L to R are BOMA Westchester President Scott Tangredi, Director of Construction at Reckson, award winner Jose Aguilar and Giovanni Puerta, Commercial Property Manager at Simone Development. (Photo by Susi Dugaw)
Simone Development Companies is proud to announce that Jose Aguilar, a maintenance technician at the firm’s Boyce Thompson Center mixed-use medical and retail development in Yonkers, NY, has been awarded the BOMA Westchester “Unsung Hero” award for his dedication and service to tenants and visitors.
“Jose consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the satisfaction of our tenants and seamless operation of our Boyce Thompson Center,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development. “Jose’s positive attitude, exceptional teamwork, and his willingness to take on any challenge have made him an invaluable member of our team.”
The award was presented recently during BOMA Westchester’s 31st Annual Hall of Honors Awards dinner in Tarrytown, NY. In accepting the award, Mr. Aguilar recalled a chance meeting with the late Joseph Kelleher, a long-term Simone Development senior executive who was playing a guitar gig at a restaurant where he was working. The pair immediately hit it off and Joe offered Jose a maintenance position at the then newly opened Boyce Thompson Center. When Jose questioned his qualifications for the position, Kelleher replied “Can you screw in a light bulb? If so, we can teach you the rest.”
“What I like most about my job is helping people, both with the tenant’s needs and their customers,” Mr. Aguilar said, recalling his ongoing relationship with an elderly woman who visits a medical tenant and is afraid to ride elevators alone. Jose made it a point to learn her schedule and now always meets her during appointment days to ride the elevator with her.
“Jose is a testament to our company’s ongoing devotion to the businesses who call our properties home and the people they in turn serve,” said Mr. Simone. “We are extremely proud of him, his dedication and all the service and maintenance professionals that make Simone Development stand out in the world of commercial real estate.”
BOMA Westchester is the county’s leading professional organization dedicated to meeting the needs of building owners, property managers and allied professionals and tradespeople. BOMA Westchester is an affiliate of BOMA International — the oldest and largest association of the office building industry, with over 100 federated associations in the United States and around the world. The 17,000-plus members of BOMA International own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of commercial properties in North America and abroad.
