MTA Chairman Lhota to resign, announce plans to run for mayor

MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota will resign from his post on Friday to announce plans to run for mayor, a surprise development that comes a day before the agency greenlights fare hikes for next year, sources said.

Lhota will make current MTA board member and former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer the vice chairman of the board tomorrow at the panel’s monthly meeting, enabling Ferrer to succeed him as the acting agency chairman when Lhota steps down, sources said.

Thomas Prendergast, president of New York City Transit, is expected to take over as acting executive director of the agency, which is Lhota’s other title.

Prendergast took the helm when former MTA head Jay Walder left in 2011 to head the Hong Kong subway.

“He has tremendous railroad and transportation knowledge,” said the source.

Lhota, a Republican who worked as a deputy mayor under ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani, has been widely praised for his handling of the MTA during super storm Sandy.

The MTA refused to comment on his departure a little over a year after he took the job helming the nation’s largest mass transit system.

Lhota — drinking what appeared to be white wine at a holiday party at the Manhattan federal courthouse — declined to comment.

“I’m not discussing politics while I’m chairman of the MTA,” he said.

His resignation on Friday will enable him to begin campaigning for mayor.

The law currently forbids him from planning a run for public office while heading a state authority.

The MTA is expected to vote for hikes on tolls and fares at its monthly board meeting tomorrow.

As the Post reported, the price of a monthly MetroCard is expected to hit $112 a month, up from the current $104.

jennifer.fermino@nypost.com

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Don’t be a stranger: Many prefer face-to-face meetings

Holiday time can bring you in contact with customers or clients you may not see the rest of the year. But if you’re expecting to be greeted with cheer you may be surprised.

Frustrated business owners and senior executives say they are turned off by being the customers of a service provider who communicates mostly by email.

Although that type of communication is efficient, a CEO recently told me, “I see them as a commodity — faceless and easy to replace.”

More often, executives complain, they have never even met face to face the actual person on their account — a lawyer, accountant, account executive — leaving them asking: Is this the new way of doing business?

Alejandro Fernandez, a senior executive at a Florida industrial parts company, says he hasn’t seen a few of his service providers all year and won’t let that happen again in 2013.

“I’m not saying I need to go to lunch with you every day but if I’m dealing with you for a year, come out and meet me,” he says. “How do they know all the issues they could be addressing if they are just answering the question I ask?”

Of course, business owners and high level managers are busy, and many time-pressed clients even will say they prefer texting to emails or calls.

Michelle Eisner, chief HR and talent officer with Hollander Home Fashions in Boca Raton, says she knows and trusts the initial contact at the law firm she uses, but spends much of her time working with attorneys there she has never met — and that’s OK with her as long as they are “responsive” and their email communication is “short and to the point.”

Eisner says she travels often and even getting her on the phone is challenging. “I want to work with someone who is able to put a decision or opinion in writing and feel comfortable with that.”

But workplace experts say don’t mistake an interest in efficiency for lack of interest in face-to-face interaction.

Jeff Connally, president and CEO of CMIT Solutions, provides information technology services to small business and has 135 offices, including one in Miami. Connally visits his customers a minimum of once a quarter and requires his franchisees do the same. He attributes the company’s high retention of customers to the on-site visits. “We think it’s vital because people do business with people they know and trust.”

Connally says the visits open the door for cross-selling opportunities that email communicators miss out on. His managers will analyze calls that come into the help desk and bring ideas to the client. Visiting in person allows him to understand the company culture, management style and business needs. “As we listen, we find opportunities to deepen the relationship.”

Consultant Jerry Wilson, a recently retired board-elected senior vice president of the Coca-Cola company, recommends knowing how and why to ask a senior executive for face time. “You need to understand the valid business reason. If you’re just asking someone to lunch to plug your company, that can be seen as a time waster and that hurts relations. Also, meeting with a client to ask “how are we doing?” will be seen as a time waster, he says. Instead, do some homework first and bring ideas for how you can help them grow their business or tackle a concern. “That shows a CEO you care about the relationship.”

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Miami-Dade court program helps young inmates change their lives

It was a graduation without pomp and circumstance.

There was marching in combat boots. No gowns.

The remarks by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Beth Bloom were full of the hallmarks common at any graduation. She spoke of goals and achievement and of the opportunity.

But were it not for the “I’m Ready” program, many of Monday’s graduates would not be anticipating their release from jail in a few short weeks.

The 13 young men in “I’m Ready’s’’ inaugural class had already been convicted of some crime and sentenced to boot camp. But each had some medical or psychological problem that made him ineligible.

Take, for example 20-year-old Franklin Robinson. After being sentenced to boot camp after he violated his probation, Robinson underwent several tests, including an EKG that showed there was difficulty pumping blood to his heart. That prevented him from being admitted to boot camp and could have meant him ending up back in jail with the general population.

Instead, he ended up at the six-month “I’m Ready’’ program, which offers youths ages 14-24 education and services. They undergo behavior modification, life skills, job training, counseling and treatment.

The day begins at 5 a.m. A routine of schooling and vocational training in automotive technology or carpentry carries them through until about 8 p.m.

“I’m Ready” participants are housed in a separate unit to accommodate program activities rather than with the general jail population. They are referred to as “students,’’ not “inmates.’’

“There is a reason why boot camp is able to reduce recidivism,” Bloom said. “It sets the tone that they are there to learn.”

It’s not so different from boot camp, said Officer Cathy Harpp, who oversees the program.

“You can’t do pushups, but you can clean the floor and the toilet bowl with a toothbrush,” Harpp said.

The hardest part was getting them to be receptive to change and adapt to the new rules, Harpp said.

“Once they knew I was not going to let up, eventually, they cave in,” she said. “Here, they’re accountable for everything.”

The idea for the program came to Bloom after she oversaw the case of an insulin dependent diabetic with a 10th-grade education.

After he was deemed unfit for boot camp because of his health condition, Bloom wanted to know what would happen to him.

Young offenders like him would have been incarcerated with the general population of inmates, where there would be no access to training and no structure.

“I’ve seen far too many youth return to the criminal justice system,” Bloom said Monday at the program’s first graduation ceremony. “All of you have met your goal. The community needs you to be the different persons that you are.”

The group of 13 will be released Dec. 28. Twenty-two new students will replace them in January.

Before the new graduates students left the room in a final marching formation, Harpp offered one lasting piece of advice: “This is where the difference begins.”

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Jamie Foxx Reacts to Sandy Hook Tragedy

Television, film and sports stars are grieving over the senseless loss of innocent lives last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut.

Jamie Foxx, whose Django Unchained premiere was cancelled today out of respect for the victims of the massacre, reflected on the tragedy with ET.

Related: Celebs Tweet Reactions to CT School Shooting

"Right now we need to concentrate on these kids and these parents as they mourn for them," said a somber Foxx of the 20 children killed by gunman Adam Lanza.

The team behind Tom Cruise's Jack Reacher have similarly followed suit, postponing the film's Pittsburg and New York premieres. Tom's co-star David Oyelowo sat down with us on Monday to weigh in on recent events.

"That is something that I thought was absolutely right," said Oyelowo of pushing back Reacher's red-carpet festivities. "We all thought it was right."

Video: 'SNL' Pays Somber Tribute to Sandy Hook Victims

Millions watching NFL games over the weekend saw emotional tributes from stadiums across the country. New York Giants player Victor Cruz honored 6-year-old fan Jack Pinto, who perished Friday in the shooting, by writing "my hero" on his cleats.

"I was fighting back tears to do it," said Cruz after the game. "I felt good to honor a family that was going through so much."

Watch the video for more, including ET's interview with Melissa Joan Hart. The Melissa & Joey star reveals her 6-year-old son was attending a nearby elementary school in Connecticut that fateful day.

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Ex-con with Gambino ties found guilty of bank robbery and gun charges

An ex-con with links to the Gambino crime family was found guilty of bank robbery and firearms charges today after a mob associate flipped to testify against him.

A jury in Brooklyn federal court deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Gary Fama.

Fama, 47, who has previous convictions on firearms and drug charges, faces 17 years in prison when he is sentenced by Judge William Kuntz II.

His accomplice, Gambino associate Jack Mannino, 44, has cut a deal with prosecutors and is awaiting sentencing.

Mannino - who has 24 New York bank heists under his belt and was dubbed the “Seven Second Bandit” for his speedy robberies - testified that he and and Fama held up a Capital One Bank in Bensonhurst last Dec. 29.

Gary Fama , bank robber surveillance photos @ December 29, 2011 robbery of a Capitol One Bank on New Utrecht Ave. Brooklyn

They fled the bank with a bag of cash, but things went awry when a dye pack exploded inside the money pouch, and the transmission blew out on their getaway car, Mannino told the jury.

They panicked after hearing sirens of responding police cars and jumped out of the Lexus - leaving behind a wallet and cellphone, Mannino said.

That helped FBI agents track them down.

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Miami in spotlight at AVCC, other entrepreneurship events

Entrepreneurs from around the world took the stage during this packed week of entrepreneurship events in Miami: Florida International University’s Americas Venture Capital Conference (known as AVCC), HackDay, Wayra’s Global DemoDay and Endeavor’s International Selection Panel.

The events, all part of the first Innovate MIA week, also put the spotlight on Miami as it continues to try to develop into a technology hub for the Americas.

“While I like art, I absolutely love what is happening today... The time has come to become a tech hub in Miami,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, who kicked off the venture capital conference on Thursday. He told the audience of 450 investors and entrepreneurs about the county’s $1 million investment in the Launch Pad Tech Accelerator in downtown Miami.

“I have no doubt that this gathering today will produce new ideas and new business ventures that will put our community on a fast track to becoming a center for innovative, tech-driven entrepreneurship,” Gimenez said.

Brad Feld, an early-stage investor and a founder of TechStars, cautioned that won’t happen overnight. Building a startup community can take five, 10, even 15 years, and those leading the effort, who should be entrepreneurs themselves, need to take the long-term view, he told the audience via video. “You can create very powerful entrepreneurial ecosystems in any city... I’ve spent some time in Miami, I think you are off to a great start.”

Throughout the two-day AVCC at the JW Brickell Marriott, as well as the Endeavor and Wayra events, entrepreneurs from around the world pitched their companies, hoping to persuade investors to part with some of their green.

And in some cases, the entrepreneurs could win money, too. During the venture capital conference, 29 companies —including eight from South Florida such as itMD, which connects doctors, patients and imaging facilities to facilitate easy access of records — competed for more than $50,000 in cash and prizes through short “elevator’’ pitches. Each took questions from the judges, then demoed their products or services in the conference “Hot Zone,” a room adjoining the ballroom. Some companies like oLyfe, a platform to organize what people share online, are hoping to raise funds for expansion into Latin America. Others like Ideame, a trilingual crowdfunding platform, were laser focused on pan-Latin American opportunities.

Winning the grand prize of $15,000 in cash and art was Trapezoid Digital Security of Miami, which provides hardware-based security solutions for enterprise and cloud environments. Fotopigeon of Tampa, a photo-sharing and printing service targeting the military and prison niches, scored two prizes.

The conference offered opportunities to hear formal presentations on current trends — among them the surge of start-ups in Brazil; the importance of mobile apps and overheated company valuations — and informal opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

Speakers included Gaston Legorburu of SapientNitro, Albert Santalo of CareCloud and Juan Diego Calle of .Co Internet, all South Florida entrepreneurs. Jerry Haar, executive director of FIU’s Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center, which produced the conference with a host of sponsors, said the organizers worked hard to make the conference relevant to both the local and Latin American audience, with panels on funding and recruiting for startups, for instance.

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Sperm whale dies off Pompano Beach coast

The carcass of a 40-foot sperm whale that apparently died as it neared the shore off of Pompano Beach on Sunday afternoon later drifted back out to sea, ending a drama that had drawn the attention of beachgoers and scientists alike.

The whale was spotted about noon offshore near the 600 block of North Ocean Boulevard, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Read the full story at Sun-Sentinel.com.

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Cisco hires bank to sell home wireless router unit: report

(Reuters) – Networking equipment company Cisco Systems Inc has hired Barclays to sell its Linksys home router unit, a report said on Sunday.

The business, which Cisco acquired for $ 500 million in 2003, will likely be valued for less because it has low margins, according to Bloomberg.

The sale is part of Cisco’s strategy to shed its consumer unit and focus on its software and technology services businesses.

Last year, Cisco axed its Flip camera business as part of this strategy.

(Reporting By Olivia Oran; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Pregnant Kate Middleton Attends First Public Event Since Hospitalization

A pregnant Kate Middleton made her very first public appearance in London on Sunday after a brief hospital stay due to acute morning sickness.

Glowing in green, the Duchess of Cambridge presented two awards during the Sports Personality of the Year ceremony broadcast live in Britain. Kate appeared "healthy and strong," reports The Associated Press, as she bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award to a British politician and former athlete Sebastian Coe, and the Sports Personality of the Year award to cyclist Bradley Wiggins.

Video: Prince William Attends Charity Event Without Kate

The Duchess has cancelled several appearances since being released from the hospital on December 6 and is said to have been resting at home.

The gala was the first time Kate has been seen publicly since the apparent suicide of a nurse at King Edward VII Hospital.

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Miami in spotlight at AVCC, other entrepreneurship events

Entrepreneurs from around the world took the stage during this packed week of entrepreneurship events in Miami: Florida International University’s Americas Venture Capital Conference (known as AVCC), HackDay, Wayra’s Global DemoDay and Endeavor’s International Selection Panel.

The events, all part of the first Innovate MIA week, also put the spotlight on Miami as it continues to try to develop into a technology hub for the Americas.

“While I like art, I absolutely love what is happening today... The time has come to become a tech hub in Miami,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, who kicked off the venture capital conference on Thursday. He told the audience of 450 investors and entrepreneurs about the county’s $1 million investment in the Launch Pad Tech Accelerator in downtown Miami.

“I have no doubt that this gathering today will produce new ideas and new business ventures that will put our community on a fast track to becoming a center for innovative, tech-driven entrepreneurship,” Gimenez said.

Brad Feld, an early-stage investor and a founder of TechStars, cautioned that won’t happen overnight. Building a startup community can take five, 10, even 15 years, and those leading the effort, who should be entrepreneurs themselves, need to take the long-term view, he told the audience via video. “You can create very powerful entrepreneurial ecosystems in any city... I’ve spent some time in Miami, I think you are off to a great start.”

Throughout the two-day AVCC at the JW Brickell Marriott, as well as the Endeavor and Wayra events, entrepreneurs from around the world pitched their companies, hoping to persuade investors to part with some of their green.

And in some cases, the entrepreneurs could win money, too. During the venture capital conference, 29 companies —including eight from South Florida such as itMD, which connects doctors, patients and imaging facilities to facilitate easy access of records — competed for more than $50,000 in cash and prizes through short “elevator’’ pitches. Each took questions from the judges, then demoed their products or services in the conference “Hot Zone,” a room adjoining the ballroom. Some companies like oLyfe, a platform to organize what people share online, are hoping to raise funds for expansion into Latin America. Others like Ideame, a trilingual crowdfunding platform, were laser focused on pan-Latin American opportunities.

Winning the grand prize of $15,000 in cash and art was Trapezoid Digital Security of Miami, which provides hardware-based security solutions for enterprise and cloud environments. Fotopigeon of Tampa, a photo-sharing and printing service targeting the military and prison niches, scored two prizes.

The conference offered opportunities to hear formal presentations on current trends — among them the surge of start-ups in Brazil; the importance of mobile apps and overheated company valuations — and informal opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

Speakers included Gaston Legorburu of SapientNitro, Albert Santalo of CareCloud and Juan Diego Calle of .Co Internet, all South Florida entrepreneurs. Jerry Haar, executive director of FIU’s Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center, which produced the conference with a host of sponsors, said the organizers worked hard to make the conference relevant to both the local and Latin American audience, with panels on funding and recruiting for startups, for instance.

Read More..