NYCHA Notables
As the Broadband Initiatives manager in IT’s Infrastructure Department, Anthony Palermo has been working to provide telecommunications and other services for residents since the TIES (telecommunications, internet, entertainment and security) initiative he began in 2001. Since 2006, the 36-year NYCHA veteran has focused on utilizing existing and providing additional infrastructure for broadband.
“NYCHA has been trying to bridge the digital divide for years and we are now seeing those efforts leveraged in a really exciting way by the Mayor’s new initiatives,” he said. “The demonstration project at Queensbridge Houses will utilize the TIES infrastructure connection between apartments that we completed in 2005, and the demonstration project at Mott Haven Houses will use extra capacity that we included in NYCHA’s fiber-optic network installed between buildings in 2013 for the layered access security system. The Mayor’s Office was delighted to learn that we had these assets in place,” said Mr. Palermo.
An architect as well as an information technology expert, Mr. Palermo is utilizing his institutional knowledge of NYCHA’s physical plant and existing IT assets to help select properties for the broadband rollout that will eventually bring high-speed broadband service to over 16,000 residents at five public housing developments.
“Working with City Hall is really interesting because collaborating with the Mayor’s Office as well as the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications brings a lot of concerns and talented people together. I am proud to be part of the process.”
General Services Graphic Artist Keith DeCesare, known as “Keith the Artist” to the September 11th families and community, took part in the ArtAID Signing Ceremony at the National September 11th Memorial and Museum on July 30 that celebrated the first anniversary of the official opening of this important New York City institution. Since the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, Keith has given out free copies of his “healing art” to those most affected by the tragedy. The artworks feature a series of Angel Memorials created by Keith to honor heroic uniformed officers and others that answered the call on 9/11.
The stunning series of Angel Memorials—including the Firefighters Angel, the NYPD Guardian Angel, and the EMS Healing Angel — are currently on display in the museum and can also be seen on Keith’s Facebook page here. The Facebook page also includes many moving comments that show the artworks’ profound impact on victims’ families and countless others around the world.
“It was truly gratifying to be surrounded by dozens of loving friends at the First Anniversary celebration of my work being acquired by the museum, and a powerful validation to have 9/11 family members and first responders in attendance. Many came in from great distances,” said Mr. DeCesare.
“In addition to members of the clergy, there were also dozens of volunteers from Ground Zero, in particular from St. Paul’s Chapel in attendance — so for us it was a sort of reunion,” he said.
Mr. DeCesare and his wife found the gathering so inspiring that they spontaneously asked one of the priests to renew their wedding vows. “Surrounded by so many supporting friends and family for such a significant. “Surrounded by so many supporting friends and family for such a significant event, it was something we had to do,” he said.
