ArtsWestchester Gala Salutes Innovators, Builders Of New TZB

WHITE PLAINS, NY — ArtsWestchester will celebrate the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge at its upcoming annual gala by honoring the integral work of key individuals who helped to make the new bridge a reality. The celebration will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18 at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester in White Plains.

With the theme, “Celebrating a Work of Art,” ArtsWestchester will honor Jamey Barbas, P.E., New NY Bridge Project Director of the New York State Thruway Authority, and all of the nen and women who built the bridge, including engineers, contractors, trades people, unions, managers and others who worked on the bridge. Terry Towle, president of Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC, will accept the award on their behalf.

In addition, ArtsWestchester will present Special Recognition awards to Dr. Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of The Business Council of Westchester, and Andrew P. O’Rourke, Jr., Educational Outreach Coordinator for the New NY Bridge Project for the New York State Thruway Authority.

“The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is both a metaphor and a work of art,” said Janet Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester. “Its grace and grandeur mark the historic passage across the Hudson River. It is a beacon for residents and travelers, a symbol of the connectivity between Westchester and the Hudson Valley.” She continued, “We are thrilled to be honoring the men and women who are building the bridge.”

About the honorees:

Jamey Barbas, P.E., Project Director, New York State Thruway Authority

Jamey Barbas is the Project Director of the New NY Bridge Project for the New York State Thruway Authority. She is a transformative senior executive with extensive experience in the strategic, operational and technical aspects of major transportation projects. Barbas is a registered professional engineer with over 33 years of experience in bridge management, design and construction, with a special emphasis on complex and long span bridges via alternative delivery. Barbas’ experience includes a number of award winning, domestic and international projects. She has led the inspection, design and construction support services for the reconstruction of the Williamsburg Bridge in NYC – one of the largest bridge re-construction projects ever undertaken in the U.S. – and led the design of the major bridges of the AutoRoute 30 project in Montreal, Canada – one of the largest P3 bridge projects in North America. Barbas resides in New York City.

Terry Towle, President, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC

Terry Towle is president of Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC), LLC, a joint venture company comprising Fluor, Granite, American Bridge and Traylor Brothers. TZC, LLC was strategically formed to design and construct the New NY Bridge. Towle is the past president of Fluor Corporation’s Infrastructure business line, which executed $1.2 billion of infrastructure projects yearly in numerous markets including bridges, rail and transit, telecommunications, and toll roads and highways. Towle has more than 30 years of industry experience in the areas of design-build, program management, construction management, project engineering, and direct field construction, executing projects in the rail, roads, bridges, research laboratories, hotel, resort and social infrastructure markets.

Dr. Marsha Gordon, President/CEO, The Business Council of Westchester

On behalf of the business community, Gordon’s steadfast support of a new Tappan Zee Bridge resulted in the fast track building of the new NY Bridge project. Her leadership and tireless work on behalf of the project was instrumental in making the monumental project a reality for the state. Gordon also has a vision for Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley Region that includes promoting the many cultural resources on both sides of the Hudson River. As leader of the county’s largest and most influential business organization, Gordon brings more than 25 years of community, commerce and leadership experience to the Business Council of Westchester. A sought-after speaker, panelist and media expert, Gordon is widely considered to be the authority on the business climate in Westchester County and is regularly the “go to” person on legislative and regulatory issues throughout the Hudson Valley. Governor Cuomo appointed Gordon to the executive committee of the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council, resulting in 300 million+ of state dollars invested in the region; in 2014 alone, $92.8 million returned to the Hudson Valley (the largest award). Gordon resides in White Plains.

Andrew P. O’Rourke, Jr., Educational Outreach Coordinator, New NY Bridge Project, New York State Thruway Authority

As Educational Outreach Administrator for the New NY Bridge Project, O’Rourke has brought the excitement of the building of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge to nearly 60,000 children and their teachers in classrooms and communities throughout New York State. His educational outreach program sparks the imagination of students helping them envision the engineering process that is all about innovation and creative thinking in bridge design and construction. O’Rourke oversees the project’s two Community Outreach Centers and coordinates its educational initiative. The educational outreach O’Rourke manages strives to create moments for teachers and students to connect about how to design and build a bridge. The program helps spark the imagination of people throughout Westchester and Rockland Counties as they envision the engineering process of building the bridge. He previously held positions in the New York State Division of Housing and Community Development and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Mr. O’Rourke is also a former award-winning New York City television news reporter and chemical engineering researcher. He attended Marquette University. O’Rourke resides in Yonkers.

ArtsWestchester’s 2017 Gala will feature cocktails, dinner and a silent and live auction for guests. For more information or to learn how to purchase tickets, visit https://artsw.org/gala.

Main photo credit: Thruway Authority. Photos of honorees: Submitted.