Category Archives: blog

Gramercy Neighborhood Association’s 100th Anniversary Celebration

Mark Thompson (left), Senior Vice President at Capalino+Company and Chair of Manhattan Community Board Six, attended the Gramercy Neighborhood Association’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at the Players Club. Mark is pictured with Eric Lugo, Director of Government and Community Relations at Baruch College. The event celebrated GN’s long history of working to improve the neighborhood and protect the area’s historic character

The Bronx Supports the Kingsbridge National Ice Center

George Fontas Promoted To Senior Vice President

George Fontas has been promoted to Senior Vice President. Since 2006, George has played a critical role in assisting our clients to achieve their goals and objectives. His successes include helping secure in excess of $55 million in public sector funding for not-for-profit clients, including major social service and arts organizations, and project approvals for complex real estate projects such as the Starrett Corporation’s Citywide portfolio and Hampshire Hotels & Resorts’ Dream Hotel Downtown. In this role, George will oversee the firm’s public sector funding and public policy efforts, and will play a key strategic role in land use approvals. To read George’s bio, click here.

Also, Krystle Hinkson-Goodwin and Ben Kleinbaum have both been named Project Coordinator. Krystle and Ben have been with the firm for more than a year and both are profoundly effective at conducting research and interacting with government and community leaders. They continue to make substantial contributions within the company supporting our client services. Both have graduated with backgrounds in public policy and political science.

George Fontas promotion featured in Crain’s Insider’s At A Glance . . . download Crain’s Insider PDF file here

ABNY Celebrates Record Growth of New York City Tech Industry

ABNY – Association for a Better New York
May 10, 2012
Bill Rudin and Peter Meyer

Two weeks ago, we celebrated New York City’s growing tech sector at the 6th annual Spirit of ABNY awards! We were thrilled to honor several leaders who are currently playing a significant role in advancing our city’s tech sector (see picture below). Special thanks to all of you who joined us and supported this year’s Spirit of ABNY event!

ABNY is thrilled to keep the proverbial fire burning bright, as we joined the Center for an Urban Future yesterday in releasing the most comprehensive report to date about New York City’s tech sector. The report, entitled “New Tech City”, was written and published by the Center for Urban Future and was made possible through the support of ABNY and AT&T New York.

We hope this research spurs public debate about how we all can continue to support this thriving industry and further diversify our economy and remain competitive in the global market.

The full report can be viewed here.

The NYC Digital Startup Index can be viewed here.

A one page infographic about the report can be viewed here.

ABNY is proud to support the Center for an Urban Future’s groundbreaking work on New York’s tech sector.

Honorees at the 2012 Spirit of ABNY Awards
Back row from left to right: Paul Hurley, CEO, ideeli; W. Kent Fuchs, Cornell University Provost; Dawn Barber, Co-Founder, NY Tech Meet-Up; Bill Rudin, Chairman, ABNY; Seth Pinsky, President, NYCEDC; Alan Patricof, Founder and Managing Director, Greycroft LLC; Jennifer Hensley, Executive Director, ABNY. Front row: Harry Heymann, Head of Engineering, foursquare)

STAR OF BROOKLYN: George Fontas

Home Reporter
April 23, 2012
BY JAMIE MALLETTE

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Since being appointed to the board in 2007, Fontas has served as chairperson for the Police and Public Safety Committee, chairperson of the Pedestrian Safety Sub-Committee, and as a member of the Transportation Committee.

Participation in community affairs came naturally to him, described Fontas. “I was raised in a household that put an emphasis on community and on working with folks to overcome challenges, so now in my adult life, as opportunities to work with other people come up, whether it is working to address safety issues in our neighborhood or any other issues, I really enjoy and look forward to work on those,” remarked Fontas.

“I have been on the Public Safety Committee since I was appointed to the board five years ago, I have a lot of experience in issues relating to restaurants, and other nightlife establishments. Coming out of the Pedestrian Safety Sub-Committee, there was a natural progression between working on pedestrian safety issues and police and safety. It was a honor to be asked to be chair,” said Fontas.

CAREER: Fontas received his Bachelor’s degree in government from Manhattan College and minored in religion. He went on to garner a Master’s degree in government from St. John’s University and a post- baccalaureate certificate in international relations.

Fontas worked as director of communications and legislative affairs for Assemblymember David Weprin when Weprin was in the City Council. Currently, Fontas works as a consultant in government relations for Capalino + Company. Fontas remarked, “I love what I do. It offers me an opportunity to go out in neighborhoods across the city. It gives me an opportunity to see different neighborhoods, communities, community boards and block associations.

“[I enjoy] working with people on a project and getting results that will make sense for everyone. It gets back to working with communities and people on a grass roots community level that I really enjoy,” continued Fontas.

When Fontas is not working with the community, he spends his time bicycling around the neighborhood and being captain of a league soccer team at Chelsea Piers.

PERSONAL: Fontas is a lifelong Bay Ridgeite who proclaims, “Bay Ridge is a special place for me. It’s where I’m from, it’s where my parents made their home and where my mother was raised. I went to the same elementary school as my mother [St. Anselm’s].

“My mother still lives in the same house where I grew up. Some of my closest friends, who I have known for 20 years, still live here. Now it is my friends’ kids who live in the community. Every neighborhood has its benefits, but for me, on a personal level, I have a special connection [with Bay Ridge],” Fontas concluded.

UJA-REX Gala honoring Justin H. Green at Grand Hyatt NYC

Crain’s First Look: After Javits Breakfast

Greg David moderated a very interesting panel discussing the Governor’s recently proposed convention center at Aqueduct in Queens. Christian Goode, SVP of the gambling company, Genting Americas, outlined some of the features, advantages, and financing. Mark Scheinberg, President of the Greater New York Automobile Assoc. (the largest trade show at Javits) weighed in on some of the good points and negatives. Robert Yaro, President of the Regional Plan Association, and Steven Malanga, Sr. Fellow at Manhattan Institue/Sr. Editor, City Journal, also weighed the pros and cons.

Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce Breakfast at Elmo

Mayor Ed Koch Honored at Gala Dinner by Beit Morasha of Jerusalem

The American Friends of Beit Morasha of Jerusalem honored former Mayor Ed Koch at a dinner held on January 25th at Guastavino’s, the extraordinary space under the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge on East 59th Street. The Robert M. Beren College of Beit Morasha announced the establishment of the Edward I. Koch Center for Public Policy and Jewish Ethics.

A crowd of over 200 people gathered with special presentations by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Minister Moshe Yaalon, Israel’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs, and Benjamin Patton, grandson of General George Patton.

16th Annual Urban Heroes Awards Benefit

7 World Trade Center, November 2, 2011

The Catalog for Giving of New York held its 16th Annual Urban Heroes Awards Benefit on the 49th floor of 7 World Trade Center. With the amazing backdrop of the city’s skyline the organization honored Martin S. Burger, EVP Silverstein Properties, with the 2011 Corporate Urban Hero Award. Bill Ritter, News Anchor, WABC-TV was the Master of Ceremonies. The nine young men and woman who were the recipients of this year’s Urban Hero Awards did a special live performance. The money raised at the event and contributions to The Catalog for Giving supports nine other charities helping young people in need.