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DDC Names Two New Associate Commissioners to Lead Growing Coastal Resiliency Program
Associate Commissioners How Sheen Pau and Joseph Lione to Lead Design and Construction of Major Shoreline Projects
Ian Michaels, 646-939-6514, michaelia@ddc.nyc.gov
(Long Island City, NY – October 28, 2022) Commissioner Thomas Foley of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced today that How Sheen Pau and Joseph Lione have been named Associate Commissioners of Coastal Resiliency, where they will oversee the design and construction of major shoreline protection programs such as East Side Coastal Resiliency and the upcoming Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resiliency project to the south.
“Climate change is real and coastal resiliency projects are a growing and very specialized part of DDC’s portfolio,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. “Each one of these projects is cutting edge and has never been constructed before in North America so it’s important we have a specialized team to build the experience we need to be successful. Associate Commissioners Pau and Lione are well qualified to tackle this challenge, which puts them at the forefront of climate change response nationwide.”
Associate Commissioner for Coastal Resiliency Design How Sheen Pau has been with DDC since 1996 and has more than 30 years of design and construction experience in the crowded and complicated New York City construction environment. She was named Assistant Commissioner for Design (Infrastructure) in 2018, where she managed for DDC the design and risk assessment for the replacement and expansion of the City’s road, water and sewer systems.
Her past work includes design of East Side Coastal Resiliency, the $1.45 billion project that will provide flood protection to 110,000 lower Manhattan residents while enhancing recreational and open spaces throughout the area. She has also supervised complex street infrastructure projects; green infrastructure such as rain gardens that are helping the City manage the effects of cloudbursts and intense rainstorms; and public plazas such as Times Square, Columbus Circle and Montefiore Plaza. Associate Commissioner Pau holds a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the City College of the City University of New York. She is a licensed professional engineer in New York and Washington, D.C.
“Our coastal resiliency design is a complex process and incorporates numerous concepts as we implement flood protection,” said Associate Commissioner for Coastal Resiliency Design How Sheen Pau. “These projects are located adjacent to large areas of coastline, so we seek to build on access to the water without cutting communities off from their waterfronts. We have to consider factors such as sight lines and then strategically place gates and other access points in those areas in order to preserve neighborhood character. We have to consider other ways water may enter an area, such as from underground or from intense cloudbursts. And we need to listen to residents and respond to their needs and concerns. There’s much more to it than just building a floodwall.”
Associate Commissioner for Coastal Resiliency Construction Joseph Lione has 35 years of experience building infrastructure projects in New York. He has been the resident engineer on a variety of multimillion dollar DDC infrastructure projects, and while working in the private sector managed all aspects of construction for large-scale infrastructure projects for the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Governors Island Partnership and a slew of private coastal developers. He brings extensive experience in street reconstruction, wetland restoration, tunneling and pipe rehabilitation as well as pumping station construction, all of which may be applicable in coastal resiliency construction.
Prior to his work in the private sector for firms including Jacobs Engineering, HAKS/Atane and Bedford Construction, Associate Commissioner Lione helped to supervise Staten Island infrastructure construction as a Deputy Director for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and later DDC. He holds a B.S. in Engineering Science from City University of New York College of Staten Island and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of New York.
The NYC Department of Design and Construction began construction on East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) in November 2020 and recently celebrated with Mayor Adams the completion of the project’s first section in Asser Levy Playground at East 23rd Street in Manhattan, where a new floodwall and 45-ton sliding gate have been installed. Other parts of the playground were upgraded with new resilient play equipment designed to withstand storm or flood damage.
The agency will also build Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resiliency (BMCR) to the south of ESCR as well as Red Hook Coastal Resiliency (RHCR) in Brooklyn. NYC Mayor Eric Adams presided over a groundbreaking for BMCR on October 26.
About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor Adams’ long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15.5 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.