NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2008 – John F. Palmieri, the newly appointed director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), will address members of the engineering and scientific community during opening proceedings of the 2008 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress to be held at the Sheraton Boston.

ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) will convene in Boston, Oct. 31-Nov. 6, to discuss new and emerging trends in science and technology.  Palmieri will address the opening session of the conference on Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m., which will also include presentations by ASME president Thomas M. Barlow and keynote speaker Peter H. Diamandis, chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation.

John Palmieri is the 15th director of the BRA, the powerful city planning and economic development agency.  Among his tasks and challenges will be to create affordable housing and to develop growth plans for the South Boston Waterfront, Longwood Medical Area, and other parts of the city.

Palmieri has worked on numerous neighborhood and downtown revitalization projects during his career.  As the director of Development and Planning in Providence, R.I., from 1993 to 2002, he helped lead the implementation of a strategy to create a cultural district, the development of the 1.2 million square foot Providence Place Mall, and the creation of a $1 billion Capital Center corporate district.

From 2002 to 2004, Palmieri served as the first director of Economic Development for the City of Charlotte, N.C., the nation’s second largest banking center and fifth largest urban region.  Palmieri developed an economic development work strategy for Charlotte, attracted a Time/Warner Headquarters and a Johnson & Wales University campus, implemented a new program to provide small businesses with financial assistance, and implemented policy guidelines for transit-oriented development.

In Hartford, Conn., since 2004, Palmieri served as the city’s first director of the Department of Development Services, overseeing all aspects of planning, economic and real estate development.  While in Hartford, he partnered with the local chamber of commerce to develop a strategic plan and marketing program for the city, established a tax increment financing district for a major mixed use development at the site of the historic Colt Firearms factory, and reorganized the city’s core development functions.

Palmieri is a graduate of Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.  He also graduated from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, where he received his Masters degree in public administration.

The 2008 ASME Congress includes presentations on new advances in engineering.  Experts will speak on aerospace technology, transportation, bioengineering, energy and the environment, and fluid mechanics, among other topics.

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences.  ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the engineering and technology community.

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