LIRO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President / Division Leader, Virtual Design, Construction, & Operations
Since joining LiRo in 2014, Aditi has been key to the success of the VDCO Group. She started her career as a design architect on mid-size residential projects, making her way to the construction and fabrication aspects of the building industry and eventually learning computer programming to create applications within VDC software to build custom processes for content standardization, quick project set up, streamlining repetitive tasks, and creating data centric models. She has led numerous highly successful VDCO projects for some of LiRo's largest clients including MTA Bridges and Tunnels, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, the New York City Department of Design & Construction and MTA Capital Construction. Additionally, Aditi was a key contributor to two awards received by the VDCO group: the 2017 AEC Excellence Award under the infrastructure category for its expansive BIM effort on East Side Access and the 2019 Digital Edge 50 Award for executing digital transformation initiatives with significant, measurable business impact.
Aditi has a Bachelor of Architecture from Maharaja Sayajirao University and a Master's in Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President / General Counsel and Chief Regulatory Compliance Officer
Al oversees and is responsible for all of LiRo's legal, corporate/regulatory compliance, insurance and risk management matters. This includes providing advice and counsel in reviewing and negotiating engineering, construction and design project agreements as well as joint venture and asset and stock acquisition agreements. He also is responsible for labor and employment, state and local regulatory compliance, and real estate matters.
Al possesses a broad legal background, having worked in a variety of increasingly responsible positions at Long Island Lighting Company, KeySpan Corporation and as vice president and deputy general counsel for National Grid, USA, an international electric and gas company and one of the world's largest investor-owned energy companies. Al also has extensive experience with construction and consultant contracts, engineering services and environmental issues, and construction claims and personal injury/commercial litigation matters.
Al received his Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Hofstra University and a Juris Doctorate from Saint John's University School of Law. He is licensed to practice in New York.
Andrea joined LiRo 30 years ago and has advanced through progressively more responsible positions in the Accounting Department. She has overseen the conversion and enhancement of the company's accounting/ financial reporting system and has implemented numerous accounting and payroll policies and procedures to efficiently support LiRo's business operations.
Andrea has excelled in meeting increasing finance and accounting requirements created by LiRo's significant growth.
Job Titles:
- Principal in Charge for the Garden State Parkway Widening
- Senior Vice President / New Jersey Regional Manager
Tony Panzarino has more than 40 years of technical and management experience. He has extensive experience in business development, marketing, project management, designing, engineering, and supervising the construction of multidisciplinary transportation projects. He has served as a Client Manager and Principal-In-Charge for numerous prominent agencies, including The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey Turnpike, New Jersey Transit, New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Delaware River Port Authority. He managed an assortment of projects from highway/ interchanges, bridges, culverts, dams, waterfront structures, transit facilities, buildings, and drainage structures, and bridge/ dams/ buildings inspections. He has specialized experience in the planning and design of fixed and moveable bridges, structural rehabilitation, and structural integrity inspections.
Before joining LiRo, Tony has served as the Principal in Charge for the Garden State Parkway Widening and Lincoln Tunnel Helix Rehabilitation, Design Quality Manager for the Goethals Bridge Modernization Program, and played a key role New Jersey Transit Positive Train Control project.
Tony holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Hartford, Connecticut and holds Professional Engineer licenses in five states (NJ, NY, PA, CT, and MD). He is currently a Fire Commissioner for the Township of Freehold Fire District 2 an elected position as well as a volunteer firefighter. Tony has been the Chapter Director from 2013 to present for the Monmouth County Chapter of New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers. He has served at the Committee Chair for Port Authority of NY & NJ Capital Program Delivery for ACEC NJ as well as serving other committees including NJ Turnpike, NJ Transit, NJDOT, Delaware River Port Authority, and Delaware River Joint Bridge Commission.
Job Titles:
- Vice President / Chief Safety, QA / QC Compliance Officer
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate Vice President / Director of Land Survey Division
John has more than 40 years of performing ALTA/NSPS land title surveys, boundary and topographic surveys, construction building and site surveys, civil engineering design surveys, and GPS and GIS mapping and lidar surveys. At LiRo, John directs and manages office and field surveyors, contract and financial administration, client responsibilities, and business development opportunities.
Prior to joining LiRo, John was the former associate partner at Sidney B. Bowne & Son, LLP, spearheading a new survey division culture that exceeded former employee performance rates, improved client satisfaction to high levels and earned repeat business, and steadily increased annual revenues.
Job Titles:
- Director, Information Technology
Jon has more than 20 years of information technology experience. At LiRo, Jon is responsible for all aspects of IT related to the NY Rising project, including initial office setup for the Mineola office.
Since joining LiRo, Jon has created development and systems administration teams for the NY Rising Mineola office, responsible for the output and assignment of work for two systems administrators and four developers. He also is responsible for all IT aspects of the project life cycle, including: requirement gathering, front and back end architecture, infrastructure, coding, documentation and training. Jon creates, develops and supports production systems and software to automate common business needs. He also administers the database, and provides help desk support for software- and hardware-related issues.
Prior to joining LiRo, Jon was developer for UBS, IT director for M2 UltraLounge, senior systems developer for Fidelity National Title, and numerous IT roles at Goldman Sachs. Jon is well-versed in many technical languages and platforms/programs including: SQL, Visual Basic, VBA, VB.Net, C#, VB Script, ASP, ASP.Net, X/HTML, DHTML, XML, Java, JSP, AJAX, Java Script, CSS, Bootstrap, Material Design, SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Access, Visual Studio 6, VS 20008 - VS 2017, VSTO, SSMS, SSIS, SSRS, Visual SourceSafe, Team Foundation Server, Crystal Reports, Wise Package Studio, Instalshield, Inno Setup, Microsoft Office 97-2016, Adobe Flash, Acrobat, Photoshop, Premiere, Encore, Corel Draw, Webtrends On Premise, and Eclipse.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Executive Vice President
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President and General Manager / Division Leader, Program and Construction Management
Senior management oversight is key to LiRo's success, and Larry leads the way with his management style and his involvement with staff on projects and client relations. Larry's leadership has directly impacted LiRo's award-winning Program and Construction Management division, which has steadily grown over the last 15 years and achieved a high rate of repeat business from public sector clients.
As head of LiRo's Program and Construction Management Division, Larry is directly responsible for more than $3 billion in public sector construction projects. Ranked #11 among the nation's Top Construction Managers, Larry has been instrumental in building LiRo's reputation as a successful construction management and program management provider for: higher education, healthcare, parks, housing, judicial/correctional facilities, schools, maintenance/parking garages, fire/police stations, treatment plants, and cultural institutions.
During his career, Larry has managed numerous projects that won awards with prestigious organizations such as Engineering News-Record and Construction Management Association of America. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President / CFO Emeritus
Larry is LiRo's former CFO, and his current duties in his role of CFO Emeritus include facilitating the transition of senior level finance accounting to LiRo's new CFO, while also supporting GISI with LiRo's expansion. Larry's experience in finance and administration in the consulting/professional services field covers a span of 41 years, 27 of which are specific to the engineering and construction industry. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from SUNY Albany.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President / Division Leader, Resident / Construction Engineering and Inspection
Mike has more than 35 years of extensive design and construction experience, managing infrastructure and building projects. At LiRo, he leads the Resident/Construction Engineering and Inspection Group, responsible for all of the company's roadway, bridge, rail and utility projects. Mike has developed LiRo's on-call construction management group to become one of the most successful in the region and manages construction projects valued as much as $4 billion.
In addition, he is responsible for proposal preparation and resource allocation for LiRo's Resident/Construction Engineering and Inspection Division. Throughout his LiRo career, Mike has generated a high volume of repeat contracts. He has always stressed client relations as a primary job responsibility, and takes pride in maintaining constant client contact to assure that specific requirements of a contract are being fulfilled. His clients include: New York City Department of Design and Construction, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York State Department of Transportation, New York State Thruway Authority, and all Metropolitan Transportation Authority agencies as well as numerous local and county authorities.
Mike received his Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- National Operations Manager
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President / Division Leader, MEP, Telecom
Mike oversees LiRo's MEP/ Telecom divisions, which typically have a portfolio of 250-300 active projects. He has helped manage more than 200 projects in the last five years, totaling more than $200 million in construction costs.
When Mike first joined LiRo, he managed a team of seven employees who mostly designed healthcare spaces for a single client. Since Mike took on his leadership role, MEP staff increased by more than 500 percent to 36 people and gross revenue increased by an average of 30 percent per year. Mike diversified the MEP project portfolio to include public sector projects, energy sector projects, and K-12 projects in addition to healthcare projects. Under Mike's leadership, LiRo established a heavy MEP presence in Buffalo, N.Y., and New York City, and LiRo acquired a new telecommunications division.
Mike fostered growth in the MEP design division by ensuring LiRo design documents are technically sound and high quality. He starts by identifying, interviewing, and hiring talented staff. He creates, communicates, and enforces quality control procedures for all calculations and design drawings and specifications. He standardizes management tools and procedures that keep projects moving on schedule and within budget. Mike maintains high employee morale by encouraging social employee events and by creating an open forum for employee input during monthly meetings. He identifies projects that LiRo is well suited for and writes up compelling proposals that win LiRo the work. Mike's success as a leader directly results from the skills he brings to the position. His carefully developed project management tools and procedures that minimize inefficiency. His unique ability to anticipate and identify problems in both project management and design minimizes risk. And his dedication to producing high quality, technically sound products has earned LiRo a spot on the MEP Giants Ranking.
Mike holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hofstra University and earned his Certificate in Building Electrical Systems Design from NYU. He is a Professional Engineer (NY, NJ, CT, LA, GA, NC, FL, TX, KY, MA, MO, NV), CEM, CEA, HFDP, DBIA, and a licensed contractor in Louisiana.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing
- Vice President
At LiRo, Nancy leads the Marketing Group, providing support to all business development activities as well as creating and directing the implementation of strategic initiatives to market the organization. Nancy is directly responsible for the preparation and oversight of business proposals and presentations - totaling more than 900 submissions each year. She also oversees LiRo's website, social media activities, advertising, public relations - including news releases and articles for industry publications - as well as Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises compliance.
During her tenure, Nancy has developed and currently manages a successful team of 15 proposal managers and graphic designers who prepare proposals and presentations for high-profile projects. As the marketing group leader, Nancy is responsible for employee training, development and advancement.
Nancy received her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Adelphi University. She is an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Vice President
Mr. Levine is responsible for leading the financial management of the firm, oversight of banking relationships and credit arrangements; cash management and budgeting; accounting policy, procedures and internal controls; internal and external financial reporting; financial analysis; project accounting; and external audits.
Mr. Levine brings to LiRo two decades of experience in various management and administrative roles, most recently as the Director of Finance in the AEC field. He has a distinguished track record of successful financial leadership in both the construction and engineering industries. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management at Boston University and is a Certified Public Accountant since 2008.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President / Division Leader, Environmental
At LiRo, Peter leads the Environmental Business Unit and is responsible for all of LiRo's environmental business activities. Peter has more than 30 years of extensive civil and environmental engineering experience, and is an expert in environmental project and program management with a particular focus on addressing Hazardous Materials, petroleum-related work and addressing Brownfields. He is also skilled at staff development, budget control, and improving operational performance.
Prior to joining LiRo in 2007, Peter worked as a contractor on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (REM II Superfund) Program and state superfund programs in the Northeast, providing environmental engineering and remediation services on many sites. He also worked to investigate and clean up major oil/petroleum/chemical spills for Northville Industries, Exxon Mobil, Pfizer and other major industrial clients. Peter's experience also includes serving as a consultant to, and also in, municipal government, where he was responsible for billions of dollars in infrastructure and a capital plan of more than $500 million. Previous positions include: President of Remedial Engineering P.C.; Nassau County Commissioner of Public Works; Nassau County Deputy County Executive for Parks, Public Works and Partnerships; and Chairman of the Nassau County Bridge Authority.
Peter received his Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and his Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering both from Manhattan College. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (NY and VA), Asbestos Designer (NY), OSHA 10/OSHA 30, and HAZWOPER.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- Contributor
Phil has joined LiRo after a 40-year career in public service in which his most prominent role was President of the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). He held the position for nearly four years until he stepped down in February 2022. As President, he established a customer-focused vision that managers and the workforce embraced to reverse record low on-time performance (OTP) and customer satisfaction. While leading the LIRR through the Covid-19 pandemic, the workforce rose to the challenge, tackling longstanding issues to improve service and deliver historic record OTP, while incorporating industry-leading technology and innovation has helped to restore public trust and encouraged ridership to return. Leaving the LIRR team in a position for continued success after his departure is one of his proudest accomplishments, as the LIRR has continued to deliver safe, reliable, and consistent service.
Phil is a vital contributor across all business sectors of our LiRo family while bringing his public sector and industry experience in guiding and driving LiRo's continued success in our current markets and future growth and expansion opportunities.
Phil earned a Bachelor of Engineering from The Cooper Union and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer in New York.
Rich has led teams that earned national and industry recognition for successfully executing multibillion-dollar public private partnerships, complex technology driven infrastructure projects and transportation projects, including landmark projects in the road, rail, and aviation sectors.
Rich also has developed the skilled workforce that is critical to LiRo as it competes to provide services to build and rebuild the nation's infrastructure. He has focused on the personal and professional growth of his staff, and is known for having mentored the up-and-coming leadership of each business unit where he had responsibility.
An active member in the industry, Cavallaro previously held positions as Vice President of the New York General Contractors Association (GCA), Chairman of the New York Building Congress (NYBC), and is a Board Member of Family and Children's Association, Member of the Construction Industry Round Table, National Academy of Construction and Moles & Beavers Member. He has been active for many years in the Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
Since co-founding The LiRo Group in 1984, Rocco has molded the firm from a small group specializing in construction administration, to one of the top construction management and full-service engineering firms in the nation.
From the beginning, Rocco has applied a simple, yet highly effective business philosophy: hire the best people, cross train them in various disciplines, and continuously support their professional development. Following this blueprint has resulted in a motivated, loyal and versatile staff that provide technical excellence and personal service - the hallmarks of LiRo's success.
Rocco's leadership and contribution to the engineering profession have been recognized repeatedly by numerous organizations, highlighted by his being named as Engineer of the Year by the New York State Society of Professional Engineers. He has also been honored numerous times by the community and local organizations. As LiRo's Chairman, he remains actively engaged in directing the firm.
Job Titles:
- Director, Human Resources
- Vice President
Steve has more than 40 years of experience in human resources. At LiRo, he is responsible for overseeing all activities of the Human Resources Department, and has established a strong Human Resources organization and staff that has improved the recruitment function, expanded the benefits programs and provided responsive HR support to the entire LiRo organization.
Steve's background spans numerous industries, including construction management, technology, and consumer packaging.
Steve received his Bachelor's Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.