Local Architect Elected President of American Institute of Architects
Russell A. Davidson, FAIA, Managing Principal & President of KG+D Architects in Mount Kisco, was inaugurated recently as the 92nd President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) during ceremonies held last month at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. He succeeds the 91st President, Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, in representing nearly 88,000 AIA members. Davidson has held a multitude of elected positions within the AIA including serving as president of AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley in 1999 and president of AIA New York State in 2007. He joined the AIA National Board in 2009 and served as AIA Vice President from 2012-2013. Throughout his national leadership tenure, Davidson has maintained a special focus on government and public advocacy for architects and architecture.
“Now is the time to move from good to great and to fully realize the potential of one of our country’s oldest professional associations,” said Davidson at his inauguration. “In an election year we will leverage the attention paid to the future of America to point out that architects, along with our partners in the design and construction industry, not only designed the places that define American cities, towns and villages, but also are the leading edge of a major economic force.” Davidson earned a BA from Union College in Schenectady, NY and completed the March program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. KG+D Architects is a general practice regional firm that focuses on public buildings including K-12 schools, colleges, religious and municipal buildings. The majority of the firm’s work involves building consensus to support projects either through public votes or private decisions of committees or Boards of Directors. The firm has constructed over $600 million worth of public projects in the lower Hudson Valley in the last 10 years, many of which have won local AIA design awards.
Glenn Monk; Mirna Santiago (Section Chair); Charles Siegel (Incoming Chair of the Trial Lawyers Section); Robert McCarthy (co-award winner and past Section Chair). Photo Credit — Steve Hart, Happening Photos |
Harrington, Ocko & Monk Managing Partner Receives John E. Leach Memorial Award
Glenn A. Monk, Managing Partner of the Insurance Defense practice group at Harrington, Ocko & Monk, LLP in White Plains, was awarded the John E. Leach Memorial Award for 2016 in recognition of outstanding service and distinguished contributions to the legal profession as a member of the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. Monk has more than 30 years of experience as a trial attorney specializing in tort defense litigation including: construction accidents, premises liability and security, products liability, general liability and insurance coverage. Monk represents corporations in OSHA and other administrative proceedings, and advises on claims handling. He is currently a member of the New York State Bar Association where he serves on the Executive Committee of the Torts, Insurance & Compensation Law Section and Chairs the Premises Liability/Labor Law Committee.
From left to right: BCW Chairman Anthony Justic; BCW Vice President Membership & Programs Sara James; Jennifer Flowers, President, Accreditation Guru; BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon; Michael Schiliro of Putnam County Savings Bank. Photo Credit – John Vecchiolla |
Accreditation Guru President Named Business Council of Westchester 2015 Ambassador of the Year
The Business Council of Westchester recently honored Jennifer Flowers, President of Accreditation Guru, with the 2015 Ambassador of the Year Award. Flowers has been a member of the BCW since 2011 and became an Ambassador two years ago. In that time, she’s mentored over 25 new members and has worked to connect businesses from different areas of work to the BCW. The Ambassador Program, led by Senior Vice President of PCSB Bank, Michael Schirillo, is made up of BCW volunteers who mentor new members through their first year of membership. Their goal is to guide these members to attend events and make good use of their investment in the BCW to achieve their own business goals. In Flowers’ over 17 years of accreditation experience, she’s served as Director of Volunteer Services and Accreditation Commission at the Council on Accreditation (COA) and held key management roles in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the education, health care, religious, and social service sectors. In 2009, she founded Accreditation Guru Inc., and since then has led client organizations through the accreditation and re-accreditation process, as well as offered expertise in many other areas of the business. She leads customized training workshops, holds an MBA in International Management, and is certified in Nonprofit Board Education.
United Hebrew of New Rochelle Receives National Leadership Award
Local nursing home United Hebrew of New Rochelle has recently been recognized for providing superior care for its residents with two honors from American College of Health Care Administrators (AHCA). United Hebrew’s skilled nursing facility, located on its 7.5-acre campus of comprehensive care, received the Eli Pick Facility Leadership award—an honor earned by fewer than 9 percent of nursing homes—while also earning a place in the top tier of New York State’s nursing home rankings. United Hebrew was chosen for the Eli Pick award based on several factors, including the low numbers of residents who report being in pain. Less than 1 percent of long-stay residents complained of pain in the first three quarters of last year, compared with 8.1 percent nationwide, for instance. To land in the top quintile on the state Department of Health program, United Hebrew had low numbers of residents who reported being in pain, needed antipsychotic drugs, experienced depressive symptoms, or were injured in falls.
City of Yonkers Engineer Recognized By NY State Society of Professional Engineers
Yonkers City Engineer, Paul N. Summerfield, P.E., was recently presented “Outstanding Engineer in Government” 19 by the Westchester/Putnam Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE). The award is recognition for the considerable contributions Summerfield has made to the City of Yonkers, as well as the Westchester/Putnam Chapter of NYSSPE. “City Engineer Summerfield and the entire Engineering Department have been a crucial component to moving our City forward over the past four years through their innovative efforts and advances including the award-winning Saw Mill River Daylighting Project,” said Yonkers Mayor Spano. “We are now in Phase III of the project and it continues to be Yonkers’ greatest revitalization success story.” (The Daylighting of the Saw Mill River at Van Der Donck Park broke ground in 2010 and officially opened in fall 2012. Since then, Phase II and III have begun construction at Mill Street Courtyard and New Main Street, respectively.) Summerfield is a licensed New York State Professional Engineer with over 30 years’ experience. As City Engineer, Summerfield supervises a staff of 28 while providing professional engineering services to the City of Yonkers. Summerfield is responsible for numerous City infrastructure design and construction projects, including road and bridge construction and reconstruction, traffic engineering, installation and replacement of water mains and sewers, and construction of City buildings, waterfront and parks facilities. 


Progressive Computing Wins SmartCEO Corporate Culture Award
New York SmartCEO recently announced the winners of their 2015 Corporate Culture Awards, and Yonkers-based Progressive Computing was among the 40 honorees. The Corporate Culture Awards celebrate companies in Greater New York that have successfully championed a positive, productive and performance-driven culture, and have worked with their employees to develop successful cultural practices. The winners were profiled in the November/December issue of SmartCEO magazine and celebrated at an awards ceremony at BNY Mellon in New York City.
Robert Patterson, Director of Sales and Marketing at Progressive Computing accepting the Corporate Culture Award. |
Progressive Computing’s Chief Visionary Officer, Ugo Chiulli, and the rest of the Progressive Computing team work to promote a message and attitude of togetherness in the workplace. The company has focused on maintaining a culture rooted in teamwork and family. Employees receive fully-paid health benefits, profit sharing, significant time off, and are given the opportunity to work from home as needed. The normal workday for Progressive Computing staff starts at 9 am and runs until 6 pm without exception, and employees are expected to be on call only once every 10 weeks, which is extremely rare in the IT industry.
FirstLight HomeCare of Westchester Named Leader in Excellence
FirstLight HomeCare of Westchester has won three 2016 Best of Home Care awards from Home Care Pulse (a third-party research and quality assurance home care management firm), including the prestigious title, Leader of Excellence. The only provider in the state of New York to receive the Leader of Excellence award, the Mount Kisco-based agency was also named Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice for the third consecutive year. Awards are granted to businesses offering excellent in-home companion care and personal care services, based on feedback from clients and caregivers. FirstLight HomeCare provides in-home companion and personal care services for seniors, those recovering from surgery, adults with disabilities and other adults in need of assistance.