BTEA elects Avolio of Turner Construction and Russo of Fresh Meadow Mechanical as 2014 co-chairmen

According to the Building Trades Employers' Association (BTEA), Charles Avolio, VP and operations manager of Turner Construction Co., and Michael Russo, chief operating officer of Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp., have been elected by the association's board of governors to serve as co-chairmen for the year. Avolio has over 28 years of extensive experience in the construction industry, all of which he gained while working at Turner's New York office. His responsibilities at Turner include oversight of all project operations, site safety, personnel, risk management and labor relations. He is principal-in-charge for several of Turner's major projects including 2 World Trade Center, the New York City Police Academy, and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Avolio is a LEED Accredited Professional, and a former founding director of USGBC's New York chapter. He is a director of the Contractor's Association of Greater New York (CAGNY). He also serves as VP of the board of World Cares Center, an international not-for-profit organization. Russo serves as CEO and corporate secretary of Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp., a mechanical contracting corporation that oversees Fresh Meadow Chiller Services, LLC; Fresh Meadow Electrical Contractors, LLC; Fresh Meadow Mechanical Service, LLC; Fresh Meadow Power, LLC and HLI Rail & Rigging, LLC. Russo has played an instrumental role in Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp.’s most notable projects, including the waterfalls at the National September 11th Memorial and Museum and the installation of mechanical systems at the Weill Cornell Medical Center and Brooklyn Bridge Park. He is a partner at AMF Associates, a commercial real estate firm, and the President and Director of Operations of Northeastern Aviation Corp., an aircraft charter and management firm. Russo serves as chairman of the board of trustees of Flushing Hospital Medical Center. Russo has been on the MCA NY board of directors for the past four years. The Building Trades Employers' Association (BTEA) consists of 27 trade union contractor associations, representing the 2,000 construction managers, general contractors and specialty subcontractor firms in New York City, who employ 125,000 tradespeople. Members range in size from multi-billion dollar internationally recognized firms to small and mid-sized specialty trade contracting firms. The BTEA works to advance the interest of New York City Construction Trade Associations and their corporate members, recognizing that a vibrant unionized construction industry is essential to the economic future of New York City. For more information, visit http://www.bteany.com.