Brooklyn's Progress
December 2006/January 2007

Economic Development:

Economic Development Corporation: Joshua J. Sirefman has been appointed Senior Vice President and head of development in the United States for Brookfield Properties. He was the Interim President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Over the past four years Mr. Sirefman has spear-headed major economic development initiatives and became a trusted advisor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Daniel Doctoroff, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding. Mr. Sirefman played a key role in the creation and implementation of five-borough economic development plan; was a tremendous consensus builder during historic negotiations involving the Plaza Hotel and World Trade Center site plan; helped craft and advance major, area-wide revitalization plans in Downtown Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan and Coney Island. Other important projects advanced by Mr. Sirefman include the creation of the New York City Industrial Policy; the formation of the Mayor’s Office for Industrial and Manufacturing Businesses; the expansion of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the restructuring of EDC and the Mayor’s Office of Operations.

Education:

St. Francis College: Michael J. Iadarola has been named Director of Development for St. Francis College. His responsibilities will include the St. Francis College Annual Fund, administering the department data systems and the cultivation and stewardship programs. Mr. Iadarola has worked as a consultant for St. Francis for the past several months and also worked for the college previously as Major Gifts Officer. Most recently he played a major role in the successful $40 million dollar campaign that has allowed the college to add new scholarships and make major capital improvements and additions including a new academic center,“smart” classrooms, HDTV production studio and arts theater and the Anthony Genovesi Athletic Center. Mr. Iadarola has done political fundraising and was previously Chief of Staff at City Harvest, Inc. Mr. Iadarola graduated Magna Cum Laude from East Stroudsburg University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.
 

Medical Institutions:

Beth Israel Medical Center: Beth Israel Medical Center’s division in Brooklyn has recently announced the appointment of Ilya V. Bilik, MD, FACP, as the new Director of Community Medicine; Mark Galperin, MD, as an attending in Pain Medicine and Palliative Care; and Robin Baradarian, MD, as Director of Interventional Gastroenterology.
 
Dr. Bilik previously was Assistant Director of Medicine at New York Community Hospital. Board certified in Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Bilik specializes in the diagnosis and management of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases. He graduated with honors from Uzbekistan’s Central Asian Medical Institute, and completed studies in Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at the All-Union Scientific Institute of Radiology and Oncology. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College and co-founded Sheepshead Bay Medical Associates.

Dr. Galperin’s path to medicine started in the former USSR as a Physician Assistant honor graduate of the 8th Leningrad Nursing College, followed by Dentistry at the 1st Leningrad Medical Institute before he switched to Medicine at the Institute. After being accepted in General Surgery, Dr. Galperin completed a residency in Anesthesiology at SUNY at Buffalo and continued his Anesthesiology residency at Nassau University Medical Center in 1999. He went on to become an attending anesthesiologist in the Queens-based affiliate of Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2001. In 2003, he established the Platinum Wellness Center on Ocean Parkway, offering complete and comprehensive interventional pain management for all sorts of chronic pain, including skeletal, lower back and pelvic pain.

Before he was enrolled in medical school, Dr. Baradarian assisted in the research laboratories at New York University and later at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. He earned his undergraduate degree from NYU and spent a post baccalaureate year at Hunter College before going to Saint George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, where he earned his medical degree. Dr Baradarian has authored and co-authored several publications. He completed his internal medicine residency training including a year as Chief Resident at Maimonides Medical Center. He continued at the hospital for a fellowship in Gastroenterology and served as Chief Fellow there until his appointment as Director of Interventional Gastroenterology at Beth Israel. Dr. Baradarian is board-certified and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Public Relations:

The Professional Network Organization: Brenda Jeanne Wyche, Managing Editor of The Black Star News and CEO of Winning Strategies & Associates, was named Vice President of Public Relations for The Professionals Network Organization (TPNO). In this position Ms. Wyche will take charge of bringing The Professionals Inc. into the spotlight as a leader in social networking for ethnic professionals. As Managing Editor for The Black Star News and Harlem Business News, Wyche covers business, politics, entertainment, general news and profiles public figures.  As CEO of Winning Strategies & Associates, Wyche focuses on small business development; she is also a member of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about The Professionals Network Organization (TPNO), logon to the Business Section at http://www.blackstarnews.com/; and for Winning Strategies & Associates visit http://www.winningbeginnings.com/.