2023 HGAR President D’Anzica Pledges ‘Building Bridges That Unite Us’ Platform

NEW YORK—Approximately 300 Realtor members, as well as federal, state and county political leaders were on hand for the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors’ 2023 Installation gala on Feb. 2 at the lavish Marina Del Rey in the Bronx. The highlight of the program entitled “Building Bridges That Unite Us” was the installation of veteran Manhattan Realtor Tony D’Anzica as the 2023 President of the 107-year-old Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors.

The event also included the installation of 2023 HGAR Executive Officers: Carmen Bauman, owner of Green Grass Real Estate Corp. in Bronxville and Associate Broker at RM Friedland, as President-Elect; Joseph Lippolis of BHHS Rivertowns Real Estate in Peekskill as Treasurer; Vlora Sejdi of Keller Williams New York Realty in White Plains as Secretary; Anthony Domathoti of Exit Realty Premium in the Bronx as Immediate Past President and Crystal Hawkins-Syska of Keller Williams New York Realty in White Plains as Previous Past President.

New Regional Directors installed for the 2023 term were: Joseph Cosentino of Morris Park Realty Group in the Bronx as Bronx County Regional Director; Carole McCann of Hudson Heritage Realty in Washingtonville as Orange County Regional Director; Lee Presser of Exp Realty NYC in Manhattan as New York County Regional Director; Roberta Bangs of Howard Hanna Rand in New City as Rockland County Regional Director; Aaron Velez of Houlihan Lawrence in Somers as Putnam County Regional Director; and Roseann Paggiotta of Exp Realty in White Plains as Westchester County Regional Director.

The additional installed HGAR 2023 Directors include: Layla Boyles of Century 21 Realty Center, Monroe; Emran Bhuiyan of Exit Realty Premium, Bronx; Rey Hollingsworth Falu of Hollingsworth Real Estate Group, White Plains; Mackenzie Forsberg of Genesis Realty Group LLC, Bronx; Ron Garafalo of John J. Lease Realtors Inc., Middletown; Joseph Houlihan of Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate Services, Bronxville; Ismail Kolya of Exp Realty, White Plains; Diane Mitchell of Wright Bros Realty Estate Inc., Nyack; Timothy Mullowney of Zillow Inc., Manhattan; Darin (Nan) Palumbo of Green Grass Real Estate Corp., Bronxville; Brian Phillips of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Bronx; Anthony Ruperto of J. Philip Real Estate, LLC, Briarcliff; Christina Stevens of Laujel Realty Corp., Bronx; Maryann Tercasio, Howard Hanna Rand Realty, Central Valley and Cheryl Williams of Corcoran Legends Realty, Tarrytown.

Holding the new American flag for HGAR’s Bronx Chapter office were: from left, Luis T. Sepulveda, NYS Senator, 32nd District; Yudelka Tapia, NYS Assembly Member, (AD-86); Nathalia Fernandez, NYS Senator, 34th District; Eli Rodriguez, HGAR Government Affairs Director and Director, Bronx Chapter; Rafael Salamanca Jr. NYC Council Member District 17 and Tony D’Anzica, HGAR 2023 President.

New York State Association of Realtors President John Vernazza was on hand to officially install HGAR President D’Anzica, Broker-Owner of Dynamax Realty NYC, Inc., and the 2023 HGAR Executive Officers.

HGAR Interim CEO/Chief Operating Officer Jana Currier offered welcoming remarks and installed the 2023 HGAR Board of Directors. Eliezer Rodriguez, HGAR Regional Government Affairs Director/Director Bronx Chapter offered the Pledge of Allegiance, while HGAR Board Director Christina Stevens gave the invocation.

“We were so excited to host this year’s Installation Gala in the Bronx, which became part of HGAR in 2021”, said Jana Currier, Interim CEO and COO. “Our association is proud to welcome Tony as our 2023 President as well as our 2023 Board of Directors in their new roles this year. We look forward to working with them all.”

As a preview to D’Anzica’s 2023 platform speech where he stressed the association’s efforts in 2023 to “making the Bronx a priority,” he, along with the Bronx elected officials in attendance, presented HGAR’s Rodriguez with a new American flag to fly above HGAR’s Bronx Chapter offices.

A host of Bronx dignitaries were also on hand to congratulate the new HGAR President and Board of Directors including: U.S. Congressman Adriano Espaillat; New York State Senators Nathalia Fernandez and Luis Sepulveda; New York State Assembly member Yudelka Tapia; Bronx Borough President Venessa L. Gibson; and New York City Council member Rafael Salamanca. Congressman Espaillat and Borough President Gibson also spoke at the event, both noting the importance of Realtors and the housing market to the economy of the borough.

D’Anzica began his career in 1997 at Borah, Goldstein, Altschuler, Nahins & Goidel, one of New York City’s most prominent real estate law firms. In 2006, D’Anzica became a licensed real estate broker and joined the former Manhattan Association of Realtors. In 2010, D’Anzica became a MANAR Director and just six years later, he was elected President of MANAR. That same year, in 2016, he successfully spearheaded the merger of MANAR with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. With the merger complete, he joined the Board of Directors of HGAR in 2017 as the Regional Director for Manhattan.

Since then, he has served on multiple HGAR committees, including co-chair of HGAR’s Global Business Council. D’Anzica was responsible for expanding the annual Global Real Estate Summit from a collaboration between two local Realtor associations to an international event partnering with 11 Realtor associations, including the National Association of Realtors and the Canadian Real Estate Association. HGAR’s Global Business Council has garnered multiple accolades over the years, winning NAR’s coveted Global Ambassador of the Year Award and the 2022 Platinum Global Achievement Award.

Additionally, D’Anzica serves as a Director of both the National Association of Realtors and the New York State Association of Realtors.

In his acceptance speech, D’Anzica noted the growth of the association, with its humble beginnings back in 1916 representing Westchester Realtors to the organization it is today, considered as one of the largest and most influential associations in New York State and the United States. He noted that HGAR now boasts 14,000 members and has a jurisdiction that covers six counties from the Hudson Valley to the Bronx and Manhattan.

He highlighted the role of the Realtor, the industry’s Code of Ethics, its commitment to Fair Housing and eliminating discrimination in the housing process and advocacy for key legislation, including co-op transparency and other pro-consumer bills that became law thanks to the efforts of HGAR. D’Anzica also noted that once again HGAR held a highly successful Global Summit in New York City and advanced its groundbreaking efforts in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion arena by staging the first-ever DEI Summit in 2022.

He concluded his remarks by saying, “Let’s celebrate what COVID prevented us from celebrating two years ago,” D’Anzica said. “As part of my Bronx initiative this year, let’s begin right now to demonstrate our association’s commitment to this great borough. So, together with all of our local elected officials who are here…let us celebrate and welcome the Bronx into the Hudson Gateway family and let’s do it Bronx style!”

The Installation program concluded with the recognition of 2022 HGAR Award Winners by HGAR Recognition Committee Chair Katheryn DeClerck. Afterwards, the entertainment facet of the event went into high gear with Tito Puente Jr. And His Jazz Ensemble prompting many to the dance floor.

Sponsors of the Installation event were: Band Sponsor: Tryax Realty Management; Bar Sponsor: OneKey MLS; Valet Sponsor: Dolgetta Law PLLC; Gold Sponsors: CoreLogic, Dynamax Realty NYC, Inc., Orange Bank & Trust Co. and ShowingTime; Silver Sponsors: Alan Block Insurance, Clancy Relocation & Logistics, Daniels O’Connell PC, E.J. York, Elm Street Technology, Genesis Realty Group LLC, Judicial Title Agency, KZA Realty Group, Inc., Langsam Property Services Corp., Paone & Associates, PLLC, Reliance America International Realty, RG Title Agency and Wolinetz Management.

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