PWC's 30th anniversary holiday gala honors Bonacci and Simonelli

"Tonight we are celebrating the steady rise of women, in numbers and prominence, working in the design and construction industry over the past 30 years, and the steady rise of the new World Trade Center," said Carla Bonacci, AIA, PP, assistant director of the World Trade Center Construction (WTCC), Port Authority of N.Y. & N.J. (PANYNJ), at a special holiday gala hosted by Professional Women in Construction (PWC) National on December 10. The black tie dinner and dance event honoring PWC's 30th anniversary and paying tribute to Bonacci and Debra Simonelli, program director, WTCC, drew a sellout crowd to The Grand Ballroom of The Yale Club and featured the music of "the crown prince of swing," Stan Rubin and his Orchestra. PWC president Lenore Janis noted that the nonprofit organization is now six chapters strong nationwide and thanked "all who have assisted our efforts to advance business and professional women and minorities in this industry." She gave special kudos to the event's committee members: Flora Ramos, senior project manager, Tishman Construction; Lina Gottesman of Altus Metal & Marble; Christine Flaherty of STV; and Connie Delaigle and Rob Foreman, PANYNJ. Janis praised the evening's honorees for playing key roles in the $11 billion dollar WTCC project, a 16-acre redevelopment "now back on track and moving towards completion." Bonacci supervises funds of over $1 billion as head of the WTC Infrastructure and Project Development group. Accepting the PWC award, she expressed her hope that "in my daughter's generation...women [will be] running the major design and construction firms, just as they are running projects and contracts today." She thanked Janis; Nancy Czesak and Flora Ramos of Tishman Consruction Corporation; Chris Ward, executive director, PANYNJ; and Steve Plate, director, WTCC. Janis applauded Simonelli who is responsible for the coordination, design and construction of the Vehicular Security Center (VSC) and Tour Bus Parking Facility, the central artery for the site's truck delivery and parking system. Simonelli congratulated fellow honoree Bonacci and thanked Ward; David Tweedy, chief, capital planning, PANYNJ; and Plate; as well as many other team members. "It is a personal badge of honor to be a part of WTCC and a professional journey that is still unfolding," she said. Plate cheered the women, adding, "We're back and we're better than ever before." He said that the WTCC project aspires to leave "a little bit of a legacy," and reminded all that "we have a responsibility to remember those 3,000 people in a very special way." Event sponsors included Tishman Construction Corporation; Battery Park City Authority; Haks; and Five Star Electric and WDF, Inc.