President's Message
Shaping the Future of the Construction Industry
Building Trades Employers Association (BTEA) is shaping the future of New York’s construction industry. We are the leaders, advocates and voice representing 26 of New York’s leading construction manager, general contractor, subcontractor and specialty trade associations. As an organization, we are committed to advancing construction safety standards and professional development, as well as to uniting on matters of mutual interest that affect public policy.
For over a century, BTEA has played a crucial role in building New York City and New York State. Raising industry standards has always been at the core of the organization by creating environments that meet the highest safety and environmental standards. With over 1,200 individual general and specialty trade subcontractor firms under our association, we continue to achieve industry excellence and collectively built high-rise commercial buildings, hospitals, corporate offices, hotels, roads and bridges, residential buildings, museums, schools and government facilities.
Driving New York’s Economy and Building a Middle Class
Tackling an unstable economy from student debt to unemployment, BTEA has been providing New York’s middle class with rewarding opportunities with proven growth potential. Our member associations have been creating more jobs throughout New York State, employing over 130,000 project management and building trade workers. According to a 2017 Economic Policy Institute report, unions not only help workers find career success, but empower those workers to speak out for more pay, better working conditions and more. As the leading association of union contractors, BTEA is diversifying the construction industry, and creating a more stable, vibrant and eclectic economy.
BTEA at the Forefront of Communication and Coordination
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, BTEA has been at the forefront, keeping our members informed and prepared. We have created a COVID-19 Resource website that provides our members with the essential information impacting the construction industry. BTEA has released multiple publications and press statements pertaining to essential construction, jobsite shutdowns and the new protocols and interim guidelines for jobsites. As we continue to move forward to the next chapter of the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain at the forefront of advocating for our members, infrastructure funding and policies that support reopening New York State in a safe and productive manner.
On behalf of BTEA’s leadership, board of governors and members, we continue our long-standing legacy of playing an integral role in New York’s construction industry. To build a greater future, BTEA remains the organizational center, communing industry leaders to continue our mission to build the middle class while increasing workforce diversity and inclusion.
Best Regards,
Louis J. Coletti
BTEA Officers
Co-Chairman
As President and Chief Operating Officer of AECOM’s Building Construction Group, which includes Tishman Construction and Hunt Construction Group, Jay Badame is responsible for overseeing all projects, operations, administration, personnel and business development activities within this group. He also serves on AECOM’s Executive Management Committee, chaired by Tishman Construction Chairman and AECOM Vice Chairman Daniel R. Tishman.
A recognized national construction leader, Badame has over 40 years of construction industry experience, the last 30 of which have been with Tishman. Today he oversees the construction of some of the country’s most iconic structures including: One World Trade Center, 30 Hudson Yards and One Vanderbilt in New York; MGM Springfield in Massachusetts; Parc Riverside in Washington, DC; Metropolis in Los Angeles; Oceanwide Center in San Francisco; the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the Vancouver Urban Resort.
Badame provides innovative construction solutions through comprehensive planning and collaboration with clients, architects and engineers. He continues to push the boundaries of sustainable design and construction, advancing the application of BIM and other technologies to improve cost efficiencies and schedules.
In addition to his work with Tishman, Badame currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors, Co-Chairman of the Building Trades Employers Association and Vice Chairman of the New York Building Foundation and Trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission. Badame holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, with a major in Structural Engineering, from Pennsylvania State University.
Jay Badame
Building Contractors Association
AECOM Tishman Construction Corp
Co-Chairman
Stephen Gianotti is President of Arcadia Electrical Company, a firm specializing in complex electrical projects for various industries, including commercial, residential and more. Since 1989, Gianotti has grown Arcadia into one of New York’s premier electrical contractors that provides quality work, integrity and superior service to its clients in both the private and public sectors with a client list that features many of the most recognized names in New York.
Active in both the construction and electrical industries, Gianotti has served in leadership roles for BTEA for several years, today assuming the position of co-chair.
Gianotti recently completed a three-year term as President of the National Electrical Contractors Association New York Chapter, the largest chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association and the voice of the $100 billion industry responsible for lighting, power and communications systems in New York City, and Westchester and Fairfield Counties. He will now serve as Governor of NECA-NY where he will assist the incoming President and ensure that the New York electrical trade industry remains a nationwide leader in terms of safety, state-of-the-art technology and educational programs.
Gianotti also serves as Vice President of the Subcontractors Trade Association. Additionally, Mr. Gianotti serves as the Treasurer of the Empire State Subcontractors Association and Co-Chairman for the Electrical Employees Self-Insurance Safety Plan.
A recognized leader, Gianotti has received many honors and awards for his service to the construction and electrical industries. Recently, he was honored by Assemblyman Nick Perry for his efforts, along with Local #3 IBEW Business Manager, Christopher Erikson, for creating and promoting opportunity for an open and diverse workforce within the New York City electrical industry.
Stephen Gianotti
Governor, New York Electrical Contractors Association
President, Arcadia Electrical Co., Inc.
Peter Vrankovic
Mechanical Contractors Association of New York
KSW Mechanical LLC
Treasurer
As President of KSW Mechanical LLC, one of the largest mechanical contractors in New York, Peter Vrankovic oversees and manages the day to day operations, as well as the marketing and sales efforts for the firm.
Vrankovic is heavily involved in the promotion and advancement of the unionized mechanical contracting industry. He is Trustee on several Local 638 union funds. He is currently President of the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York (MCA of NY). Vrankovic arrives at his new post as Treasurer for Building Trades Employers Association (BTEA) with extensive industry and leadership experience.
Vrankovic has had extensive experience in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing industries and is a recognized leader. He was President and co-founder of Orion Mechanical Systems Inc. Orion was an industry leader specializing in all aspects of mechanical contracting. In 2015, KSW purchased the assets of Orion and integrated Orion into its operations. Prior to forming Orion Mechanical Systems, Inc., Vrankovic was the President as well as one of the founders of Trident Mechanical Systems. Trident was sold shortly after inception to a large public company. Vrankovic was instrumental in conceiving of and driving Trident from inception to an industry leader in three and a half short years.
Vrankovic was Vice President of Operations at X-Air of New York, Inc., a major mechanical contracting firm. While he was in this position, X-Air’s volume increased five-fold. Vrankovic was responsible for all “in-house” and contract personnel, X-Air’s project management staff and maintenance of client relations. Prior to joining X-Air, Vrankovic was a Design Engineer and Project Manager with Edwards & Zuck, PC., a major New York City engineering consulting firm. At Edwards & Zuck, he supervised the design of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and sprinkler systems.
Steven Charney
Chairman
Peckar & Abramson, P.C
General Counsel
Steven M. Charney is the Chairman of the firm and is regarded as one of the foremost construction lawyers in the United States of America. Mr. Charney’s practice includes ongoing representation of contractors that are among the top ten as reported by Engineering News Record. Mr. Charney’s background couples extensive academic and hands-on experience in the construction industry with decades of experience in litigating for and providing legal counsel to contractors and developers.
Throughout Mr. Charney’s career, he has handled numerous construction related disputes, in court, arbitration or in alternative dispute forums. Mr. Charney frequently handles multimillion-dollar delay, lien, default, equitable adjustment, termination and construction and design defect matters. Mr. Charney’s experience includes the representation of contractors and owners in connection with some of the most prominent projects built throughout the United States. He represented the developer of the largest private building construction project ever to take place in New York City and represented contractors and design/builders in connection with numerous professional sports facilities (such as the Arthur Ashe tennis stadium and several National Football League and Major League Baseball stadiums). Mr. Charney led the Associated General Contractors of America to establish a task force to study mold related issues, and then vice-chaired that task force as it drafted the industry’s first guide to understanding this problem.
Mr. Charney serves as an Adjunct Professor for Columbia University, in both the College of Engineering and College of Law.
Before joining Peckar & Abramson, Mr. Charney served as Eastern Division Counsel for Turner Construction Company. Mr. Charney was employed by Turner Construction Company for nearly a decade, prior to entering private legal practice, and served in a number of operations related roles, including field superintendent, cost and scheduling engineer, and manager of litigation and claims, before serving as counsel.
Mr. Charney is a member of the Associated General Contractors of America, and was awarded the prestigious Gold Coin for his contributions to that organization, including his service on the Risk Management and Contract Document Committees of this leading national organization. Additionally, his contribution to the construction and development industry includes serving as General Counsel to the Building Trades Employers Association New York (BTEA) and active engagement with the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI).
Mr. Charney has often published commentary regarding issues applicable to the construction and development industries, including commentary in New York Construction. He is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and served on the Construction Law Subcommittee of that association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.
In view of his accomplishments, Mr. Charney has been repeatedly recognized by Chambers USA, as a leading attorney in the field of Construction Law in New York. He has also been repeatedly named to Who’s Who of International Construction Lawyers, selected for inclusion in the publication Best Lawyers in America, and listed in New York Magazine, as a top construction attorney in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area. Mr. Charney is also a fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers.
Mr. Charney is a graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, where he attended as an evening student while working full-time in the construction industry. In 1983, Mr. Charney received a Master of Science degree in construction management from the School of Civil Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (where he also studied as an evening student while working full-time in the construction industry). Mr. Charney also holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Syracuse University, with a concentration in construction technologies.
BTEA Executive Committee
Steven Alessio
Sweet Construction Corp.
Jeffrey Anikstein
Cord Contracting
Michael Attardo
Skanska USA Civil Northeast
Kevin Barrett
Hunter Roberts Construction Group
Jake Bidosky
Keystone Management Associates, LLC
Christine Boccia
JD Traditional
Scott Corneby
Structure Tone, Inc.
Art Corwin
Moretrench
Kristine DeNapoli
KND Licensed Electric
Marc DePaul
Pavarini McGovern
Pat A.Di Filippo
Turner Construction Company
Joseph Fitzpatrick
TDX Construction Corp.
Terry Flynn
Tutor Perini -Civil Group
Nick Grecco
Lend Lease US Construction LMB, Inc.
Scott Haber
W & W Glass Systems
Maureen Henegan
Henegan Construction
Richard Kennedy
Skanska USA Building
Joseph Leo
Atlantic Contracting & Specialties, LLC.
Anthony Mann
E-J Electric Installation Company
David Meberg
Consolidated Carpet Trade Workroom, Inc.
Christopher Mills
Plaza Construction Corp.
Charles Murphy
Turner Construction Company
Robert Palumbo
Cauldwell Wingate Company, LLC
Nayan Parikh
Ashnu International
Allan Paull
AECOM Tishman Construction Corp
Robert Perricone
Component Assembly Systems
David Pinter
Zwicker Electric Co. Inc.
Dennis Prude
CNY Group
Bert Rahm
Turner Construction Company
Arthur Rubinstein
Skyline Steel Corp.
Michael Russo
Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corp.
John Solla
Center Sheet Metal, Inc.
Steven Sommer
LendLease LMB, Inc.
Matt Stevens
Island Diversified, Inc.
Sean Szatkowski
Skanska USA
Justin Tomasino
KONE New York Metropolitan District
Paul Vieira
IDL Communications & Electric
Robert Weiss
A.J. McNulty & Company, Inc.
Scott Wolkowitz
Wolkow-Braker Roofing Corp.
Lee Zaretzky
Ronsco, Inc.
Past Chairmen
Charles Murphy
Turner Construction Company
Robert Perricone
Component Assembly Systems
Richard Kennedy
Skanska USA Building
