The other honorees from outside Brooklyn included: Diane Clerkin, chief court attorney in Westchester; Yolanda M. Mulholland, principal surrogate’s court clerk in Nassau County; Kevin Dauernheim, court officer in Suffolk County; Robert V. Papa, court clerk specialist in Queens; and Paul Yu, associate court clerk in Staten Island.

“Our award recipients exemplify the can-do spirit that has enabled our courts to function effectively despite many hardships over the past few years,” Eng said. “Our honorees have all gone the extra mile to serve as an inspiration to all who have the pleasure to work here.”

Mollen, who was best known for his namesake commission on police corruption, died this past August at the age of 97, and part of the ceremony was also a tribute to the former presiding justice of the Appellate Division. Judges Hon. Seymour Boyers, Hon. Richard A. Brown and Hon. Gabriel M. Krausman, as well as Mollen’s son Scott Mollen, were all in attendance to talk about the late judicial titan.

“Milton Mollen was a pillar of New York’s legal and judicial community for more than 60 years, getting a reputation statewide for his integrity and outstanding leadership,” said Boyers. “Milton was an inspiration for attorneys and judges appearing in his court. He really exemplified the concept of a lawyer, a judge and a public servant.”

His son, who touted his father’s fight for middle-class and low-income housing, and explained that his father loved serving on the Appellate Division court.

Charles Small was introduced by Hon. Lawrence Knipel, Fay was introduced by Hon. Michael Yavinsky and Chan was introduced by both Hon. Michael Pesce and Hon. Anthony Marano.

“Excellence should not be an act, but a habit. For those of us who knew Mr. Mollen, excellence for him was a habit for everything he did,” Small said. “I want to thank my parents for instilling in me certain values. They always said to me, ‘If you are going to do anything do it the right way, it’s never wrong to do the right thing. It’s always OK to aim high and miss, but if you aim low then we have a problem.’”

Yavinsky praised Kay for keeping the criminal court working at peak efficiency, but explained that his role in helping during a fire in the criminal courthouse as the key reason his peers nominated him for the award.

“The afternoon of May 10, 2017 there was a serious fire on the 6th floor of 120 Schermerhorn St., and Ken and his leadership was a huge reason why an evacuation of more than 1,000 people took place with no injuries to the public,” Yavinsky said. “If that weren’t enough, the court was able to resume normal arraignment operations later that day. Whether it’s a normal day or in the middle of chaos, Kenneth Fay has consistently personified professionalism, dedication and extraordinary service.”

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