Building Bonds of Trust

November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 Michael Corwin

James Scanlon, Vice President, Capital Projects/Planning and Design:

On October 19, several staff members from the Capital Planning Group in Capital Projects accompanied me on a site visit to Rutgers Houses to spend time with frontline staff and to acknowledge Customer Service Week.

We were greeted professionally and enthusiastically by the management office staff, including Housing Manager Cecilia Almendarez. Ms. Almendarez is a veteran employee, serving NYCHA for 26 years. We discussed with her the needs of the development and how she and her staff ensure residents are satisfied.

Ms. Almendarez took us on a tour of Rutgers, and immediately we could see that the development is very well maintained, clean, and beautifully landscaped. We met several staff members along the way, including Resident Buildings Superintendent Nelson Rodriguez, and skilled trades and seasonal employees. All were very eager to speak with us, and very passionate about their work. The staff, led by Ms. Almendarez, is doing a tremendous job. We thanked each of them for their dedication. At the time of our visit, New York Restoration Project was also onsite, planting flowers, mulching trees, and creating a beautiful garden. The residents will be very pleased with the beautification efforts.

The staff at Rutgers Houses is top-notch. It was our pleasure to spend time with them and to hear and learn about their full commitment to NYCHA residents.

Mariam Youssef (PNA Manager), James Scanlon (VP for Capital Planning & Design), Cecilia Almendarez (Housing Manager), Patrick Rodgers (Painter), Cecelia Adames (Contract Administration Manager), John Cummings (A/E Planner)	VP for Capital Planning James Scanlon with perhaps NYCHA’s youngest employee-in-training
Abraham Clemente (Plasterer Helper)	Edgar Vceta (Seasonal Worker)
James Scanlon (VP for Capital Planning & Design), Cecilia Almendarez (Housing Manager)	Cui Min Zeng (Community Associate)
James Scanlon (VP for Capital Planning & Design), Nelson R. Rodriguez (Resident Buildings Superintendent), John Cummings (A/E Planner)	New York Restoration Project

REES staff had a planting party, which included plant repotting, consultations with in-house green thumbs, plant adoptions, and a “tree of appreciation” wall (comprised of shout-outs to colleagues on each leaf):

REES’ Customer Service Week Planting Party	Diane Fleming, Senior Zone Coordinator
Josephine Melendez, Assistant Director of Adult Education and Training, and Nexhmije Sadiku, REES Data Specialist	Debbie Miller, REES Assessment Specialist
Sideya Sherman, Executive Vice President for Community Engagement & Partnerships, and Michelle Raymie, Assistant Director of Zone Coordination and Intake and Outreach	Ernst Louis, Family Self- Sufficiency Coordinator, and Patricia Mighty, Administrative Manger
Lenese Vergara, Assistant Director of Job Generation & Section 3, and Ruth Fleming, REES Referral Associate	Rayford Hooks, Diane Fleming, Amanda Moore, Ruth Fleming, Michelle Raymie, Shanna Castillo, Lenese Vergara, Sharon Bell, Josephine Melendez, and Patricia Mighty

Sybille Louis, Director for Performance Tracking & Analytics:

Here’s a picture of the Performance Tracking and Analytics Department (PTAD) closing out Customer Service Week! Vice President Anne-Marie Flatley, Director Sybille Louis, and Deputy Director Larry Wilensky treated the team to a nice breakfast. Staff also played a game and received their certificates! In the background was our wall of Appreciation with a thank you note for each staff person for what they do. From rent projections and fair market rent analyses to maps, surveys, research projects, NYCHA publications, and various data requests, we support the NextGen NYCHA goals!

Drew-Hamilton Houses:

Douglass Houses:

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