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RECENT EVENTS
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 Our
next Government
Affairs Professionals Luncheon Featuring Speaker: Council Member David Yassky Small Business Committee Chair & NYC Comptroller Candidate, scheduled for Thursday, June 25th, has been postponed. Your payments will be credited to the re-scheduled luncheon |
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Hon. Melinda Katz . Councilmember Katz reviewed the political issues of the day and was well received by our members and guests. |
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Our April 21st,
2009 guest speaker was :
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Thanks to all who helped to make the event successful! |
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The Government Affairs Professionals
Luncheon on Monday, November 10, 2008 12:00 p.m. at the Flatotel was our
Post-Election Wrap-up. Our Featured Speakers were:
Both speakers showed great insight and took many questions from an engaged packed house. Our thanks to all! |
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| The September 23, 2008 12:00
p.m. luncheon @ AGAVE Featured : Ed Cox, New York State Chairman, McCain for President |
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| The GAP Luncheon on Thursday,
August 7, 2008 12:00 p.m. featured Jeremy Goldberg Obama Campaign National
Co-Chair & Chair of Generation Obama-NYC. A good crowd of GAP members
enjoyed the lunch at AGAVE, 140 Seventh Avenue South @ Charles Street
( Equidistant between the Christopher Street Stop (1 Train) and 14th Street
Stop (1/2/3 Trains) ). The cost: $25.00 GAP Members $35.00 Non-Members. RSVP's were handled graciously by: Jennifer Landis |
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 Dear
GAP Members and Friends: our most recent luncheon featuredCongressman Gregory W. Meeks on Friday May 2nd. Congressman Meeks is a member of the House Committees on Financial Services and Foreign Affairs. We all enjoyed a great meal and frank political discussion at AGAVE - 140 Seventh Avenue South @ Charles Street which is located equidistant between the Christopher Street Stop (1 Train) and 14th Street Stop (1/2/3 Trains). Our thanks to Dirk McCall for recommending the restaurant! |
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 Our
2008 kick off Government Affairs Professionals Luncheon featured: Hon.
David I. Weprin , New York City Council Member & Finance Committee Chair
and candidate for Comptroller of the City of New York.Thanks to our host, Laura Gallo of the New York Building Congress - 44 West 28th Street |
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Our November featured speaker was:
LESLIE KOCH President Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007 12:00 p.m. at LOLA 15 Watts Street |
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 GAP for lunch: On September 26th, Robert B. Tierney, Chairman - NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission - was our guest speaker to rave reviews. GAP was graciously hosted by the NY Building Conference at their 44 West 28th Street headquarters. |
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 Luncheon
at noon on June 1st with Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler (location: 17 Murray St.)
was, as expected, most interesting. The Deputy Mayor recounted some of
the administration's recent lobbying victories and outlined some short
and long termed goals to the 50 GAP members in the room. Following his
remarks, the Deputy Mayor fielded all questions, graciously staying until
all questions were asked and answered! Thank you to George Lence and Cathy
Delli Carpini-Kruse for their program committee work and to Jennifer Landis
and Fran Freedman for valuable contributions to the day's program!
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 Our
most recent event was a luncheon at noon on April 19th with NYC Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba in his office at 2 Washington Street. The members in attendance were treated to a very interesting review of the economic impact of sporting events on the City as well as a delightful networkikng oportunity! We thank the commissioner for his hospitality! |
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| On Friday, November 17, a panel of experts - George Arzt, Ann Michaud and Josh Isay - fielded questions from a sold out audience of GAP members regarding the recent elections. Opinions were expressed on the behavior of the upcoming Congress, how the new State Governmentg will work, what the future will/should hold for Comptroller Hevesi, and the changing scene in vote counting technology. All questions were answered directly, and the level of interchange made for an interesting program. Our luncheon took place at a private dining room in Applebees on 50th Street. Compliments to the chef! (and to Jennifer Landis, George Lence & Cathy Dellicarpini-Kruse for all of their efforts which made this an enjoyable program)! | |||||
 Our
guest speaker on Thursday, October 12th, 2006 was the Hon. Linda Gibbs!
The Deputy Mayor's presentation was, as would be expected, both informational
and provocative. Following her remarks, Ms. Gibbs took audience questions
for about one half hour. The range of discussion included such topics
as chronic poverty in NYC, expected hospital closings and the coordination
of City social services. Many thanks to our hosts at NYC & Company,
Cristyne Nicholas & George Lence. |
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The GAP luncheon on April 7, 2006 featured
Manhattan Boro President Scott Stringer as our guest speaker. After a
very personal introduction by Board Member Ralph Andrew, BP Stringer outlined
his vision for the office - which includes the goal of having the Manhattan
Boro President's office taking an active role in formulating City policy
for the future. The free ranging exchange included discussion of the BP's
decision to appoint Community Board members in a manner which reflects
mayoral judicial appointments. Such appointments are now made after a
non-partisan panel screens applicants for the position. The BP and staff
interview only those cleared by the panel. In addition transportation
choices, including congestion pricing and east side access were discussed.
Community benefit contracts tied to development projects were described
as the "way things will happen" in the City.
Many thanks to our gracious hosts at NYC & Company - Cristyne Nicholas & George Lence. |
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 At
12 Noon on Friday February 10th at NYC & Company, the GAP luncheon
featured Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Relations Kevin Sheekey. The
Deputy Mayor was refreshing and candid. He clearly indicated that his
goal is to implement the Mayor's vision of what is best for New York City.
Once again, many thanks to our gracious hosts at NYC & Company - Cristyne
Nicholas & George Lence. |
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On
Thursday November 17 at
NYC & Company, the GAP Post-Election Day Special Event featured a panel discussion moderated by Bob Bishop which included political reporters: Julia Levy (Sun) & Matthew Schuerman (Observer). Many thanks to our hosts Cristyne Nicholas & George Lence. |
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Thursday October 20 Noon to 2pm
at NYC & Company, 810 Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street, Third Floor
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On Thursday September 22 the GAP
Back to School Event featured Michele Cahill, Senior Counselor to the
Chancellor for Education Policy Senior Executive, Office of Youth Development
& School-Community Services New York City Department of Education who
substituted at the last minute for Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott. Ms.
Cahill captivated the overflow audience as she explained that the Mayor
had called upon his Deputy to announce the improvements in 4th grade
math scores. Ms. Cahill addressed questions related to the need for
more improvement in the system, the needs facing special education and
many other interesting topics. |
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The most recent GAP event was our
"members & significant others" only Holiday Party on December
8th. Many thanks to Gale & Cal for their hospitality and to Pat
& Ralph for their work in coordinating the event.
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On November 9th, 2004 George Arzt moderated a panel including Newsday's
veteran City Hall reporter Dan Janison and Crain's New York "Inside
Politics" columnist Anne Michaud.
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 Photo
report:The
GAP Pre - Election Day Reporter's Roundtable featured:Josh Benson of The New York Observer, Joel Siegel of The New York Daily News, & Dave Evans of WABC Channel 7. The panel was moderated by Norman Adler. At the NYU Torch Club 18 Waverly Place |
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Photo report on 9/27/02 luncheon
with The Honorable David Weprin, Chairman New York City Council Finance Committee at a luncheon Friday, the 27th of September at Lighthouse International ,111 E.59th Street Noon - 2 PM |
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 On
Friday, February 1, 2002, A.
GIFFORD MILLER, SPEAKER OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK was our guest. The noon luncheon was hosted by THE LIGHTHOUSE at 111 E.59TH STREET. Speaker Miller gave an interesting presentation on the needs of the City and of his viewpoints on achieving those needs. The lively question and answer period demonstrated Speker Miller's quick wit and understanding of the political realities of his role. As reported in Crain's: "City Council Speaker Gifford Miller says the city should not rule out raising taxes to help close next year’s projected budget gap of up to $4 billion. “The first and best option is for us to find savings that will enable us to come out of this without having to raise taxes,” Mr. Miller stated at a Government Affairs Professionals luncheon on Friday. “But in a fiscal crisis of this size, absolutely everything needs to be on the table—I mean everything.” He said the city needs to be “open-minded” on how it balances the budget, “and one way is to increase our revenues.” Mr. Miller has advocated reinstating the commuter tax, though that proposal has received a chilly reception in Albany Copyright 2002, Crain Communications, Inc " |
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 The
New York Building Congress & New York Construction News presented Michael Bloomberg, founder, Bloomberg
L.P. |
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 July
16th, 2001 - 12 noon - 2PMKathryn Wylde President and CEO of the NYC Partnership was our host and guest speaker. Lunch was served at the Partnership's offices at One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004 in their 5th floor conference room. Thanks for a great event! The New York City Partnership and Chamber
of Commerce named Kathryn Wylde as its new President and Chief Executive
Officer on December 7, 2000. Ms. Wylde, 54, joined the Partnership in
1982, serving as the President and CEO of the Housing Partnership until
1996, an affiliate of the New York City Partnership. Under her auspices,
the Housing Partnership became one of the nation's leading non-profit
producers of affordable homes, spearheading programs to bring minority
contractors and property managers into the mainstream of the city's
homebuilding and real estate development industries. |
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GAP Annual Meeting at the NewYork Transit Museum 12 Noon - 2 PM Our new slate of officers was elected and took office. The transit museum is located at the corners of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street - the announcement, together with a Museum brochure was mailed to all members. A ballot for the election of Officers and Board Members was included with the notice. Ballots were returned to Bob Bishop at Herrick, Feinstein. The slate of officers as proposed by the nominating committee was elected unanimously. Special thanks to Mary Kate Brangaccio for arranging for our use of the Transit Museum!
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Herman Badillo addressed GAP on the state of CUNY and the EDUCATIONAL system
In addition to his duties as CUNY Chairman, Mr. Badillo has been an education advisor to Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani since 1993. As Mayor's Special Counsel for the Fiscal Oversight of Education, Mr. Badillo prepared in 1994 a fiscal analysis of the New York City Board of Education that identified troubling patterns in the growth of special education and bi-lingual programs and other areas. Mr. Badillo was also a member of the Mayor's Task Force on CUNY. In July 1999, the Task Force issued the "Schmidt Report," a critical analysis of CUNY, which Mr. Badillo has adopted as a blueprint for change at the University. These broad experiences and responsibilities in public education, ranging from the elementary through the post-graduate levels, have given Mr. Badillo a unique perspective in recognizing, and solving, the pressing problems facing our schools. Mr. Badillo has spent much of his life in public service. He was the first Hispanic Commissioner in the history of New York City, the first Hispanic elected as a Borough President (Bronx), the first person of Puerto Rican origin elected to the United States Congress (four times), and later became the first Hispanic Deputy Mayor in New York City's history. Mr. Badillo lives in Manhattan with his wife Gail, who is a teacher in a New York City public middle school. His son David is an assistant professor at the University of Illinois. Mr. Badillo serves on many community organizations. |
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Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas, President of NYC & Company was our luncheon speaker on March 29, 2001, from noon - 2PM at NYC & Company -- 810 7th Avenue 3rd floor. Her presentation was very informative, detailing the efforts of NYC & Co. We were treated to an insider's view of efforts to bring the 2012 Olympics to NYC and to bring the NFL Jets to the west side of Manhattan. The event was well attended and we extend special thanks to Cristyne and George Lence. |
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Luncheon at the Light House - 111 E. 59th Street Robert J. Bellafiore serves as President of the University’s Charter SchoolsInstitute. Bellafiore joined the Institute last September as Executive Director and has served as senior officer for the Institute since April, following the resignation of founding President Scott W. Steffey. As Executive Director, Bellafiore has been responsible for day-to-day operations of the Institute, which was formed by the University Trustees to help administer its responsibilities under the Charter Schools Act of 1998. He has directed the application, review and approval processes, the development of school oversight, monitoring and accountability systems, and the awarding of more than $1.6 million in state and federal grants to charter schools. A 1982 graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, Bellafiore previously served as Governor Pataki’s first Press Secretary and later as the Governor’s Director of Special Projects, where his varied duties included education, economic and criminal justice policy. Before joining Governor Pataki’s staff in 1995, Bellafiore served as Director of Communications for the Business Council of New York State, Inc, and as news reporter for The Associated Press, United Press International and The Knickerbocker News (Albany, NY). Bellafiore, 39, lives in Delmar NY, with his wife, Marilyn, and two sons, Sam and Robert Jr. Bob gave a presentation on the underlying philosophy of charter schools and the procedures for implementing a charter school in New York. |
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Johnathan Hicks, political reporter from the New York Times, was our guest speaker. Jonathan gave his post-election analysis. |
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Our September 8, 2000 luncheon featured a discussion about economic development in the outer boroughs. . Guest speakers were Adam Friedman, Executive Director of NYIRN  (click logo for info on NYIRN) and David Sweeny, CEO of the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (click photo for info on GMDC)  Marilyn Gelber served as moderator. Marilyn is Executive Director of The Independence Community Foundation which provides philanthropic support for local charitable activities, while emphasizing a broader program of comprehensive, targeted community development. |
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Our
May 28, 2009
Government
Affairs Professionals Luncheon guest Speaker was 
Our
Friday, January 30, 2009 Government Affairs Professionals Luncheon featured:
Most Recent GAP luncheon: October 29th.
Our
guest speaker on Friday, December 8th, 2006 was the Hon. William Thompson,
Comptroller of the City
of New York. We were graciously hosted by the NYC Housing Authority
at their 90 Church Street offices. Many thanks to Lisa Diaz for coordinating
the location and to the whole NYCHA team!
Peter
Vallone worked with three different mayors. As Speaker of the City Council,
he wasresponsible for passing the City's $39 billion budget and overseeing
the passage of all local laws. He passed the nation's most progressive
campaign finance reforms strengthening the original 1988 law by mandating
debates, banning corporate contributions and introducing four-to-one
matchable public funds. He added over $2 billion to our City's schools
and enhanced funding by over $1.3 billion for the City's cultural institutions,
parks and libraries. Peter currently teaches at Baruch College and he
recently finished his biography describing his years in government,
entitled "
"Dennis
M. Walcott is the Deputy Mayor for Policy. Prior to his appointment,
he was the President and CEO of the New York Urban League since 1990.
Walcott was the Executive Director of the Harlem Dowling Westside Center
for five years prior to joining the League. Walcott is Mayor Bloomberg's
point person on education, and in that capacity is coordinating the
mayor's reform of New York City's public schools. He also serves as
the liaison to the Department of Youth and Community Development, New
York City Housing Authority, Health and Hospitals Corporation, City
University of New York, and the Mayor’s Office of Health Insurance Access.
A product of the New York City public school system, he received a Masters
of Social Work from Fordham University and a Masters of Education from
the University of Bridgeport. He and his wife, Denise, have four children
and one grandchild." (From www.NYC.Gov)
Hon.
Andrew S. Eristoff, Commissioner NYS Department of Taxation
and Finance 
Amanda
M. Burden, AICP Director, Department of City Planning
Chair, City Planning Commission gave a presentation to GAP members
entitled:
Jay
Cross, President of the New York Jets, 
On Thursday, October 18, 2001
during the GAP luncheon at Sal Anthony's
AUGUST
23, 2001
TIME: NOON - 2PM
On
July 4, 1976, the New York City Transit Exhibit opened to the public in
a decommissioned subway station built in 1936. The exhibit, installed
throughout the old Court Street subway station in Brooklyn Heights, was
a celebration of America's Bicentennial as well as the role that public
transportation played in the nation's development. This temporary exhibition
proved so popular that it was never dismantled. Instead, it formed the
sturdy foundation on which the New York Transit Museum was established.
Travel Directions: Located in Brooklyn Heights at the corner of Boerum
Place and Schermerhorn Street, just over the Brooklyn Bridge, five minutes
from lower Manhattan.
HERMAN
BADILLO,B.B.A., J.D., was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees
of The City University of New York by Governor Pataki in May 1999, after
serving two years as Vice-Chairman and nearly a decade as a CUNY trustee.
The appointment is Mr. Badillo's latest pro-bono effort dedicated to
strengthening public education.