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REBNY Brings New Flavor to Annual Event
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01 Douglas Durst, The Durst Organzation and REBNY chairman 02 New York Governor Kathy Hochul 03 James Whelan, REBNY president; Jeff Levine, Douglaston Development; Hal
Fetner, Fetner Properties; Governor Kathy Hochul: Joel Picket, Gotham Organization and Douglas Durst, The Durst Organization and REBNY Chairman 04 Bernard Warren, Webb & Brooker Inc. and Darcy Stacom, CBRE 05 Gaston Silva, Vornado Realty Trust and Frank Pusinelli, RXR Realty 06 James Whelan, REBNY president: Sarah Saltzberg, Bohemia Realty Group; Bess
Freedman, Brown Harris Stevens and Douglas Durst, The Durst Organization and REBNY chairman
The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) marked its 126th year with nearly 2,000 real estate industry and business leaders, government officials and other guests in its revamped annual event, “New York Forever: A Celebration of Our City,” at The Glasshouse in Manhattan.
Unlike REBNY’s previous annual events, this year’s celebration departed from the past tradition of black tie, banquet hall and sit-down dinner. With fresh energy and in cocktail attire, the event kicked off with red carpet interviews featuring REBNY’s annual honorees and top real estate executives from across the city. A cocktail hour reception included REBNY’s annual award ceremony honoring industry leaders and advocates and featuring celebratory remarks from Governor Kathy Hochul and Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief advisor to Mayor Eric Adams. REBNY then welcomed guests to a dynamic networking reception featuring a variety of culinary tastes and drinks from some of NYC’s top chefs and mixologists.
“The biggest night in real estate was unlike any other in REBNY’s history,” said REBNY President James Whelan. “For the first time in almost three years, we gathered in person to not only celebrate our industry leaders but also applaud the resilience of New York City and the exciting future ahead. It was truly an unforgettable night.”
Guests enjoyed drinks and cocktails from Brooklyn Brewery and New York Distillery. A diverse menu of canapes from top NYC chefs including special guest chef Daniel Boulud, were also served, under his purview. Other chefs included: Michael Lomonaco of Porter House Bar and Grill and Hudson Yards Grill; J.J. Johnson of Fieldtrip; Ash Fulker
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01 Leslie Himmel, Himmel + Meringoff Properties and Joel Picket, Gotham Organization 02 Hazel Dukes, NAACP 03 Mary Ann Tighe, CBRE 04 Bob Knakal, JLL Capital Markets 05 Bruce Mosler, Cushman & Wakefield 09 10
06 Hilary Spann, Boston Properties 07 Chef Daniel Boulud 08 Hazel Dukes, NAACP and REBNY President James Whelan 09 Ingrid Lewis-Martin, chief advisor to Mayor Eric Adams 10 Laura Jackson, SL Green Realty Corp. and Lauren Calandriello, JLL
of Hill Country; Joseph Rosa of Hudson West; Anastacia Song of Kumi NY and Anwar Khoder of Li-Lac Chocolates.
The event was held in partnership with NY Forever, a nonprofit organization working to recapture faith and pride in New York by organizing and motivating New Yorkers from every borough and generation to participate in the city’s civic rebirth.
During the cocktail reception, REBNY recognized nine honorees for unparalleled commitment to the civic welfare of New York City and its residents, outstanding personal and professional success, and exceptional contributions to the industry. Awards and honorees included: The John E. Zuccotti Public Service Award, presented to Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference; The Bernard H. Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award, presented to Tom Elghanayan, chairman and co-founder of TF Cornerstone Inc.; The Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award, presented to Sarah Saltzberg, co-owner of Bohemia Realty Group; The Louis Smadbeck Memorial Broker Recognition Award, presented to Darcy Stacom, chairman and head of New York City Capital Markets at CBRE; The George M. Brooker Management Executive of the Year Award, presented to Frank Pusinelli, senior executive vice president, chief operating officer-operating assets at RXR Realty, and The Young Real Estate Professional of the Year Award, presented to Laura Jackson, senior vice president, tax director, SL Green Realty Corp. The Harry B. Helmsley Distinguished New Yorker Award was presented jointly to Hal Fetner, president and CEO of Fetner Properties; Jeff Levine, founder and chairman of Douglaston Development and David Picket, CEO of Gotham Organization.
