Lou Coletti to Retire as Head of Building Trades Employers’ Association
By Mark Hallum April 13, 2023 1:22 pm
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Lou Coletti is handing in his retirement papers at the Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA).
Former New York City Council member Elizabeth Crowley, who represented southwestern Queens from 2009 to 2017, will be taking over as president of the New York branch of the construction advocacy group and become the first woman to lead the organization, Crain’s New York Business first reported.
Crowley will replace Coletti, who has headed the group since 1997, starting in the first week of May. Coletti will start his own consulting firm, according to BTEA.
As president of the contractors association, Crowley aims to make the construction industry more diverse and the city’s buildings more environmentally friendly. She also plans to promote the creation of more affordable housing with union workers.
“I look forward to working with BTEA member companies to advance the construction industry as it addresses pressing needs of people in our communities, drive innovation, and add to a more sustainable and resilient skyline that is built by a diverse and inclusive union workforce,” Crowley said in a statement.
Crowley — who previously worked in a union job restoring and painting landmarks — lost her City Council seat in a surprise upset in 2017 when her defeated Democratic primary challenger ran again on the Republican line in the general election and won.
She was unable to get back into a government position in 2022, when she was beaten in the primary for New York State Senate by Kristin Gonzalez, who ended up winning the seat that covers Astoria and Long Island City against multiple opponents.
Crowley is the cousin of former Congressman Joseph Crowley, who represented northwestern Queens and parts of the South Bronx — and served as Queens County Democratic Party chair — until he was unseated by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018.
Coletti’s new consulting firm will focus on “strategies, processes, technologies and the use of data” to lessen construction costs in the city, according to the BTEA.
“I look forward to seeing Elizabeth’s leadership and vision continue to advance the BTEA,” Coletti said in a statement. “It has been an honor to lead this organization, see it grow, and make a positive impact on the lives of so many people who work in the construction industry.”
Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.
