Michael leone, MAnaging partner

Michael Leone is an accomplished Mechanical Engineer with over 40 years of experience. Mr. Leone joined ads ENGINEERS in 1983, and was named Partner in 1988. Since joining ads ENGINEERS, Mr. Leone has been instrumental in business development, client relations, enhancement of the firm’s standards of design and supervision of the Mechanical Department.

Under his direction, ads ENGINEERS has engineered numerous project types including high-rise residential, hotels, office buildings, retail, entertainment, sports facilities, laboratories, educational buildings, corporate headquarters, and cultural centers. Mr. Leone’s projects are some of the largest and most complex projects of the firm. 

Quality has always been the forefront of Mr. Leone’s designs along with emphasis on the client’s requirements and detail, while making sure to stay within the budget. Servicing his high-end clientele such as Ian Schrager, Marriott International, Stonehill & Taylor, Lightstone Group, Herzog & De Meuron,  Enrique Norton, OMA (Rem Koolhause), Richard Meier, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, just to name a few, has been a challenging and exciting focus on the current and ever-changing environmental demands.

Ari Golden, Partner

Ari Golden is a licensed Professional Engineer, LEED accredited and is certified by ASHRAE as a Commissioning Process Management Professional (CPMP) and as a High-Performance Building Design Professional (HBDP). He is the Partner in charge of the firm’s Commissioning Program and is actively involved in the firm’s ongoing program as a Technical Assistance provider for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

In addition to overseeing the commissioning program, Mr. Golden is actively involved with the design of many of the firms institutional, hotel, office, educational, cultural and retail projects.

Steve Gnapragasam, Partner

Since entering the profession in 2006, Mr. Gnapragasam has designed Electrical, Fire Alarm and Lighting Systems for various projects from high-end residential condominiums to large retail space renovation. At ads ENGINEERS, Mr. Gnapragasam assisted in the electrical power distribution and fire alarm design for the 1.5 million square foot Asian Cultural Center located in South Korea. Some of his other projects included the Times Square Marriott Moxy Hotel, Hudson Yards Marriott AC Hotel, Joe Papp Theater, and Bennington College Dialogue, among others.

Mr. Gnapragasam has assisted with the Commissioning of multiple electrical systems and serves as a member of the NYC Electrical License Board.

Maria Iacovone, Principal / COO

Maria Iacovone is an accomplished Business Manager with over 30 years’ experience. She joined ads ENGINEERS in 1985 and was named an Associate in 1993. Maria was a key member of ads ENGINEERS for 30 years and spent a few years exploring other A/E endeavors, before returning to ads as Principal and COO.

In her role as COO, Maria designs and implements business strategies, plans, and procedures that promote company culture and vision along with overseeing the daily operations of the firm. Her direct responsibilities include business development, finance, administration and recruiting. Maria is a member of the International Business Development Professionals, Center for Architecture, and the Queens Chamber of Commerce. She studies Accounting at Farmingdale State of College and earned an Associates degree in Business Management from Tobe-Coburn.