Categories: New York City, Member News
07.15.2016
A memorial to one of supportive housing's finest.
Paul Gualano of CUCS.
The Network joins the Center for Urban Community Services in mourning the loss of CUCS’ long-time Chief Operating Officer, Paul Gualano, who passed away on July 9, 2016. He was a pillar of the supportive housing community who touched the lives of tenants, co-workers, and colleagues from other organizations within our community.
Tony Hannigan, CUCS’ President and CEO, said, on behalf of everyone at CUCS, ‘‘Paul has been with CUCS since 1988, and he is in everything that is CUCS. It is hard to believe he is gone.”
Paul began working at CUCS in 1988 as a Special Assistant, and he subsequently held numerous positions before becoming Chief Operating Officer in 2000. Paul was a key part of CUCS’ successful transition from Columbia University in 1993, and he was the architect of much of the organization’s administrative infrastructure. In recent years, he also oversaw CUCS’ property development efforts, and he was instrumental in creating CUCS’ central office, and the Lenniger and the Sydelle residences.
Cindy L. Harden of Harden Van Arnam Architects said, "Paul Gualano was more than a client - he had become a close and dear friend - so this loss is heartbreaking. Paul's tenacity and patience in getting supportive housing projects over all he hurdles to completion was abounding. His compassion and faith were inspiring, his sense of purpose an example to all, and his sense of humor just icing on the cake that was Paul Gualano. All of us at HVA who collaborated with Paul respected and admired him and we will miss him greatly."
Brenda Rosen, Breaking Ground’s President and CEO, had more moving words about Mr. Gualano, shared in particular with their partners at CUCS: “I speak on behalf of the entire Breaking Ground organization when I say we are terribly saddened by the passing of Paul Gualano. Breaking Ground has had no more important partnership than with CUCS since our founding. Our partnership is so strong and, in truth, unique for the supportive housing industry, because of the very special group of people who make up the CUCS family. Paul was a guiding force, year after year, as we partnered on new sites and improved systems. He helped ensure that our staffs had their best opportunity to achieve deeply held aspirations for making a positive, lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. We will remember Paul always and miss him terribly.”
Paul’s family is asking that in lieu of flowers, if people would like to make donations, they should do so either to CUCS in Paul’s memory or to the NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, c/o Dr. Anna Pavlick. Below are the links:
To CUCS:
https://www.cucs.org/donate
To the NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center:
https://nyulangone.org/give/funds/melanoma-clinical-trials-anna-pavlick-md/donate