Gregory Boroff, CAE, CFRE
Gregory Boroff, CAE, CFRE, has been named executive director of Friends of Hudson River Park. Boroff will lead Friends as it continues to build private philanthropic support to help complete and maintain the Hudson River Park. Friends expanded its mission in 2011 with an increased focus on generating private support for the Park, which receives no annual operating funds from the city or the state. Boroff will steer Friends' fundraising, development and community outreach efforts to help complete the Park, build an endowment, increase operating revenue, and guarantee that the Park remains safe and well-maintained. Under Boroff's leadership, the Friends will continue to work closely with the Hudson River Park Trust on the ongoing revitalization of Hudson River Park - one of the largest waterfront parks in the nation, which receives 17 million visits each year.
Andrew Darmohraj, CAE
Andrew Darmohraj, CAE, has been promoted to executive vice president & chief operating officer (COO) of the American Pet Products Association (APPA). Darmohraj oversees all aspects of APPA's day-to-day operations, including membership, accounting, and marketing efforts, as well as oversight of the world's largest annual pet products tradeshow, Global Pet Expo. Under his direction, the Marketing and Communications Department refocused its efforts to tout members, their products and the mission of APPA. As a result, APPA has garnered millions of impressions in media coverage with such prestigious media outlets as The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times. Darmohraj is past Chairman of NYSAE's Board of Directors.
Steven Wolfe.
Steven Wolfe, vice chair of NYSAE's Education Committee, is the author of a new book—The Obligation. The book is a modern parable about a young Capitol Hill staffer who discovers that the seasoned congressman he works for is far from a typical politician. An obsession over a mysterious inscription on a plaque in the congressman's office sparks the young aide's initiation into a worldview that will challenge everything he thought he knew about space, evolution and humanity.
The American Group Psychotherapy Association's branded channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/agpa212) provides information for clinicians, the public-at-large, as well as media seeking expert information on the use of groups. Visitors to the channel will hear directly from members on AGPA outreach activities, including the benefits of group services for college students, the medically ill, veterans, addictions, couples and families following trauma and military deployment, international work with traumatized cultures, and groups for children and adolescents. Visitors can also learn about the philanthropic work being done by the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health, find out how to locate qualified group therapists, and what it means to be a Certified Group Psychotherapist. The site also contains videos of individual practitioners discussing group psychotherapy in general and their clinical practice and work methods in particular.
Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) hosted its annual ALHI Showcase in New York City for meeting professionals, association executives, business executives, and incentive specialists, at which ALHI and its clients raised $8,000 for the event's designated charity—Special Olympics New York. Held at Bryant Park Grill in New York City, the event raised the funds through a silent auction.
The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) launched a new program, PHL Welcomes U! (PWU), a free, online educational program to empower all Philadelphians with the tools to create meaningful, positive experiences in Philadelphia. Accessible via www.PHLwelcomesU.com, courses are designed to guide participants through real-world experiences and situations encountered on a daily basis. Skills learned throughout each module are tested through short quizzes, allowing participants to earn the designation of “Certified Hospitality Professional” (CHP) after successfully completing the program.
Users who successfully complete all of the courses and quizzes will also automatically be entered to win a grand prize, courtesy of the Philadelphia Phillies: four lower level tickets to a home game, a personalized home jersey, opportunity to watch batting practice from the field, and an exclusive pre-game tour. In addition, PHL Welcomes U! students will be randomly selected throughout the year to win great prizes to regional attractions.
The online program consists of six video modules covering such topics as active listening and communication skills, connecting with guests and neighbors, and embracing, managing and celebrating diversity.
Several organizations are sponsors and have already begun offering the program to employees and students, including the City of Philadelphia's Department of Parks & Recreation, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), SugarHouse Casino, Temple University's School of Tourism & Hospitality Management (STHM) and Philadelphia Academies.
Although conceptualized within the travel and tourism industry, the PHL Welcomes U! curriculum is geared toward creating PHL Ambassadors within a variety of industry segments and special interest groups, including retail, education, transportation, and city work. The experience gained through the courses will improve customer service skills, build confidence when interacting with the public, and increase participants' overall value as an employee and citizen.
The great minds of the toy industry were honored alongside their famous creations when the Toy Industry Hall of Fame combined with the National Toy Hall of Fame under a partnership announced Carter Keithley, president of the Toy Industry Association, and immediate past chair of NYSAE. Leaders of both halls have been talking for some time about combining the two as a way to raise their visibility and exposure and to promote their educational missions.
The 5,000-square-foot National Toy Hall of Fame gallery at the Strong museum in Rochester will undergo $4 million in renovations, with the goal of opening the combined hall in the fall of 2015. The Toy Industry Hall of Fame, whose inductees have included Milton Bradley, Frederick August Otto Schwarz, Walt Disney, and George Lucas, has been without a physical presence for about eight years following the closure of the International Toy Center in New York City.
The combined halls, with high-tech and hands-on interactive displays, will enable visitors to explore how cultural trends, gender and changing technologies have shaped the design, production and marketing of toys, officials said, including how games like Monopoly and The Game of Life reinforced faith in capitalism and the pursuit of the American dream.
The National Toy Hall of Fame was established in 1998 and accepts nominations from anyone. A national selection committee composed of historians, educators and others choose the annual selections. The Toy Industry Hall of Fame was established in 1985 by the Toy Industry Association and inducts about two people a year from among industry nominees.