day announced on Sept. 6 that Jenna Nazario has been named the new Director of Economic Development & Tourism.
Prior to accepting the new position, Ms. Nazario served as director of Community Relations for Rockland County, which oversaw the allocation of $63 million in American Rescue Plan Act federal funds received during the pandemic. In that role, Ms. Nazario developed and executed several grant programs that aided in local revitalization of small businesses, nonprofits, community spaces and more. Among them were:
- Small Business Rescue Reimbursement – +$1.3 million awarded to 29 businesses.
- Nonprofit Rescue Reimbursement – +$463,000 awarded to 14 organizations.
- Reviving Rockland Restaurants -+$434,000 awarded to 25 restaurants.
- Urban Green Spaces – +$6.2 million awarded to create 34 parks and playground
- Housing Loan Fund – $13.5 million to be awarded for the creation and preservation of housing.
Ms. Navario noted she is making the transition from the relief provided by the ARPA Department to the forwardthinking initiatives of Economic Development and Tourism. She added, “This department is committed to driving sustainable growth, celebrating our local culture, and making Rockland County a premier destination for visitors and businesses alike.”
Prior to her current position, Ms. Nazario was Special Projects Aide within Community Development and a Human Rights Outreach Coordinator, both within the County of Rockland. The Tourism & Economic Development Director position pays $141,000 annually.
Mr. Day said Ms. Nazario will also continue to oversee the remaining ARPA expenditures and perform appropriate oversight of numerous ongoing projects.
NYC DEP Appoints Borough Commissioners For Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx
NEW YORK—The New York City Department of Environmental Protection recently appointed three Borough Commissioners to serve as chief liaisons for community members, stakeholders and elected officials in Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx.
Alfonso Lopez will serve as Borough Commissioner for Queens, Mario Bruno will serve as Borough Commissioner for Staten Island, and Eleftheria Ardizzone will serve as Borough Commissioner for the Bronx.
These newly created positions will work closely with elected officials, community boards, neighborhood associations, environmental groups, sports and cultural organizations, and other interested stakeholders to address community concerns. They will coordinate with city, state and federal agencies to deliver services to their constituents while supporting key DEP initiatives, including: the advancement of critical capital projects that address flooding; the monitoring of air and noise issues; and assisting property owners and all DEP customers.
Borough Commissioners will also keep the DEP Commissioner and senior leadership apprised on issues concerning projects, personnel, programs and facilities within their respective boroughs:
Mr. Lopez most recently served as Chief of Staff for the New York City Mayor’s Office of City Legislative Affairs, where he worked with a variety of agencies to advance mayoral priorities. Before that, he worked for a decade in federal government as a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives, and as Associate Director for Legislative Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Bruno has served as Assistant Commissioner for Intergovernmental Affairs at DEP since 2013. In this role, he has advised on the development and implementation of agency strategies for critical projects and initiatives. He first joined DEP in 2013 and has been actively involved in the management of DEP-related constituent cases from elected officials, community boards, and civil associations, specifically within Staten Island.
Ms. Ardizzone currently serves as Deputy Director of Community Affairs at DEP, where she has spent nearly 20 years liaising with local, state, and federal agencies, advisory boards, community boards, civic associations, and environmental groups. She currently handles DEP’s Bronx-specific community affairs and comes to the Borough Commissioner role with strong local stakeholder relationships.
LeChase Const. Completes $47M U of Albany Residence Hall Project
ALBANY, NY—The University at Albany and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York announced late last month the completion of a major $46.9-million gut renovation of Paine and Zenger Residence Halls on Colonial Quad, which opened a week earlier to students for the fall semester. The renovation also included the transformation of the former dining hall into the Colonial Wellness Center, a new recreation and wellness center, which has been nicknamed The Well.
The University held a ribbon-cutting and open house on Aug. 26 to celebrate the completion of the project. UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez was joined by DASNY Vice President Charlie Williams, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Michael Christakis and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Health and Well-being Joyce DeWitt-Parker. Following remarks, The Well held an open house with programs and activities for students, faculty and staff.
“The opening of renovated residence halls on Colonial Quad and the new Colonial Wellness Center will be transformative for the University at Albany campus. As a Health Promoting University, we are committed to taking a holistic approach to health and wellness on our campus,” said Havidán Rodríguez, president of the University at Albany.
Page Architecture and Planning handled the project design, while Le- Chase Construction Services, through its New York Capital Region office, served as the general contractor. The project employed a design-bid-build delivery method.
The project is part of approximately $126 million in capital renovation projects DASNY is completing on SUNY campuses statewide.
The 82,000-square-foot renovation features attractive new living spaces for 173 students with new windows, air conditioning, lighting and energy improvements, along with reconstruction of interior spaces, new furniture and other modern updates.
The Colonial Quad project was constructed to LEED Gold standards under the sustainability and energy efficiency guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council while respecting the original mid-century modern architecture of Edward D. Stone. LEED elements include new windows, heating, cooling and ventilation systems, water-saving plumbing fixtures, energy-saving LED lighting in hallways and student rooms, and other modern upgrades. In addition, the project utilized low-VOC paints, coatings, sealants, adhesives and flooring to protect indoor air quality.
Mario Cilento Re-Elected to Lead NYS AFL-CIO
NEW YORK—Mario Cilento was re-elected unanimously on Aug. 27 by the delegates of the 34th Constitutional Convention of the New York State AFL-CIO to a four-year term as president at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel in New York City.
As president, Mr. Cilento represents 2.5 million members from 3,000 affiliated public sector, private sector, and building trades unions throughout the state.
He highlighted the union movement’s recent success record, including achieving pension reforms that are the most significant improvement for public servants in more than 20 years. He pointed out winning Buy American laws for iron, steel, and rock salt and historic labor standards on renewable energy projects.
Mr. Cilento also noted that the union movement raised and indexed the minimum wage and that New York is one of only a handful of states that passed a law protecting workers who refuse captive audience meetings.
“We have to build on those victories and accomplishments. We have to be vigilant on the issues of the present and future, like making sure when dealing with artificial intelligence, we protect our members’ rights, privacy and jobs.
“Everyone in this room had a hand in those victories. That’s how we win,” Mr. Cilento added.
In addition to Mr. Cilento, Terrence Melvin was unanimously re-elected Secretary-Treasurer.
The New York State AFLCIO is a federation of 3,000 unions, representing 2.5 million members, retirees and their families with a goal to raise the standard of living and quality of life of all working people.
