American ORT honors three at annual lunch

Real Estate Weekly, Jan 16, 2002

The American ORT Construction and Engineering Industry Chapter drew a large crowd at its annual tribute luncheon, which was held on Nov. 8 at the Sheraton New York.

The luncheon honored Thomas P. Maguire, of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Gerard A. Neumann, of Spearin Preston & Burrows, Inc., and Irwin Rosenstein, of the URS Corporation.

The three honorees were presented with American ORT's "Community Achievement Awards" for 2001 in recognition of their many professional contributions.

With the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks still on everyone's mind, the luncheon convened as a tribute to the entire industry. A special commendation was presented to Port Authority workers, many of whom escaped from the World Trade Center complex on Sept. 11 and are now involved in the city's ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Chapter president Michael Ascher, president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, acknowledged engineering and construction industry groups lending support to the American ORT "Twin Towers Scholarship Fund," which has been established to aid those affected by the tragedy and their families. Recipients of the scholarship will learn the latest high-tech job skills at Bramson ORT College in Queens and Brooklyn.

Frank Lombardi, of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, made an emotional appeal when he spoke firsthand about his experiences, both in the 1993 WTC attack when he was trapped in a tower elevator for four and a half hours and on Sept. 11 when he along with his fellow employees had to walk down 72 flights of stairs to safety. According to Lombardi, the fact that the Twin Towers stood for so long after the crash, saving so many lives, is a testament to the building designers, contractors, and trades people who constructed the 112-story structures.

In his acceptance speech, Thomas Maguire spoke about the value of ORT's training courses, which equip students with the skills they need to ensure a better life for themselves in the high-tech global society. Ed Molloy recognized the engineering and construction industry, which shut down after Sept. 11 and sent checks to help the 59 families of construction workers who lost loved ones.

Special recognition for work at Ground Zero was given to the New York Building Congress, the General Contractors Association, and the Building and Construction Trade Council. Linda Angelo, New York State Secretary of Labor, extended greetings on behalf of Governor George E. Pataki.