Beau knows Buildings: Federation Celebrates Accomplishments of Long-Term Senior Director of Facilities and Transportation Beau Gardon
When Beau Gardon joined Federation of Organizations in 1999 as Facilities Manager, he was the entire Facilities Department. But as the health and human services agency has significantly expanded its housing portfolio from about two dozen to 100-plus properties, Mr. Gardon has risen to Senior Director of Facilities and Transportation, with responsibility for a team of 22 people.
As it celebrates its golden anniversary this year, Federation is honoring long-tenured employees like Mr. Gardon, who has played a major role in developing the agency’s housing portfolio, which ranges from supportive scattered-site housing to community residences.
Mr. Gardon’s biggest projects to date are two large-scale affordable apartment complexes currently being constructed from the ground up: Herkimer Gardens, a 120-unit, mixed-use senior development in Brooklyn that is expected to be completed in September 2022; and the Barbara Faron Residence, a 117-unit, nine-story property, which is slated for a July 2023 completion.
“Herkimer Gardens and the Barbara Faron Residence are going to be beautiful buildings, and to see them completed and to see people move in will be by far my greatest achievement here at Federation,” Mr. Gardon said.
When developing a new property, Mr. Gardon works closely with the architects and contractors from start to finish. “My job is to look over their shoulders to make sure Federation is getting everything we’re paying for,” he said.
Mr. Gardon also oversees maintenance and repairs at Federation’s 100-plus properties throughout Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as the agency’s fleet of more than 50 vehicles.
When Mr. Gardon first joined Federation, after holding leadership roles at Raytheon and Hughes Danbury Optical Systems, he didn’t expect to be here for decades.
“But when I started working here and saw the amazing work that Federation does, I was so impressed, and I felt like I was really doing something to help people,” he said. “And 23 years later, I’m still here.”