"New York is open for business for everyone -that includes small businesses, minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses. Together we can and we will get the job done." That resounding message was delivered loud and clear by Paul Williams, Jr., president of Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) and this year's Professional Women in Construction (PWC) honoree at the organization's annual Awards Reception held at the Yale Club in NYC on June 21. The event honored Williams and the project team for a megaproject in progress, the $705.8 million CUNY Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), currently under construction in Harlem and scheduled for completion in 2014. The 400,000 s/f project will contain two new world class science research buildings, one for CUNY and one for CCNY; a combined 10 floors of laboratories, classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices. With stated MWBE participation goals of 22% - 15% to MBEs and 7% to WBEs - Williams said that the project is on track to exceed those goals by a healthy margin. Andis Woodlief, PWC's event chair and MWBE manager of Skanska USA Building, noted that "We know how fortunate we are to be working on such a successful project, one that has stimulated the local economy and the local subcontractor community." Woodlief introduced honored guest Janet Torres, senior policy analyst for the Office of governor Andrew Cuomo, as someone who "approaches her work... with passion and a personal accountability for the establishment of a program of merit" and is a fervent "champion" of the governor's goals. Torres paid tribute to PWC and to DASNY and said that New York's strength is in the diversity, innovation, and entrepreneurship of all its residents. "The state is committed to breaking down barriers to growth for MWBEs in order to build a more diverse and competitive business climate," she said. Barbara Armand, PWC vice president and the president of Armand Corp., introduced Richard Kennedy, co-chief operating officer of Skanska USA Building, as the person "responsible for some of Skanska's largest and most complex building construction projects." Kennedy said, "At Skanska we understand that building better communities isn't just about constructing new schools or hospitals. It's also about supporting local businesses..." He pledged continued support of local subcontractors and noted that over $80 million in contracts are planned to go to MWBEs. PWC president Lenore Janis introduced Williams as "a man with vision and a mission," a man committed to fairness and to effecting meaningful change. She noted that "he has restructured key divisions of DASNY" to help meet customers' requirements and NYS needs. Janis noted too that under Williams' leadership DASNY is dealing with financing and construction issues concerning the City's troubled hospitals, and that he is working with labor unions to seek ways to maintain jobs in the midst of economic uncertainty. Williams commended PWC as "a resource and advocate for women-owned businesses." Saying that the CUNY building would introduce two new world-class science and research centers to New York City, he stressed his lifelong dedication to inclusion and thanked the governor for his aggressive efforts to recruit MWBEs. The entire project team includes Skanska USA Building, the CM; Flad & Associates and Kohn Pederson Fox Associates for architecture/design; GPR Planner Collaborative; Cosentini Associates, Affiliated Engineers Inc. and Leslie E. Robertson Associates for engineering. Participating public agencies are the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, DASNY and Empire State Development Corporation. For information on PWC, call 212.486-7745, contact [email protected] or visit www.pwcusa.org/ny