July 2015
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Michael M. Downey, RPA -- BOMA/NY President 1995

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Walk down a Midtown street with Mike Downey and it became immediately evident what kind of man he was. Cleaners, porters, tenants, fellow professionals ... all had a big hello for the man who had risen from a helper’s position in the engine room to become First Vice President of Mendik Realty Company, the corporation’s Senior Vice President of Operations, and go-to property management expert for founder and industry legend, Bernie Mendik. (The firm was later merged with Vornado.)

Mike loved the business that became his life, and the colleagues that became his friends. It was only natural, then, that he joined BOMA/NY three decades ago. He believed strongly in giving back to the profession, always ready to share his knowledge with others. Mike was an early specialist in operational energy conservation and served as a panelist for Energy Action Day, at a time when energy conservation was heating up as an issue. He also sponsored many a member that later took on leadership roles, including Vincent A. Fantauzzi, RPA, who rose to serve as BOMA/NY President for 2002 and 2003.

The Leadership Ladder

His own role as a BOMA/NY leader started in 1988 when he began a term on the Board of Directors that ran for only two of the usual three years. Carl T. Miller, RPA, who served as President from 1990-92, recognized Mike’s talents and tapped him to serve in his administration as Secretary. While an officer, Mike was also active as a member and chair/vice chair of committees ranging from Finance to Waste Management. 

In 1995, when he became BOMA/NY President, Mike coined the slogan "Making Membership Matter" as the platform for his one-year term. Among many accomplishments, he is most well-known for bringing value to the membership in two areas, which continue to be BOMA/NY strong suits today: education and advocacy. Mike was the force behind moving the BOMI designation classes from NYU to BOMA/NY, where they would be taught in-house; the concept became reality with the Fall Semester of 1996. Advocacy at BOMA/NY was also coming into its own and during Mike’s administration, member-volunteers tackled two controversial tax issues -- sales tax on elevator consulting services and New York State sales tax on cleaning company services -- and the tangled issues behind wiring buildings, which came into focus just as the Internet was fueling explosive growth in telecommunications.

And membership did matter under Mike Downey—within his single presidential year, 38 new members were voted in. 

Caring for the Less Fortunate

Giving back extended beyond the profession, in Mike’s eyes. Seeing the less fortunate on the street, he often said, "There but for the grace of God, go I." Taking care of the least, the last and often, the lost, was a bedrock value that had been instilled in him at a young age by his devout family. And it was part of why he was involved in groups such as the John Doe Fund, which gave work -- and dignity -- to the homeless.

Mike left us in June after battling lung cancer and we lost one of the best of us. Yet there will be time to say goodbye at a memorial service being planned by friends and BOMA/NY members, and we will be sure to provide details as they become available.