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PIAA Elects Gerald Dawes as Incoming President

Posted:
July 2, 2013

At the recent 2013 Annual Meeting and Election of the Polytechnic Institute Alumni Association (PIAA), alumni mingled in the Regna Lounge as morning sun streamed through the trees outside the windows. To one side, PIAA’s Immediate Past President Christine Ianuzzi ’87 ’94 and Executive Council member Frank Namad ’68 chatted with International Board of Directors member Phil Furgang ‘60, one of this year’s two presidential candidates and the author (in 1993) of the organization’s original bylaws. Friendly rival presidential candidate Gerald Dawes ’84 ’89 walked over to shake hands. “You know how much I wish you luck,” Furgang said to Dawes.

Erica Marks, Interim Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations, joined the group with her bike helmet in hand. As will happen among NYU-Poly alumni, the discussion turned to engineering, business, and civic planning: the design of the bicycle racks outside 6 MetroTech, the smart branding of the new CitiBikes system, and the successful integration of bicycle commuting in cities like Amsterdam and Tokyo.

Other members reflected on what the PIAA means to them. “When you get an engineering degree, you have a marketable skill, but it’s still important that older alumni try to help younger students coming up by networking,” said Board member John Yankovich ‘91. “I’m part of the alumni association because I want to make myself available to them.”

Attention soon turned to the day’s agenda, and Ianuzzi called the meeting to order, recognizing attending board members and officers and presiding over a moment of silence for NYU-Poly alumni, faculty, and staff who have passed away during the last year. After a series of Officer reports on alumni relations, accomplishments, and giving, votes were cast in this year’s election.

As a result, PIAA welcomed the following incoming officers and board members for 2013-15:

Executive Board Members (Officers)

  • Gerald Dawes ’84EE ’89EE, President
  • Leonard Singh ’98EE, Executive Vice President
  • Neil Weiser ’73EE, Vice President
  • Christopher Clinton ’09ME, Treasurer (re-elected)
  • Eric Levenstein ’06CE, ’08TC ’10MBA, Secretary (re-elected)

International Board of Directors

  • Jose Garcia ’09 CompE ’09OB
  • Charles J. Hinkaty ’70 ’72MA
  • Frank Namad ’68ME
  • Edward Sawchuk ’76CE
  • David Sobin ’72EECS

The organization thanks the following outgoing officers and board members for their devotion and passion for NYU-Poly during their terms:

Executive Board Members (Officers)

  • Josiane Arbouet ’96 ’99, President
  • Christine Ianuzzi ’87 ’94, Immediate Past President
  • Michael Urmeneta ’92 ’00, Executive Vice President
  • Leonard Singh, Vice President (re-elected to serve as Executive Vice President)
  • Chris Clinton ’09, Treasurer (re-elected)
  • Eric Levenstein ’06 ’08 ’10, Secretary (re-elected)

International Board of Directors

  • Charles Hinkaty ’70 ’72 (re-elected to serve another 3-year term)
  • Edward S. Sawchuk ’76 (re-elected to serve another 3-year term)
  • Neil Weiser ’76 (re-elected to serve as Vice President)
  • Luther White ’87

The PIAA and the Office of Alumni Relations also wish to thank the following outgoing PIAA Executive Council members:

  • Norbert Bikales ’56 ’61
  • Henry Bertoni ’62 ’68
  • Frank Namad ’68
  • John Artise ’70
  • Johnny Lai ’85
  • Rosa Yaghmour ’98
  • Joel Fernandez ’11

Outgoing officers and board members will end their terms on June 30, 2013; the newly elected officers and board members being their term on July 1, 2013.

PIAA President-Elect Dawes, who also represents ConEdison on NYU-Poly’s Board of Trustees, emphasized the importance of student engagement and service in his thinking as incoming President, and said, “I’ll look to take direction from the Board, leverage what I know of the overall direction of the school and what’s happening at NYU, and project forward.”

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