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NYCHA Now
Celebrations December 2023 

NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt Honored at Rebuilding Together NYC November Gala 

Joshua Olesker

At their 25th anniversary gala on November 1, Rebuilding Together NYC (RTNYC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to “Repair Homes, Rebuild Lives, and Revitalize Communities,” presented its annual Patty R. Johnson Leadership Award to NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt.  

The Patty R. Johnson Award, named for Rebuilding Together NYC’s founding President and CEO, is presented by RTNYC every year to “an individual or corporation who best exemplifies dedicated leadership in service to communities in need.” 

“I am truly honored to receive Rebuilding Together NYC’s Patty R. Johnson Leadership Award,” said Ms. Bova-Hiatt. “As a lifelong New Yorker who strives every day to assist, restore, and invest in our city’s communities and residents, I celebrate RTNYC’s vital contributions to the lives of so many New Yorkers. As we mark the 25th anniversary of Rebuilding Together NYC’s founding, I congratulate everyone at RTNYC on all that you have done for New York City and thank you so much for this recognition.” 

Rebuilding Together NYC started out 25 years ago as a small organization, but in recent years the team has grown significantly. The organization’s recent growth has been catalyzed significantly by recovery funding provided both by the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) as well as by NYCHA. Support from GOSR supported the launch of RTNYC’s critical home repair work, allowing the remediation of many homes that had been damaged during Superstorm Sandy. Support from NYCHA made possible RTNYC’s “Careers in Construction,” a re-training and re-skilling program designed to prepare participants to embark on new careers in construction with a focus on union apprenticeships.  

RTNYC’s “Community Revitalization Program” supports other non-profit organizations by recruiting groups of volunteers who seek to give back through community service. As part of that initiative, RTNYC has supported repair and remediation work at NYCHA’s Farragut Houses, Carey Gardens, and O’Dwyer Gardens.