2 building industry leaders to be honored at May 16 event.

The architect of the Good Friday Peace Agreement that brought about the first lasting peace in Northern Ireland in decades, and two building industry leaders who helped spearhead the rebuilding of the office towers damaged in the 9-11 terrorist attacks will be the honorees of the Sixth Annual Irish American Building Society (JABS) Leadership Awards to be held May 16 at 7 pm at the New York Hilton. Tickets are $250 apiece and may be purchased by calling [phone].

Senator George Mitchell will receive the Father Mychal Judge Humanitarian of the Year Award named in honor of JABS's chaplain, who is best known as the FDNY chaplain who gave his life during the rescue efforts of 9-11. "Senator Mitchell did what many have tried and failed to accomplish--a cessation of hostilities in Northern Ireland through words, not war. He brought people together in a way that honors the memory of our former chaplain, Father Mychal, whose words also brought peace to thousands of New Yorkers' hearts," said Martin Cottingham, who is co-chairing the annual awards event, of the JAB S's choice for the award.

Edward M. Fallon, RPA, director of New York operations at Brookfield Financial Properties, Inc. will be honored as Man of the Year (Real Estate), and is being singled out for his "extraordinary effort in bringing some of New York's skyline landmarks back to life after 9-11," continued Cottingham. "Within 44 days of the terrorist attacks, Ed Fallon had brought One Liberty Plaza, which had suffered hundreds of broken windows after being pelted with Trade Center debris, back on line, serving as a beacon to New York that our City would not be defeated."

Jim McKenna, senior vice president and general manager of Turner Construction, will be named Man of the Year (Construction) for guiding his company and its hundres of workers through "one of the darkest times in our city's history by removing the rubble and debris from the World Trade Center site and making it safe for future development," Cottingham continued. Moreover, this painful and painstaking job was completed months ahead of schedule, once again reminding our City that the building industry would not let New York down."

The fourth award--to the town of Dungannon in Tyrone County in Northern Ireland-is the first ever IABS Community of the Year Award. Dungannon serves as a global model for shared responsibility, alternating the mayoral seat between political parties each year, while working from a shared platform and agenda. "Dungannon's unique approach to local government serves as a model for any community where religious or political differences have caused violence," says Cottingham. "It has been a small but important beacon of hope in a sea of hostility since it was implemented." Mayor Jim Cavanagh will accept the award on behalf of Dungannon.

In the final leadership tribute of the evening, six scholarships for advanced study will be awarded to financially disadvantaged students of Irish and/or Irish American descent, who are interested in pursuing educational excellence in the fields of real estate or construction.