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The New York Building Congress Board of Directors is greatly saddened by the death of John A. Cavanagh, former Building Congress Chairman and long-term Director Emeritus, whom we remember for his dedicated leadership of the New York City construction industry. His ability to inspire cooperation among industry participants and to work with labor, management and government was unique. John will always be with us in a spirit of cooperation and mutual trust. In the course of his 45-year career, John Cavanagh was Vice Chairman of AMEC Construction Management, Inc. and President and COO of Morse Diesel International, Inc. John managed more than $7 billion worth of construction in virtually every conceivable market, from commercial to residential properties, hotels to health facilities, airports to correctional institutions, stadiums and industrial projects. He served as Chairman of the New York Building Congress from 1996 to 2000, as a Director and Director Emeritus for decades, and was a Vice Chairman of the New York Building Foundation. In 2000, John received the Building Congress Industry Recognition Award. Known throughout the industry as a leader and authority on construction matters, John was often called upon as a valued consultant by leaders from all sectors of the building community.
Some of the numerous well-known projects that John worked on included: Rockefeller University's New Research Laboratory; multiple projects for Mount Sinai Medical Center and North Shore University Hospital; the construction of the USAir Terminal at LaGuardia Airport; Terminal One and Four at JFK Airport; the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History; numerous projects for New York University; the New York Stock Exchange; Marriott Marquis Hotel; the Sears Tower in Chicago; Franklin Mills Outlet Shopping Center in Philadelphia; 101 Hudson Street in Jersey City; Philip Morris Cigarette Manufacturing Center in Richmond, Virginia; the Philip Morris Corporate Headquarters, which included construction of the Whitney's Museum's exhibition space; the Museum of Modern Art; Orion Power's Astoria Generating Repowering Project; and major convention center projects, including the expansion of McCormick Place in Chicago. Notably, John also led one of the four prime contractors performing cleanup of the World Trade Center site after September 11th, 2001, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
John was extraordinarily active in multiple prominent industry organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Board of the Contractors' Association of Greater New York (CAGNY) at its inception in 1984, and later as CAGNY Chairman Emeritus and Second Vice President. In 2001, CAGNY honored John by naming its scholarship program after him. The John A. Cavanagh Scholarship Program continues to provide college scholarships to eligible recipients.
John served two terms as President of New York's Building Trades Employers' Association (BTEA) and subsequently as BTEA's Chairman Emeritus and a member of its Board of Directors. He was a member of the New York Building Department's Site Safety Committee, and an industry representative of the New York Real Estate Board. John also was a member of the Board of Directors of the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors, and Non-Traditional Employment for Women (NEW).
John was an active Board Member of the Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills (formerly Construction Skills 2000), organized in 2001 among the School Construction Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York City Board of Education and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. The Initiative promotes apprenticeship opportunities with local unions and New York City High School students who are residents of NYCHA communities. John was also a member of the Board of Directors of the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New York, designed to encourage today's youth to enter the fields of architecture, construction and engineering.
In addition, John was a member of the City of New York Mayor's Construction Advisory Council. On January 26, 2002, then Mayor of the City of New York, Rudy Giuliani, issued a Certificate of Recognition to John Cavanagh for his leadership in the Design, Construction and Real Estate Industry, and for his dedication to the City of New York.
Most recently, John was President of American Fire Suppressant Products, Inc., Cavanagh/Stewart International, Inc. and John A. Cavanagh Consulting Services, Inc., and was a member of the Board of Directors of Visionary Vehicles, LLC and KSW, Inc.
John studied Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, Construction Technology at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, and was an avid member of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York.
