NYBC names two public service award recipients.

The New York Building Congress has selected Syska Hennessy Group chairman and CEO John V. Magliano and Boston Properties senior vice president Robert E. Selsam as recipients of the fifth-annual George A. Fox Public Service Award. Both men will be honored for their voluntary efforts, especially in education, during the New York Building Congress' 85th Anniversary Awards Luncheon at the Hilton New York on May 11.

The George A. Fox Public Service Award is bestowed annually upon one or more individuals from the design, construction and real estate community in recognition of outstanding public service above and beyond normal job-related activities.

"The award honors the legacy of George A. Fox, a man of enormous vision and integrity," said co-chairman of the 2006 George A. Fox Award Selection Committee and partner of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Marilyn Jordan Taylor. "While Fox inspired the industry through his unsurpassed construction expertise, affixing his name to the award also celebrates his extraordinary commitment to New York City, to the education of its youth, and to the highest standards of public service."

Selection Committee co-chairman Michael S. Della Rocca added, "While John Magliano and Robert Selsam are being honored individually for the totality of their contributions to New York, it is fitting that they be honored in the same year given that few in our industry have done more over their careers to help educate and mentor the next generation of New Yorkers on the wonders of and opportunities in the building industry."

Magliano is a founding member of both the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York and the nationwide ACE Mentor Program of America. The program recruits current high school students interested in careers in architecture, construction or engineering, and professionals to act as their mentors, grouping them into teams which meet throughout the school year. The students, thereby, learn from active professionals in each field.

Since assuming the role of president of the ACE Mentor program of Greater New York three years ago, Magliano has helped expand the number of students in the program by 52 percent. In addition, he has led a fundraising effort, which has enabled the program to increase the amount of its annual scholarships by $30,000.

Selsam serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Salvadori Center, which sends its staff of technically trained educators into the classrooms of more than 1,000 students each week. Since 1987, the Center has reached more than 120,000 students through its programs. Salvadori students learn by doing. They build bridges, experiment with forces, create models, map neighborhoods and design future cities.

They write persuasively, debate proposals and present effectively.

With Selsam at the helm, the Salvadori Center has grown in reach, resources and diversity. Thanks to his initiative, the Center now has partnering arrangements with the City College of New York and the American Society of Civil Engineers, which is helping to bring more teacher training to inner cities and to reach teachers earlier in their careers.

As with past award recipients, the Building Congress and the New York Building Foundation each will award a $3,000 scholarship to students in the ACE Mentor Program in the names of John Magliano and Robert Selsam.

During his more than 50-year career, George A. Fox played lead roles in the planning, design, and management of 70 major public works projects valued in excess of $61 billion. During World War II, he served in the Civil Engineer Corps of the U.S. Navy and was active in numerous civic and industry associations. Fox was Chairman of the Building Congress from 1983-1986 and continued to serve the organization as a Director Emeritus until his death.