When I gave a speech to Sheepshead Bay High School’s Graduating Class of 2000 a few weeks ago, I told them that, “true success is not measured by the acquisition of wealth or material possessions – but the joy of knowing that when you wake up in the morning to go to work – you look forward to the day ahead because you love what you do.” I have to say that while I always believed that statement to be true – I never truly experienced that feeling until I joined the Department of Buildings.

Throughout my life as a professional, I have always given 110% in any job I have had. From a stockboy to an Editor-in-Chief – I have always tried my best to give all of myself to the job I had at that time. Whether I hoped the current job I was in at the time would be my career – or if I knew for a fact that the job I had was only temporary – I worked like it was going to be the job I held for the rest of my life. I can honestly tell you that this is the first job I have had where I truly feel that I have found my career.

As Press Secretary for the Department of Buildings, my main purpose is to answer the questions, inquiries and requests of the media. Whether they have a question about a minor building incident – or a major disaster – I have to have all of the answers. It may be fun, but it’s not always easy. There are days where I don’t get so much as one press call – and there are days when the phone messages pile up higher then the buildings we monitor.

I have been at DOB for a little over one and a half years now, and so far, I have been quoted and/or mentioned in every major City newspaper, on every network television and news radio station – and even in papers across the country and around the world. That’s much more exposure than I ever got when I was a journalist – and I’m not even writing the stories.

Besides dealing with the media, sometimes my job requires me to go out into the field. My first field visit as DOB’s Press Secretary was to the site of an accident at Coney Island last year. I must say I love to go out into the field for two reasons. One, I love to be actively involved in an investigation – and two – it’s like a live version of COPS. I have had very few field visits since my tenure at DOB began. My latest was one I never would have imagined.

A few days ago, we were in the office when we looked out the window and noticed a floating billboard going up the Hudson River. After checking the City’s Zoning Law and realizing that the barge was illegal, an inspector and myself raced to Pier 11 in a squad car, boarded a police boat – and headed up the Hudson after the barge.

I could not explain my excitement to you if I tried. I was so elated to be a part of this pursuit. Racing up the Hudson at twenty-six knots in a Police Boat with my badge around my neck and an NYPD vest on is something I always dreamed of doing as a kid – but never thought I would actually get the chance to do – but like everything I wish for – it came true.

That’s the one thing I love the most about this job – that I am a part of what is going on in the City. Whenever I watch the news, I am part of those stories. It’s kind of like knowing the future because I know what will be in tomorrow’s paper. When I was writing the news, I knew when my story would be in the paper the next day – now, I know what each paper’s top story for the next day will be about before the sun rises.

By the way – for more details on the barge we chased after in the police boat – pick up a copy of tomorrow’s New York Times.