A noteworthy legislative amendment was the exclusion of “squatters” from the definition of “tenant” under the current tenancy laws.
It is important to note that while the new Good Cause Eviction Law went into effect in New York City immediately, other municipalities throughout New York State will need to opt-in by enacting this legislation if they so choose.
I would like to start by welcoming all the members of the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors to the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors! The official date of our merger was Sept. 4, 2020 when all necessary documents and approvals were fully executed and filed. We are now one association, with a new Bronx Chapter, including real property at 1867 Williamsbridge Road where our Bronx operations will continue. I hope that everyone is as excited as I am about the opportunities we will all be afforded as we move forward together.
I would specifically like to introduce Eliezer “Eli” Rodriguez, BMNAR’s former CEO who will now take on the role of Director of Advocacy, Commercial and Legislative Issues for the Bronx and Manhattan for HGAR. In this new capacity, we have tasked Eli with an expansion of our legislative and community advocacy, as well as executing a new vision and strategy for our Commercial Investment Division (CID), two areas that Eli excelled in for the Bronx Association. Assisting Eli in managing and maintaining operations in the Bronx location is Office Manager Janine Mosher who becomes part of our HGAR Member Success Team.
I would also like to welcome Vince Buccieri, BMNAR’s 2020 President, as the new Bronx Regional Director on our HGAR Board of Directors. By virtue of the merger agreement, Vince will fill this role through the end of 2020, and has subsequently been nominated by the Bronx Chapter to continue in that role through 2021. We look forward to his participation and leadership.
On September 11th, HGAR will be launching the first session of our new Leadership Accelerator program. I’d like to congratulate and welcome the 13 members of our inaugural class: Layla Boyes, Adam Cherko, Valerie D’Amico, Diane DeFalco, Ralph Gabay, Allison Jaffe, Ismail Kolya, Stacey Kornfeld, Tana McGuire, Nan Palumbo, Julie Piazza, Anthony Ruperto and Cheryl Williams. These individuals are about to embark on a 10-month commitment to elevating their leadership knowledge, skills and understanding of our Realtor associations. I truly applaud their participation!
One of the pre-requisites for the Leadership Accelerator participants was to read the book, “24/7, The First Person You Must Lead is You” by Rebecca Halstead, Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Retired. I decided to read the book along with them and have found many of the leadership principles to be extremely helpful to me, both in my role this year as HGAR President, but also in many facets of my personal and professional life.
One of the principles that has become valuable to me is what she refers to as the “WIN” Mentality. WIN = What’s Important Now. In our fast-paced, high-demand world, whether leading your family, your business or simply yourself, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the needs and demands placed on us. This is where consciously focusing on the WIN mentality can put things in perspective, mitigate stress, and allow for tackling projects and tasks in order of importance. The WIN list can change at any time. As I consider what the WIN is for HGAR, there are always numerous projects in the works at any given time, with varying levels of priority. The merger and launching of the Leadership Accelerator program were certainly WIN goals in my mind coming into 2020. They hit a temporary speed bump when we were faced with the unexpected pandemic and all of its many challenges, but their importance was never set aside.
With both of these now underway, the formation of a meaningful and sustainable Diversity & Inclusion Committee for HGAR is a WIN top priority. This process is well underway. I’d like to thank the members of our Diversity Task Force—Solomon Fuerst, Rey Hollingsworth Falu, Ismail “Ish” Kolya, Joe Rand, Anthony Ruperto, Christina Taylor, Cheryl Williams, and task force chair and President-Elect Crystal Hawkins-Syska—for their commitment to doing the hard work and having the difficult conversations necessary to accomplish their task. They are currently working with the guidance of Dr. Nicole Furlonge, Professor of Practice and Director of the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College of Columbia University, towards their goal, and we expect to see their recommendations in the coming weeks.
As we move through these next few months of 2020, our leadership team will continually use the WIN mentality to evaluate the opportunities and initiatives in front of us, and prioritize for the benefit of our members.
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I would like to share my thoughts on the pain, suffering and turmoil that has gripped our region, our state
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