BOB FRIEDRICH (5/91)
President & CFO
- Chairman of Maintenance Committee
- Chairman of Finance/Budget Committee
- Co-Chair of Personnel Committee
Bob Friedrich serves as President and CFO of the co-op, and is an accountant by trade. His leadership has been instrumental in transforming Glen Oaks Village into one of Queens' most professionally run and financially sound housing developments. As a hands-on member of the board of directors, his brand of innovative pro-growth leadership has uniquely expanded choices for shareholders and achieved many milestones:
1. Conceived and negotiated the takeover of ownership and control from banking regulatory agencies of more than 500 rent-stabilized apartments and placed them under GOVO ownership, adding a considerable resource that provides strong economic growth potential and secure and stable fiscal health for the benefit of all Glen Oaks residents.
2. Created an onsite self-management organization to replace offsite corporate management, improving response to residents' requests while reducing the costs of service.
3. Brought financial expertise and high levels of transparency and accountability to the co-op management team.
4. Created Glen Oaks Village's first professional newsletter and website carrying in-depth information and co-op news.
5. Spearheaded the Value-Added Programs that actively encourage shareholders to make improvements to their apartments, by facilitating the building of decks, terraces, private entrances and townhouse dormers.
6. More choices, more property rights. Led and won a 3-year effort navigating through NYC agencies to win a groundbreaking zoning variance that maximizes shareholders' property rights and living options. Conceived and implemented creative Townhouse Dormers and Basement Conversions which are unprecedented in other co-op housing developments. This enables shareholders to stay in the community and expand their homes as their family grows, spending a fraction of the cost of a new home purchase.
7. Established objective procedures to measure staff performance. Designed new quality-control mechanisms to monitor and optimize workmanship of outside contractors.
8. Built close, powerful working relationships with locally elected legislators, nearby cooperatives and surrounding community civic associations. Created the Presidents' Co-Op Council in 2005 as a networking think tank aimed at enhancing shareholders' and residents' choices and quality of life.
The success of these economic-growth initiatives can be objectively measured. The residents of Glen Oaks have voted their approval with their pocketbooks, by making more than $5 million in value-added improvements, both exterior and interior, and keeping owner-occupancy rates consistently high.
Bob's objective and overall mission has always been to raise the standards by which all successful cooperatives are measured.
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