The New York Building Congress board of directors is mourning the passing 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.
In the course of his 45-year career, Mr Cavanagh was vice chairman of AMEC Construction Management, Inc. and president and COO of Morse Diesel International, Inc.
He 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, Mr Cavanagh received the Building Congress Industry Recognition Award.
Known throughout the industry as a leader and authority on construction matters, he was often called upon as a valued consultant by leaders from all sectors of the building community.
Some of the projects he 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; the Philip Morris Corporate Headquarters, which included construction of the Whitney’s Museum’s exhibition space; the Museum of Modern Art; and major convention center projects.
He also led one of the four prime contractors performing cleanup of the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
Mr Cavanagh was 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.
In 2002, then Mayor of the City of New York, Rudy Giuliani, issued a Certificate of Recognition to Mr Cavanagh for his leadership in the Design, Construction and Real Estate Industry, and for his dedication to the City of New York.
He studied Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, Construction Technology at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn.
