Metro N.Y. chapter of the Appraisal Institute to hold its annual conference on September 25

One of the Metropolitan New York chapter of the Appraisal Institute's most well attended events of the year, our Annual Conference will again be held in September. Always focused on topics of current importance in the industry, the 2008 conference will present an in-depth overview of New York City's most ambitious new major developments encompassing commercial, residential, parkland and transportation, as well as the current status of moves and plans of the city's major sports teams. Entitled "Who's On First?," the conference, co-hosted by REBNY, will be held September 25th at Club 101, 101 Park Ave. at 40th St., with an outstanding roster of top real estate and sports team executives as panelists for two sessions. The early morning session will focus on major infrastructure projects, each of which will profoundly affect the city. Panelists will include William Wheeler, director, special project development and planning, MTA; Richard Barth, executive director of NYC Department of city planning; John (Janno) Lieber, president of World Trade Center Properties LLC, who is responsible for managing all aspects of the Silverstein organization's efforts to rebuild at the World Trade Center site and has overseen the planning, design and construction issues relating to the World Trade Center office buildings, business, financing and legal matters and public affairs, government and community relations; Jay Cross, president, Related Hudson Yards, who is leading the Related Companies' development efforts of the 26-acre Hudson Yards site on the west side of New York City; Frank DiMola, assistant deputy director, Port Authority; and Jennifer McCool, vice president development, Moynihan Station Venture, a joint venture of The Related Companies LP and Vornado Realty Trust, to redevelop the historic James A. Farley Building into a new train station to be known as Moynihan Station and to redevelop the existing Penn Station. The late morning session will focus on sports teams and their plans for new facilities. Panelists will include Thad Sheely, executive vice president, stadium development and finance for the New York Jets who is responsible for all matters related to the new stadium; Dave Howard, executive vice president, business operations, New York Mets, the highest-ranking non-owner business executive in the company who oversees marketing and communications, corporate sales and service; ticket sales and services, broadcasting and media relations and the Mets' Florida business operations; and soon to be announced representatives from the New York Yankees and New York Nets. The conference, being moderated by New York Sun real estate columnist and radio host Michael Stoler, includes a full breakfast preceding and a luncheon following the two sessions, the latter featuring Jim Cramer, host of CNBC's "Mad Money" as keynote luncheon speaker. The conference, as well as our other events, are open to the industry at large whom we invite to visit our website, www.aimetrony.com, for current information, to join the chapter as a member, or be a guest at any or all of our upcoming programs. Joel Leitner is principal of Leitner Group and the 2008 president of the Metro N.Y. chapter of the Appraisal Institute, New York, N.Y.