MANAGEMENT Who's NEWS PERSONNEL.

Abe Hirschfeld (photo), the Polish-born real estate tycoon who made his fortune in New York City parking garages and real estate, including the Vertical Club, one of the City's earliest health clubs, has been selected among 10 prominent individuals to the Immigrants Hall of Fame, a cyberspace museum dedicated to famous first generation immigrants who have made important contributions to the United States.

The other inductees include Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, home run slugger Sammy Sosa, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton; Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, Olympic skater Sonja Henie, composer Victor Herbert, John Philip Holland, inventor of the first modern submarine, writer Carlos Castaneda, and Nobel physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.

Hirschfeld, who ran twice for the U.S. Senate and once owned the New York Post, parlayed his fortune as a builder into other business endeavors, from theatrical productions such as "Love Thy Neighbor," starring comedian Jackie Mason, to a variety of inventions. Hirschfeld has built 40 open air garages in New York.

John Gallin & Son, Inc., a family-owned and operated general contracting firm founded in 1886, announces the promotion of Mark Varian (photo) to the post of President, effective January 1, 2000. Varian, a member of the Gallin family, takes over from John Gallin, who has headed the company since 1986.

"John Gallin & Son, Inc., has been a successful family-owned business in NYC for 114 years," said Varian. "It is my job to build on that success as we enter the new millennium. The strategy is to maintain our reputation for service and integrity as we move on to newer, greater challenges."

Varian joined John Gallin & Son in 1983 as an assistant superintendent, working his way up to the position of Vice President of Estimating. During his tenure, Varian has developed an in-depth knowledge of the estimating portion of each project, as well as a strong ability to break down large scopes of work into pricing packages.

As president, his responsibilities will in dude client development and oversight of all company projects. John Gallin, a 40-year veteran of the company, will serve as chairman of the board.

Larry Ellberger (photo) of Livingston, NJ has joined Kushner Companies of Florham Park, NJ, as CEO, announced Charles Kushner, owner. Ellberger has more than 30 years-of experience in business and financial management, strategic planning, and acquisitions. He will work with Kushner and the company's other key executives, including Richard Stadtmauer and Jeffrey Freireich, managing directors, and Nick Minoia, president of Westminster Communities.

Previously, Ellberger was CFO of W.R. Grace & Co. in Boca Raton, FL, where he also served as acting CEO for several months. He managed approximately $13 billion in transactions for Grace. In addition, he was "principal liaison with the investment banking community.

Prior to his accomplishments at Grace, Ellberger was corporate vice president of planning and development at American Cyanamid Company in Wayne, NJ.

Ellberger has a BA in economics and a BS in chemical engineering from Columbia University in New York. He is a Board director of PowderJect PLC in the U.K., one of the largest biotech companies in Europe. He is also a member of the boards of several institutions, including the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston, NJ.

Ellberger considered a number of potential business opportunities since he decided to leave Grace and move back to New Jersey. He chose Kushner because he was attracted by the challenge of the vibrant real estate industry and the combination of vision, ethics, drive and commitment within the Kushner organization.

Residents of the same community, Ellberger and Kushner have known each other for many years. Ellberger said he was particularly drawn by Kushner's support of civic and industry organizations. "Charlie is an outstanding businessman, but he is also an individual who is motivated by more than money," Ellberger noted. "His generous involvement and genuine concern in charitable causes are exemplary, and it's gratifying to know that I can be part of that effort."

After a year-long run with Brown Harris Stevens, top producing broker Richard Bernstein (photo) has returned to his former firm, Bellmarc Realty, to partner with Dan Barry. Barry and Bernstein are based in Bellmarc's Lincoln Center office at 1776 Broadway. The announcement was made by Marc Broxmeyer, principal of Bellmarc.

"At a time when the market is at an all time high, we're seeing a definite trend for brokers to team up," said Broxmeyer. "Currently within Bellmarc, we have at least five formal working partnerships, the majority of whom are based in our Lincoln Center office."

According to Bernstein, "If you have the right partner, and your strength and weaknesses compliment one another, you're in a position to deliver exemplary service to clients. For instance, one of us can be in the office making phone calls to arrange a mortgage for the client, while the other is viewing potential properties."

Barry added, "It's extremely beneficial in this high-paced market to have a kindred spirit as a teammate. A partnership is not only a psychological help to the brokers, but it saves time for the client by getting the job done in half the time."

Bernstein has worked in residential real estate for six years. He originally joined Bellmarc in 1997 and became a senior sales associate. Prior to that he worked with Elisas J. Bernstein Real Estate Sales and Rentals where as branch office manager, he oversaw 18 agents Although raised in Indianapolis, Bernstein has worked throughout Manhattan and has an in-depth knowledge of Many of the city's most popular neighborhoods. A graduate of Indiana University, Bernstein lives on the Upper West Side. As one of Bellmarc's leading brokers, Dan Barry (Photo) also joined Bellmarc in 1997 after many years of modeling mens apparel. He also was the owner of a sporting goods store. Barry also resides on the Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Scott Zecher (photo) of Teaneck, NJ has been appointed COO of Kushner Companies of Florham Park, NJ. Zecher is responsible for operations and finance at Kushner Companies.

"As we continue to expand our organization, we are looking to add seasoned industry professionals like Scott who can manage significant operations and help our firm reach its goals for stepped-up growth," noted Charles Kushner, president/owner.

With more than 20 years of experience, Zecher has an extensive background in financial and operations management, capital raising and restructuring, mergers/acquisitions, S.E.C. reporting/issues, public shareholder/investor relations and general corporate administration.

He previously worked for 14 years at a publicly-held software applications company serving the automotive after-market industries. He joined that company as controller and most recently served as its president.

"Kushner Companies' rapid growth, coupled with Charles Kushner's vision and energy, make it one of the most dynamic real estate companies around," Zecher noted. "I hope to contribute to our continued success."

Joseph Gregory Marketing Inc., a new division of Joseph Gregory Inc., has appointed Vicki Sparks (photo) as leasing manager, it was announced by Joseph J. Barbaccia, president of the parent company. Her first assignment is The Cambridge Club, New York's first all-corporate residence, in the former office building at 56 Pine Street.

A veteran with over 10 years of experience in on-site residential leasing in New York City, Sparks has been associated with such Manhattan properties as The Gershwin at 250 West 50th Street, 71 Broadway, 45 Wall Street, 360 West 34th Street, Worldwide Plaza at 350 West 50th Street and 23 Lexington Avenue.

"We are delighted to be able to draw on Vicki's talents and her superb track record in the highly competitive New York real estate market," said Barbaccia. "Her dedication to the success of each project she represented has consistently made her a leading on-site agent of each property."

Sparks, a 1986 graduate. of Hunter College, previously held managerial and leasing agent positions with a number of New York real estate brokers, including Town Sales & Marketing, Inc., and Rockrose Development Corp. in Manhattan.

Prior to joining Joseph Gregory, she was on-site leasing agent at The Gershwin for Jack Resnick & Sons, Inc.

The Long Island Board of Realtors has announced that Mary Alice Ruppert (photo) has been elected president of the Huntington Chapter of LIBOR for the year 2000. Ruppert, manager of the Northport branch of Coach Realtors, was installed at a banquet ceremony recently at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, NY.

Ruppert is a lifetime resident of Huntington, where she, her husband and their four children are all active members of the local community. She is an alumnus of SUNY/Stony Brook with a B.A. degree in Economics, and is active in fund-raising for the March of Dimes.

IntelliSpace, a provider of high-speed Internet access to Manhattan's buildings, has announced that Robert M. Froberg (photo), former director of agent and customer sales for Bell Atlantic, has joined the firm as senior vice president of sales and marketing.

"Bob Froberg brings over 20 years' sales experience in the telecommunications industry to our company," said IntelliSpace President and CEO Carl Lalomia. "He has helped companies like. Bell Atlantic and NYNEX grow their sales dramatically, and we look forward to his expertise in this field as we approach the new millennium. IntelliSpace is at a critical juncture in its growth, and Bob will play an instrumental part in expanding our services aggressively beyond the Metropolitan area."

Before being appointed to his current position at IntelliSpace, Froberg, 44, was responsible for Bell Atlantic's third party sales channels throughout its 14-state operation area, which accounted for approximately $220 million in annual sales revenue. He also was responsible for the company's direct sales in the general business markets throughout New York and New England. Prior to Bell Atlantic, Froberg spent over 12 years with NYNEX. He rose through the company ranks to managing director of sales and customer service, overseeing the company's largest business accounts in the Metropolitan area. He also spent three years at Northern Telecom as the vice president of business development. A 1977 graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in Political Science, Froberg also attended advanced study programs at the University of New Hampshire, The Wharton School and the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University.