Syska Snippets
Did you miss some of our press releases or emails? Not to worry. In every issue of Connections we provide a news summary.
Here is the latest:
An Augmented Leadership Structure
You probably know that Syska recently promoted Gary Brennen and Cyrus Izzo, formerly co-presidents, to chairman and CEO, respectively.
But what you may not know is that this restructuring also included promotions of four other senior executives: Rob Ioanna to chief technical officer, John Passanante to executive director of practices, Joseph O’Sullivan to executive director of geographical operations, and Louis Curatolo to chief administrative officer.
This expansion of the leadership team was long in the works, and it supports several goals identified in Syska’s “Vision 2025” plan. One goal is the streamlining of operations. By overseeing specific areas of the business, Rob, John, Joe, and Louis are promoting internal efficiencies. These internal efficiencies, in turn, give Syska professionals more time to devote themselves to growing the business and cultivating client relationships, which are additional goals of Vision 2025.
Another goal of Vision 2025 is the investment in the next generation of leaders. Each of these four promotions reflects efforts to train and support talented executives as they rise through the ranks. This initiative is a key component of professional development, and it ensures the stability of the firm as we prepare to enter our second century of business.
Please join us in congratulating Rob, John, Joe, and Louis on their new roles. Along with Gary and Cyrus, they are positioning us for success in our 95th year and beyond.
New Hires
Joe Schenider, PE, LEED AP
He joins our Chicago office as associate partner and supervising engineer. He has over 20 years of electrical engineering experience working on airports, government and civic buildings, office, commercial, education, cultural, entertainment, mission critical and healthcare facilities. Projects range from minor renovations to additions and new construction.
Senior Associates
Ernie D Noblesala (New York)
Wei-Cha Sherry Lin, LEED AP (New York)
Steven Thigpen, PE (Raleigh)
Craig MacMenomay, PE, CEM (Jacksonville/Tampa)
Jim Neff, PE, CPHC (Boston)
Alan Ward (New York)
Kelvin Carter, RCDD (San Francisco/Sacramento)
Welcome to the team. We are excited that you are here!
Promotions
Syska Hennessy is excited to announce our promotions for 2023. The professionals and their new titles are:
Louis Curatolo, Chief Administrative Officer (New York)
Tarkan Altay, PE PMP, Associate Partner (Los Angeles)
Timothy Burdge, Associate Partner (New York)
Clint Moreno, Associate Managing Director II, (Chicago)
Sheetal Roy, PE, Associate Partner (Chicago)
Wasay Abdul, PE, Senior Associate (Chicago)
Beata Borowik, Senior Associate (New York)
Mark Griffith, Senior Associate (Jacksonville)
Katarzyna Hojdas, Senior Associate (New York)
Kasteny Knutson, Senior Associate (New York)
Matthew McCarthy, Senior Associate (Richmond)
Samer Nahas, Senior Associate (Dallas)
Marlon Ramirez, Senior Associate (Los Angeles)
Tyler Shockley, Senior Associate (Dallas)
Matthew Wolski, Senior Associate (New York)
Matthew Cassidy, PE, Associate (Chicago)
Rahimuddin Deyarmand, Associate (San Francisco)
John Geitner, Associate (Charlotte)
Zuriel Morgado, Associate (New York)
Johnny Nguyen, Associate (San Francisco)
Keith O’Hearn, Associate (Boston)
Desiree Robinson, PE, Associate (San Diego)
Steven Schmitt, Associate (Chicago)
Endrias Woldegiorgis, Associate (Charlotte)
Sami El Khoury, PE, Associate Managing Director I, (San Francisco)
Congratulations to all!
Awards
Cyrus J. Izzo, PE was honored at the ACEC New York holiday luncheon with the Chairman’s Award for his leadership and dedication. Congratulations Cyrus on this achievement!
Syska Hennessy’s Marketing Development Team won two Viddy Awards! Now in its 27th year, Viddy recognizes excellence in the way video is created, produced, and delivered. Our first ever firm-wide innovations event kickoff video won Platinum and our new "Find Your Place" recruitment campaign won Gold!
Syska Hennessy won two 2023 Anchin Construction, Design and Real Estate Awards. The Best Innovation Award is given to a company that incorporates technology and innovation into its core services and the Legacy Award celebrates the achievements of a firm that has been in business for at least 75 years. We are honored to receive both!
Speaking Engagements
Robert Fagnant
Richard Nowak
Chris Lay
Robert Ioanna
Robert Fagnant, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, attended the Life Science CRE Conference West, and participated in a panel discussion titled “Innovating & Repositioning” focusing on adaptive reuse, conversions & expansion projects at the Bisnow event on Tuesday April 25th.
Joseph Romano, PE, participated in the Young Electrical Professionals Panel discussion on Thursday, March 16th. It was a great opportunity to hear industry experts talk about their experiences.
Richard Nowak, LEED AP, was one of the moderators for the round table discussion entitled “Who Shapes the Campus.” The in-person event was held on Thursday, Feb 16th, 2023, and featured panelists from different universities shared their perspectives on the future of academic campus planning.
Cyrus J. Izzo, PE, President & CEO, participated in a panel entitled “Real Estate and Construction Challenges and Opportunities in the Current Economic Environment” on the Thursday, February 16th that discussed the various obstacles that the real estate, construction and design industries are currently facing in this volatile economic environment.
Christopher Lay, PE, participated in a panel entitled “The Buildout of Mega Campuses in Northern Virginia” on Thursday, February 9th, that looked at scale and speed-to-market in the largest data center market.
Jen Crawford, Associate Partner, moderated a panel discussion titled “What the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Means for Aviation in California” on Tuesday, April 11th. Airport leaders discussed how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will influence efforts related to sustainability, emerging technology and changing trends.
Robert Ioanna, PE, LEED AP, participated in an ASHRAE panel event entitled “Building Belonging at ASHRAE” on Wednesday, March 29th. The discussion explored the foundations for driving diversity, equity and inclusion for all ASHRAE members of the New York chapter and nationally.
Timothy E. Krawetz, PE, LEED AP, was on a panel discussion titled “Upgrading & Enhancing Facilities for the Patient Experience” focusing on incorporating hospitality at hospitals at the Boston Healthcare Real Estate Summit on Wednesday May 24th.
Joe Romano
Cyrus J. Izzo
Jen Crawford
Timothy E Krawetz
Firmwide News
Joseph O'Sullivan, Senior Principal and Chicago Office Leader, was named as a new member to Northwestern University’s Executive Management for Design and Construction (EMDC) program Industry Advisory Board (IAB). Thought leaders from across the AEC industry will help shape the future of the EMDC program.
During Black History Month, Syska Hennessy hosted “Virtual Exploring Black Art” and received an online tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, DC. The hour-long session showed works from multiple artists that use art to explore the concept of race and identity. A huge thank you to Tim at Confetti our guide, curator, and teacher and everyone who participated!
Syska Hennessy hosted “Women’s History Mini Games” through the team building company Confetti. Eight teams competed and answered questions on women innovators, culture, and more. Points were collected per team and were put towards Room to Read, sponsoring a day of education for girls all over the world. Such a great organization!
For Earth Week, multiple offices learned how to make beeswax food wraps. The idea is to switch from plastic to an eco-friendlier option. Beeswax wraps are washable, reusable and compostable and the use of fabric prevents them from tearing. Thanks to our Green Team!
On April 27th, Syska Hennessy offices participated in National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. It’s a great opportunity and educational experience for children to see what their parents do and potentially spark an unknown interest. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the activity filled day.
Cyrus J. Izzo, PE, President & CEO, is proud to be one of the 12 charter members representing our firm on the Infrastructure Action Council (IAC). Syska Hennessy looks forward to working with everyone and is excited to be part of the IAC, which will make a difference in New York, the state we call home. We believe in engineering a world that is usable and accessible for all.