Harrison resident elected Power Authority vice president
Last week, the New York Power Authority trustees elected Justin E. Driscoll as NYPA executive vice president and general counsel. In that capacity, he will serve as chief legal officer of the statewide public power utility, which owns and operates 16 hydroelectric and clean natural-gas-fueled power plants, more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines and administers major efforts for improving New York State’s energy efficiency and clean energy use.
Before joining the Power Authority, Driscoll was in private practice. For over 30 years, he represented Fortune 500 corporations and governmental entities, tried cases in state and federal court, argued appeals and served as underwriters’ counsel in transactions involving the issuance of state and local debt.
Most recently, he was a partner in Brown and Weinraub PLLC in New York City.
“The NYPA trustees’ election of Justin Driscoll to executive vice president and general counsel will provide another seasoned professional to an already outstanding NYPA executive management team,” John R. Koelmel, chairman of the New York Power Authority, said. “Justin’s substantial experience in state government matters and extensive knowledge of public authorities will prove to be very useful in helping to navigate the significant and transformative changes occurring in the electric power industry.”
“I look forward to working closely with Justin for the continued successful stewardship of the Power Authority’s statewide operations,” Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and chief executive officer, said. “Justin’s outstanding legal and policy council will be of great benefit in carrying out the New York Power Authority’s major initiatives for modernizing the state’s electric power system and advancing clean, economical energy supplies and economic development.”
Driscoll has had significant public authority experience, having acted as outside litigation counsel for the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York from 1995 to 2003 and serving as senior vice president and general counsel of the New York State Housing Finance Agency and the State of New York Mortgage Agency from January 2005 to August 2007.
As NYPA executive vice president and general counsel, Driscoll will serve as an advisor to the NYPA trustees and executive management and represent the Power Authority on all legal matters and proceedings. His oversight responsibility of NYPA’s Law Department includes an ethics and compliance division, which upholds the authority’s commitment to the highest standards of governance.
Driscoll received his law degree in 1981 from New York Law School and received his bachelor’s degree from American University School of Public Affairs.
He is a resident of Harrison, N.Y., in Westchester County.
The New York Power Authority uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. NYPA has been designated as the lead entity via Executive Order 88 by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to form a central management and implementation plan to carry out his Build Smart N.Y. plan to reduce energy use by state facilities 20 percent by 2020.
NYPA is the nation’s largest state public power organization through the operation of its 16 generating facilities in various parts of New York State, participation in a unique public/private partnership to contract for power from a clean generating plant in Queens and its operation of more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. Seventy percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean, renewable hydropower. Its lower-cost power production and electricity purchases support hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the state.
For more information. visit nypa.gov or follow it on Twitter @NYPAenergy as well as Facebook, Instagram, WordPress, and LinkedIn.
Mamaroneck resident launches new stock fund
On July 1, Daniel Barach, a Mamaroneck resident, launched a new stock fund called Turnaround Stocks, L.P. based in Rye.
Barach moved to New York City in 1990 shortly after earning an MBA from Harvard University. After working for seven years at two prestigious investment management firms, he launched his first hedge fund, called MLT Capital, L.P., based in New York City. Barach single-handedly built the firm from six investors with $2 million under management to 99 investors with $157 million under management.
Barach was always focused on achieving excellent investment performance versus just spending his time gathering assets. His focus paid off as his fund’s stock portfolio roughly tripled the average annual performance of the S&P 500 over its first 10 years; about 21 percent versus 7 percent annually.
After temporarily retiring, Barach decided to launch a new stock fund with a very similar style and approach. He now hopes to give back to residents who live in the communities in which he raised his three teenage children.
The residents must be accredited investors.
Learn more about the new fund by visiting turnaroundstockslp.com. Also, please feel free to contact Barach directly at danielbarach@turnaroundstockslp.com or call 630-4503.
Houlihan Lawrence launches innovative real estate mobile app
Searching for a home has never been easier thanks to a brand new real estate app just launched by Houlihan Lawrence, the leading real estate firm serving New York City’s northern suburbs.
Bringing cutting-edge technology to the fingertips of consumers and agents alike, the state-of-the-art app is compatible with Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. As the newest real estate app to hit the scene, it allows house hunters to search, share and tour homes for sale while on the go.
The app features highly interactive map search functionality, GPS enabled searches and the unique ability for users to draw customized search areas with the touch of a finger. Results yield full listing details and large photos, and allow users to save their favorite properties and receive notifications on price and status changes in real time. Saved searches are accessible on the user’s mobile device as well as Houlihan Lawrence’s website, so the user will not have to begin the process from scratch when
switching between devices.
“The Houlihan Lawrence mobile app will allow people to discover their dream home from the palm of their hand, creating a seamless and efficient user experience,” Anne Marie Gianutsos, director of digital at Houlihan Lawrence, said. “With interactive content and in-depth information, the Houlihan Lawrence app will keep users ahead of the game. It’s also a great collaboration tool to increase instant sharing and communication between agents and their clients.”
“Our innovative real estate app is a great companion tool to our company’s intuitive new website, which launched earlier this summer to great success,” Chris Meyers, managing principal of Houlihan Lawrence, said. “We’re continually striving to improve upon the technology and functionality of our digital offerings to remain at the forefront of our industry and serve our clients in the best way possible.”
Standout search features of the Houlihan Lawrence real estate app include:
Augmented Reality: By using your smartphone’s camera, simply hold up your device and explore the surrounding area. Objects you look at will overlay on the camera’s display, offering additional interactive content and information.
GEO Location Search: Use your phone’s built-in GPS device to search for properties around you. Refine your search using property or community filters to find the property you are looking for.
Journey Search: Allows you to view properties within close proximity of your current location while you’re on the go. This search will continue to update available properties as you travel.
Houlihan Lawrence ranks among the top 20 of all brokerages nationally, and is the longstanding leader in its market, selling about one third of all homes north of New York City, more than double the sales of the closest competitor in the region. For more than 125 years, Houlihan Lawrence has been committed to providing an exceptional real estate experience by combining unsurpassed local expertise with the most comprehensive level of support available. Founded in 1888, the family-owned company has steadily grown to 26 offices and 1,200 agents across New York City’s northern suburbs. Houlihan Lawrence harnesses its smarter data, advanced marketing resources, global reach and hyper-local insights through dedicated divisions in key real estate areas to provide superior service to clients. Houlihan Lawrence’s specialized service areas include: Private Brokerage, which reaches beyond the local marketplace to attract discerning buyers from around the world; Global Relocation, which works closely with local Fortune 1,000 companies to provide full-service relocation assistance; Houlihan Lawrence Project Marketing, which works exclusively with and for developers of single-family and multi-family projects and the Commercial Real Estate Group, which provides full-spectrum services to owners, purchasers and tenants of commercial land and property.
Weichert, Realtors nominated as a 2014 Inman finalist
Weichert, Realtors, a family of full-service real estate and financial service companies and one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services, was recently nominated as a 2014 finalist in the “Most Innovative Brokerage or Franchise” category of the Inman News Innovator Awards. Weichert was recognized for its one-of-a-kind WeichertPRO customer relationship management system.
As a leader and pioneer of internet marketing, customer responsiveness and an enhanced open house program, Weichert, Realtors has taken innovation to the next level with WeichertPRO, its exclusive web-based customer relationship management system. WeichertPRO was developed with the distinct needs of the company’s agents in mind and provides them with a place to manage interactions with current and future customers. As such, it combines innovative technology, like contact management, MLS and email integration, mobile syncing, online business plan integration, calendaring, eMarketing and an unmatched open house program to create a truly one-of-a-kind, easy-to-use system that outperforms other CRMs on the market.
Inman News is one of the nation’s leading independent real estate news services. The annual “Innovator Awards” list recognizes companies and individuals who move the industry forward by making the most of new technologies and ideas that can increase the productivity, efficiency and transparency of the real estate industry.
Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services by putting its customers first. A family of full-service real estate and financial services companies, Weichert helps customers buy and sell both residential and commercial real estate, streamlines the delivery of mortgages and home and title insurance. Weichert leverages its customer website, weichert.com, one of the most visited real estate websites in the nation, to help families and individuals realize the dream of homeownership through quick, easy access to listing information and the services of its real estate professionals nationwide.
For more information about Weichert, Realtors, or to find your local office, visit weichert.com. You may also reach Weichert’s customer service center at 1-800-USA-SOLD. Weichert franchised offices are independently owned and operated.
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