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DASNY NEWS & UPDATES: WINTER 2014
 
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70 Years And Counting: A Legacy and A Future

In April 2014, DASNY will celebrate its 70th birthday! Many of you have been here for much of that time, while there are also plenty of newcomers! 

Our organization has a rich history to celebrate. It has served well the citizens of our great state. Through the years, you and your predecessors have financed $105.3 billion worth of critical social infrastructure for hospitals, public and private colleges and universities, libraries, social service agencies and school districts. You and those coming before have managed the construction of thousands of projects from simple renovations to the most complex research facilities and laboratories. These projects will serve future generations of New Yorkers and will continue to attract new people to our state. 

How should we pay tribute to DASNY as we reach this milestone? What might be a fitting way to acknowledge our legacy, even as we are busy mapping out a new future for DASNY?

I am interested in your ideas. I want to know how you think we might mark this important anniversary. 

Please send your thoughts or ideas to: DASNYNews@dasny.org

- Paul
 
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Next Time You Introduce Yourself, Just Use "DASNY"
Today’s DASNY is capable of so much more than financing and building dormitories! We can construct state-of-the-art laboratories and hospitals; provide tax-exempt financing for private universities, health care institutions, and local institutions across the state. We can also lead the State in developing innovative approaches for financing and constructing public projects or implementing new compliance technology. Our breadth is wide; our expertise is deep. We short change our true identity when we refer to ourselves as the “Dormitory Authority.” When asked who you work for say:

“I work for DASNY, New York State’s facilities finance and construction authority. We finance, build and deliver. What can we do for you?”

This unites us and presents a consistent and professional message to existing and potential customers while also giving you the opportunity to speak affirmatively about all that we do at DASNY.

If you have not already done so, you must update your voicemail messages and email signatures immediately. Effective January 15, 2014, all DASNY presentations, letterhead, memos, forms, policies, procedures and templates should contain the new DASNY logo. Please recycle business cards with the old logo, and order new ones from Building Management. No excuses.
 
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DASNY Plays Key Role in New York Rising

NY Rising was established by Governor Cuomo to provide vital assistance to communities, businesses and homeowners severely damaged by Hurricanes Sandy and Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. In March, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $1.7 billion to New York State to provide relief to property owners affected by these devastating storms.

This fall, DASNY proved itself in action. Our work with the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program demonstrated hands down that we are a flexible, responsive, reliable, professional organization that delivers! In September, the Housing Trust Fund Corporation (HTFC), enlisted DASNY to deliver a program to complete more than 5,000 home inspections in six weeks!

DASNY, utilizing a team of three firms vetted, hired and managed by DASNY (the LiRo Group, McKissack & McKissack, and the URS Corporation), mobilized 617 staff in just 10 days, including 444 damage assessment inspectors from over 18 states and 27 subcontractors. A total of 5,168 homes were inspected in 27 days from September 9 to October 4! This amounted to a total of 140,436.7 hours, or 10,599 days worked.

At the culmination of these efforts in mid-October, letters were sent to those who sought help from the NY Rising program informing them of their projected award. Nearly 4,000 homeowners on Long Island alone will receive on average more than $110,000 each.

Congratulations on this project go to: Mike Corrigan, Vice President; Ron Gecsedi, Chief Project Manager; Mike Cusack, General Counsel; Fran Lewis, Assistant General Counsel; Dawn Langenbach, Senior Manager, Professional Services Contracts and Sue Valente, Contract Administrator; Michael Clay, Director Opportunity Programs Group and his team; Jamie Bullock, Portfolio Analyst; Steve Jacobs, Field Representative; Chris Keado, Senior Architect; and Lou Cirelli, Director of Planning, Design and Quality Assurance.
 
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View from the front
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View from the back

 

DASNY Creates a Healthy Environment for People with Developmental Disabilities
We often think of DASNY as only working on large capital construction projects. While we are certainly capable of projects of various magnitudes, we cannot overlook the impressive work we do for the public on a smaller scale. DASNY and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) are currently working on completing a series of eight modular health care homes. The Health Care Modulars at Sidney and Oxford are the first two homes of the series and recently received LEED Silver Certification. These homes reinforce OPWDD’s commitment to providing New York State’s most vulnerable individuals with the highest quality of support and service.
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SUNY Cortland's Dragon Hall Earns LEED Gold
In October, DASNY staff participated in the opening of Cortland’s newest residence hall, Dragon Hall, named for the school’s mascot. Design started in July 2011 and the 68,000 square foot building was ready for the students this past fall semester. The LEED Gold-certified building features:
  • Sun shades on the west and south façades,
  • Regenerative drives on elevators that pump electricity back into the building; infra-red, hands-free plumbing fixtures,
  • Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof, and
  • Two-story multipurpose room, which can be scheduled for campus events and classes.
With enough space for 231 students, the new residence hall came in on budget ($23.3 million) and on time. Congratulations go out to: DASNY’s Frederick Clake, Design Phase Manager, Daniel Gaffney, Construction Phase Manager; Everett Neville, Field Representative; Bob Stratton, Regional Project Manager; Tim McGrath, Director – Upstate Construction; Paul Koopman, Senior Director, Upstate Construction Administration; Steve Curro, Managing Director of Construction and Don Schoonbeek (retired Field Representative).

 

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Breaking Ground for a New Residence Hall at SUNY New Paltz
On December 19, DASNY President Paul T. Williams, Jr. spoke at the groundbreaking for a new $30.5 million, 225-bed residence hall on the SUNY New Paltz campus. This is the latest addition to the South Complex and is intended to help relieve the current shortage of beds on the campus. Phase I was the construction of a 192-space parking lot, which was completed this past summer, and replaced the tennis courts on the west side of Lenape Hall. Phase II is the construction of the residence hall building on a site that currently has at-grade parking. Features include:
  • Double occupancy rooms,
  • A café that seats 100 people,
  • LED lighting, rain gardens,
  • Skype lounges, and
  • A seminar room.
Construction will be completed in the summer of 2015, ready for student occupancy for fall semester 2015. The LEED goal of the new building is USGBC LEED Silver.
New York State Excelsior Awards for Public Architecture
In late 2013, AIA New York State launched the Excelsior Awards Program for Public Architecture. This new program celebrates design and professional excellence in publicly-funded architecture in New York State. DASNY is pleased to have joined with the other state entities and AIA New York State in developing the Excelsior Awards Program and qualifying firms are encouraged to submit projects for award consideration. More details regarding the program requirements and submission schedule are included in the attached brochure and are also available on the Excelsior Awards Program’s website.
GREENBUILD 2013
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What do Five DASNY Employees, Hillary Clinton, NYC Resiliency Planning, and Bon Jovi have in Common?
They were all seen at Greenbuild 2013, which took place from November 18-22 and each of them is seriously connected to the mission of “green buildings for all.”

Why Did We Attend?

DASNY is a strong and vibrant entity, building and financing projects for the public benefit. Green buildings are for the public benefit – it’s a natural fit. The conference helped support our staff in achieving their professional accreditations and to enhance their expertise by attending educational sessions on new products, technology, processes and services. (The conference boasts nearly 29,000 professional credit hours during the week and more than 900 vendors.) Additionally, this opportunity provided staff with a chance to strengthen the DASNY brand by making connections and learning how we can expand on our ability to help customers achieve and exceed their goals.

What Did We Learn?

There were numerous case studies about net-zero energy achievement and panel presentations touting the work of the federal government to update the LEED rating system. We must always remember to ask and answer “How green can we make it?” within the budget, schedule and programmatic needs of our customers.

How Can We Deliver on This Knowledge?

Over the next two months, DASNY attendees, Chris Wuest, Sam Siddique, Joel Pierre-Louis, Bob Stratton and Jodi Smits Anderson will be developing panel discussion sessions, webinars, and bulleted tip sheets for you. They will be posting links to Master Speaker talks and sharing contacts and resources. Stay tuned for an open dialogue and useful information that will help you further develop your personal knowledge and connections.
DASNY's New Internship Program for Academic Credit
In coordination with seven colleges and universities – SUNY/Rockefeller College, NYU/Polytechnic, Union College, The College of Saint Rose, Hudson Valley Community College, Siena College and Albany Law School of Union University – DASNY is now offering students an exciting internship for academic credit. Our program provides hands-on experience in a professional setting and engages students with DASNY staff and industry professionals.  The internship program gives students an opportunity to:
  • Consider a career in the public sector;
  • Learn from industry leaders and expand their professional network; and,
  • Gain invaluable experience in a supportive setting.
Students are expected to arrive throughout January 2014. We are offering placements throughout New York State, including our headquarters in Albany, New York City and Buffalo offices, as well as various field sites across the state, year round. For more information about the program and how you can participate, contact Mitzi Stewart in the Office of Executive Initiatives at (518) 257-3149 or send a message to mjstewar@dasny.org.
HR NEWS
 
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Save The Date for the Staff Recognition Breakfast

Congratulations to the 2013 Retirees and Service Award recipients, employees with 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service will be honored. In total, 100 DASNY staffers will be honored this year -- 24 retirees and 76 mile-stone employees.

DASNY held the first of two staff recognition breakfasts on January 7 for Albany and Buffalo staff.

The next recognition event is set for: Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 9:30 AM, in New York City: Conference Rooms 1 & 2

Follow this link for a complete list of 2013 Retirees and Service Awardees.
 
PROMOTIONS: Congratulations!
Linda Button
Acting CFO & Treasurer

 

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Deanne Fera
Accountant in Accounts Payable

 

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Dawn Teller
Senior Accountant in Financial Management-Accounting

 

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Rick Tong
Senior Architect in Downstate Design
NEW TO DASNY: Welcome!

Anil Dave
Sr. Cost Control Analyst in Project Controls

David Barbier
Exempt Pool (Asst. Architect) in Upstate Design

Dominick Donadio
Accountant in Accounts Payable

     


    Janet Faulhaber
    Architect in Upstate OASAS/HHAP/OCFS

    Christopher Ortiz
    Empire State Fellow

    Sherry Hwang
    Excelsior Service Fellow

       


      Giovanna Joseph
      Excelsior Service Fellow 

      Jacob Loiselle
      Temporary IS Support

      Valeriya Ponomarova
      Academic Placement, Office of Executive Initiatives
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        Make a Donation Today for the Martin Luther King Food Drive 2014
        A yearly tradition, DASNY is once again participating in the annual Martin Luther King Food Drive. When you are out shopping for groceries for your family, please remember to pick up a few non-perishable food items for the children, senior citizens and others in our community who are in need.

        We are accepting donations through January 24, 2014. A collection box has been placed in the lobby and in each elevator bay. All food will be taken to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York in Latham, NY and distributed within the surrounding communities. Thanks for your support!

         

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        Sign Up for DASNY's Next American Red Cross Blood Drive

        Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 9:00AM-2:00PM in the sixth floor board room

        Appointments are still available. Help save a life. Contact Gail Beerle at 518-257-3468.
        DASNY Staff are Secret Santas!
        For nearly two decades, the Adopt-A-Family Committee continues to work hard each year to raise funds to support families in need during the holiday season. Through various events held throughout the year at DASNY facilities, the small team of DASNY employees provides financial assistance to many families. 2013 was no different. DASNY’s Adopt-A-Family Committee raised and distributed nearly $3,400 for the 2013 holiday season. In addition, AAF assisted a number of employees when emergency circumstances evolved throughout this year.

        During the holiday season, the AAF team provided financial assistance to 11 families, two of which were single-member families. A homeless teenager…an elderly woman with no family…a single-dad raising teenage boys…and a mom raising two children alone because her husband recently passed away from cancer…these are just a few examples of the families that received a precious gift from DASNY employees. While these individuals do not know one another, they do have one thing in common – people around them who care.

        Whether it was a bake sale, a raffle ticket or a straight donation, DASNY employees’ continued support of Adopt-A-Family fundraisers made it possible to help these families – a total of 47 individuals, including 29 children (ages 18 and under).

        Thank You DASNY Staff for Your Ongoing Support!
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