Women Builders Council honors industry champions at awards dinner

The Women Builders Council (WBC), New York's leading advocacy group for women and minorities in the building and construction industry, saluted industry champions at its second annual awards dinner on June 19. Former co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today, Mary Alice Williams was the emcee for the Champion Awards - Women Build It 2008 honoring first lady of N.Y. Michelle Paige Paterson and city planning commission chair, Amanda Burden, among others.  Taking place at one of Manhattan's newest auditorium venues - The Times Center on West 41st St. - the event featured a strolling dinner with live entertainment and a silent auction. "We are very excited to be sponsoring our second annual Champion Awards Dinner," said Sandra Wilkin, president, Women Builders Council. Honorees, in addition to the Paterson and Burden, included: Faye Wattleton, president, Center for the Advancement of Women, and trustee, Columbia University; Eric Dinallo, superintendent of insurance, New York State Insurance Department; Lynn Schubert, president, Surety & Fidelity Association of America; Anne Malloy-Trenkle, New York State Liaison, Helmets to Hardhats: Deborah Walthen Finn, director of transit & rail, CH2M Hill Companies Ltd.; and Emilia Nuccio, vice president, Homes for America Holdings. Presenters included: William Thompson, comptroller, New York City; Sharon Greenberger, NYC School Construction Authority; Jane Chmielinski, DMJM Harris, Inc.; Michael Garner, Business Development, NYC School Construction Authority; Norbert Young, McGraw Hill Construction; and Sharon Emek, CBS Coverage Group, Inc.