2022 Honorees New York Forever: A Celebration of Our City - Rebny
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
New York Forever: A Celebration of Our City
2022 Honorees
John E. Zuccotti Public Service Award
Recognizes a New Yorker who has displayed exceptional accomplishments and service in the public's interest.
Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Conference
Dr. Hazel N. Dukes is President of the NAACP New York State Conference, a member of
both the NAACP National Board of Directors and NAACP Executive Committee, as well as
an active member of various NAACP board sub-committees. Dr. Dukes is a woman of
great strength and courage. Her dedication to human rights and equality is exemplified by
her role linking business, government and social causes. She is an active and dynamic
leader who is known for her unselfish and devoted track record for improving the quality
of life in New York State.
Dr. Dukes is President of the Hazel N. Dukes & Associates Consultant Firm, specializing in the areas of public policy,
health and diversity.
Dr. Dukes received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Adelphi University in New York and completed
her post-graduate work at Queens College. In 1990, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the
City University of New York Law School at Queens College and in 2009, was conferred the Honorary Doctor of Humane
Letters, Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, New York. In 2012 she was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of
Humane Letters from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem. Dr. Dukes has many organizational affiliations
and is the recipient of numerous awards for her outstanding leadership activities including the Ellis Island Medal of
Honor, YWCA City of New York John La Farge Memorial Award for Interracial Justice, Guy R. Brewer Humanitarian
Award, and 2007 The Network Journal’s 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business Award.
Dr. Dukes was incorporated in 2007 as a Pi Eta Kappa Fellow and her biography has been selected for publication in
many journals and directories including Fisk University Library, Minority Women Contribution, American Biographical
Institute Personalities of Northeast, Who’s Who Among American Women, and Who’s Who Among Black Women.
1
The Bernard H. Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award
Recognizes REBNY members who have displayed exceptional service to the real estate industry and professional
accomplishments over the course of distinguished careers.
Tom Elghanayan, Chairman and co-founder of TF Cornerstone Inc.
Tom Elghanayan is the Chairman and Co-Founder of TF Cornerstone Inc. He oversees a real
estate portfolio of more than eight million square feet throughout New York City and
Washington, DC. Tom is actively involved in supervising acquisitions, finance, planning,
sales, residential marketing and management. He continues the Elghanayan family tradition
of developing properties that will stand the test of time.
TF Cornerstone has evolved into one of the most respected commercial and residential
development firms in New York City. During his five-decades-long career in the real estate
industry, Tom has earned a reputation as a forward-thinker who has set the standard for building style and quality while
paving the way into New York's burgeoning new neighborhoods. Prior to TF Cornerstone, Tom and his three brothers
created Rockrose Development Corporation in 1970.
Tom was born in Iran and moved to Queens with his family as a child. He earned his Master in Business Administration at
Harvard University and his Bachelor of Arts at Yale University. In addition to being passionately involved with his company,
Tom is also an avid member of the greater real estate community. He is a member of the Board of Governors and
Executive Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York, the Executive Committee for the Alliance for Downtown New
York, and the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association.
2
The Harry B. Helmsley Distinguished New Yorker Award
Recognizes REBNY members who have a lifetime of exceptional accomplishment in the profession and have made
invaluable contributions to New York’s civic welfare.
Hal Fetner, President & CEO of Fetner Properties
Under Hal Fetner’s direction, Fetner Properties has become one of the most well-respected
real estate companies in New York. Always at the forefront of the residential real estate
industry, Hal has earned the reputation as one of the most sustainable builders in the city,
with multiple LEED® Gold residential buildings to his name. Hal focuses on affordable and
market rate housing and is currently developing three ambitious new projects in New York
City.
Hal graduated from the Whitman School of Management and subsequently earned a Juris
Doctor from New York Law School. In 1988 Hal took on the role of CEO at Fetner Properties as the third generation to take
the helm. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Joe Hynes, special prosecutor of the State of
New York.
A proud alumnus of Syracuse University, Hal serves on the University’s Board of Trustees, is Chair of the Facilities
Committee at the University, and a member of the University’s Whitman School of Management Advisory Council and the
Whitman Real Estate Advisory Board. Dedicated to providing opportunities for future generations of Syracuse students,
Hal established the Fetner Program Fund, a scholarship at the Whitman School for students pursuing sustainability; and
created the Fetner Sustainability Series as well as the Fetner Prize in Sustainable Enterprise.
Hal sits on the Board of Governors and the Executive Board of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and is on the
Board of Trustees of the Citizens Budget Commission — a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization pursuing constructive
change in the finances and services of New York City and State.
Jeff Levine, Founding Principal and Chairman of Douglaston Development
Jeffrey E. Levine is the Founding Principal and Chairman of The Douglaston Companies
consisting of Douglaston Development, Levine Builders and Clinton Management. Since
1979, Mr. Levine has directed the new construction or rehabilitation of thousands of
residential units, including both affordable and luxury housing, student housing, hotels,
senior living, healthcare facilities, and millions of square feet of commercial retail, office, and
institutional spaces.
3
Mr. Levine’s most recent accomplishment is the development of the Williamsburg waterfront in Brooklyn - more than two
million square feet of mixed-use residential, spread across six distinct buildings. This includes The Edge, which received
the NAHB’s Pillars of Industry Award for best mixed-use community and best high-rise condominium; Edge Community
Apartments. located at 1 North 4th Place; and Level BK at 2 North 6th Place, with approximately 2,000 residential units
and over 60,000 square feet of retail, structured parking, a water taxi pier, and a pedestrian esplanade.
Mr. Levine is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Executive Committee and a founding member of both the
New York State Association for Affordable Housing and the Kimmel Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
creating and promoting affordable housing and services for aged, handicapped and other special-needs populations. He
currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council, the New York Housing
Conference, and the Chamber of Commerce of the Borough of Queens. He also sits on the Advisory Board of the Bernard
and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at the City University of New York and New York University’s Real Estate Institute.
Some of Mr. Levine’s many professional recognitions include the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the National
Association of Home Builders Affordable Builder of the Year, the Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York
Developer of the Year, and the Phipps Housing Community Builder of the Year. In 2011, he was honored with the Met
Council’s Builder of the Year Award. Mr. Levine is currently Chairman of the Board of the Jewish National Fund and is a
member of the Jewish National Fund’s National Board, which recently honored him with its Tree of Life, a humanitarian
award given in recognition of outstanding community involvement.
Mr. Levine graduated from the City University of New York’s City College School of Architecture.
David L. Picket, President & CEO, Gotham Organization, Inc.
President, Gotham Development
David L. Picket is President & CEO of Gotham Organization, a vertically integrated real
estate development company providing services throughout concept, financing, design,
building, lease-up, and ongoing management phases. Since joining the company in 1991,
David has led Gotham’s new project development business through a period of
unprecedented growth. He became responsible for Gotham’s development and property
operations businesses in 1998. Serving as CEO of Gotham Development, David represents
the fourth generation of Picket leadership in the organization’s 100-year history, continuing
the firm’s dedication to multifamily housing in New York City.
Under David’s direction, Gotham has developed over 5,000 housing units and over 1.7 million square feet of urban retail.
The majority of the firm’s developments have utilized public/private partnerships, combining public funds, tax benefits
and/or reduced land prices in exchange for the creation of affordable housing, schools, community facilities, job programs,
and other public benefits.
David was one of the first developers to capitalize on the resurgence of the multi-family housing market in New York in the
mid-1990s and to recognize the untapped potential of the Midtown West neighborhood. In addition to Gotham West,
which transformed an entire block in Hell’s Kitchen and includes the celebrated Gotham West Market, he is responsible for
the development of several award-winning properties including The Nicole, Atlas New York, The Ashland, The Foundry,
New Gotham and The Corner. This, in addition to retail projects including Harlem USA and DC USA.
4
David holds a law degree from Columbia and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. He is a member of or affiliated
with a number of boards and organizations including the Brooklyn Academy of Music (Member, Board of Trustees),
Breaking Ground (Member, Board of Directors), Cornell University (Member, College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Board),
Board of Governors (Member, Executive Committee), Realty Foundation of New York (Member, Board of Directors) and
more.
5
The Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award
Recognizes REBNY members’ outstanding service to the community.
Sarah Saltzberg, Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Bohemia Realty Group
Sarah is co-owner of Bohemia Realty Group, a boutique and independently owned real
estate firm that opened in 2012 and services the NYC area with a special focus on Upper
Manhattan. Bohemia Realty Group’s mission aims to improve the quality of life for clients,
agents and staff, and the communities that we live in and serve. Over the past twenty
years, Sarah has been building a career in real estate as well as the arts, with credits
including creator/actor in the Tony-winning The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,
creator/additional material author in Broadway’s Gettin’ The Band Back Together,
creator/actor in off-Broadway's Don't Quit Your Night Job and co-author of Miss Abigail's
Guide to Dating, Mating and Marriage. Along with her partner Jon Goodell, Sarah is a firm believer in the connection
between business innovation and creativity.
Besides being an active member in several Upper Manhattan business and neighborhood coalitions, she also has long
relationships with organizations including The Harlem Children’s Zone, Big Brother Big Sister and The Theater
Development Fund’s Wendy Wasserstein Project, which sends underserved NYC school children to Broadway theater. In
2021, Bohemia Realty Group formed Good + Salty Productions, a separate charitable arm committed to using agent talent
in collaboration with charitable causes.
A member at large on REBNY’s Board of Directors for the past three years, Sarah aims to create a more personal and
relatable image for the real estate industry and is working to help shape that narrative through action both within her own
firm and through her work with REBNY. She is the co-chair of REBNY’s Fair Housing Committee and has set up a
department within Bohemia dedicated to navigating the housing voucher system in order to effectively provide permanent
housing for some of New York’s most vulnerable citizens. She looks forward to the continued work of providing “real life”
experience as a way to engage legislators, and to help effect lasting change that is fair and equitable to our industry.
6
Louis Smadbeck Memorial Broker Recognition Award
Recognizes a REBNY broker with personal and professional integrity, long-term leadership and prominence in the
brokerage community and participation in REBNY's committees.
Darcy Stacom, Chairman and head of New York City Capital Markets at CBRE
The Chairman and head of New York City Capital Markets at CBRE, Darcy Stacom has
marketed and sold more marquis capital markets transactions than any other real estate
professional in the United States. With over $145 billion in sales, financings, joint venture,
leasehold, and development transactions, she tirelessly drives the business practice along
with equal dedication to leadership in campaigns for philanthropy, sustainability, diversity
and equity.
As Chairman and head of NYC Capital Markets for Fortune 500 CBRE, Darcy leads a team of
professionals dominating the world’s most competitive landscape. She has personally ranked in the top 1% of CBRE’s
global producers for almost two decades. In her career, Darcy drove many of the nation’s most impactful real estate
transactions including the single largest residential transaction in history (the $5.4 billion sale of Peter Cooper Stuyvesant
Town) and the single largest office transaction in history (the $2.8 billion sale of GM Building).
Darcy is widely recognized for her industry leadership. A governor of REBNY, she is also co-Chair of its Diversity
Committee; a Board Member for NYU’s Schack Institute; and co-chair of the annual WIRE conference, the industry’s most
prestigious conference for women in commercial real estate.
Darcy’s driving desire to contribute to the City extends beyond the world of real estate. She is co-Chair of the Board of the
NYRP, which manages 52 community gardens and more than 80 acres of parkland across all five New York City boroughs.
She also serves on the Board and Executive Committee for Phipps Houses, the largest NFP owner of affordable housing in
NYC.
7
The George M. Brooker Management Executive of the Year Award
Recognizes accomplished individuals within the management area. who display outstanding professionalism in property
management, civic achievement and contribution to the real estate industry.
Frank Pusinelli, Senior EVP, Chief Operating Officer-Operating Assets, RXR Realty
Frank Pusinelli serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Operating Assets business arm at
RXR Realty, where he oversees marketing, leasing and property management. He is
responsible for all business planning, budgeting, and operational activities, and oversees
physical due diligence, revenue and expense underwriting for potential acquisitions as well
as the immediate and long-term capital improvement plans, asset repositioning strategies,
and design ideas. He also oversees all tenant improvement and capital construction projects
for the company’s commercial and logistics assets. Frank sets policies, procedures and goals
within the operating assets division in keeping with the direction of RXR’s Executive
Management Team.
Frank joined RXR in 1999. During his tenure, he has overseen the execution of well over $1 billion in construction projects,
ranging from ground-up development and value creation to customized tenant interiors. Previously, he worked as a project
manager and estimator in the construction sector as well as in the architectural and engineering field specializing in
municipal architecture and environmental engineering.
Frank holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Technology from the New York Institute of Technology, and an
MBA in Finance from Fordham University. He is a licensed architect in the State of New York and a member of the
American Institute of Architects.
8The Young Real Estate Professional of the Year Award
Presented by the Young Men's/Women's Real Estate Association each year to a member whose knowledge, skills,
integrity, and high degree of ethics have contributed most to his or her profession and the community.
Laura Jackson, Senior Vice President, Tax Director, SL Green Realty Corp.
Laura Jackson serves as SVP, Tax Director for SL Green Realty Corp. Laura recently
joined SL Green where her areas of responsibility include tax planning and structuring,
investment due diligence, REIT and income tax compliance, and advising the Board of
Directors, CEO, President, CFO and management on these matters.
Prior to joining SL Green Realty Corp. Laura was a Senior Managing Director at FTI
Consulting leading the firm's REIT practice with a focus on due diligence, deal structuring,
REIT compliance, domestic and international tax compliance, §754 adjustments, creating
§704(c) models, tax provisions, IPO readiness, like kind exchanges, and qualified opportunity funds. Prior to FTI Consulting,
Laura worked at Deloitte and Arthur Andersen in the area of taxation for the lodging/ gaming, banking and retail industries.
She currently serves as Vice President on the board of Rebuilding Together NYC, a non-profit organization for safe and
healthy housing throughout New York City. She also founded the She Builds initiative, which empowers prominent women
in real estate to give back to the communities they serve. In 2018, Laura won the New Jersey State Governor's Award for
her continued devotion to helping communities in need.
Laura is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in New Jersey and is a member of the AICPA, NAREIT, and Young
Men's/Women's Real Estate Association. After graduating summa cum laude and first in her Business Law/Accounting
class from Monmouth University she went on to earn an M.S. in Taxation from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
9You can also read
