Howe’s Brooklyn: Sixth Female President Takes Reins at Brooklyn Bar Association

ON JUNE 16, DIANA J. SZOCHET will be sworn in as the Brooklyn Bar Association’s 93rd president and its sixth female president. She is taking over from RoseAnn Branda, who has served for the last year.

In addition to her executive-board functions, Szochet is involved with numerous BBA committees, including the Pro Bono Committee and the Continuing Legal Education Committee. She is also managing editor of the Bar Association’s newspaper, the Brooklyn Barrister, where her “Roll Call” column summarizing disciplinary decisions from the Second Department is featured monthly, and also carried in multiple local papers. For a full profile of Szochet, see Monday’s Eagle.

The induction ceremony will be held in Brooklyn Borough Hall, 6 p.m., at 209 Joralemon St. in the Ceremonial Courtroom. BBA Executive Director Avery Eli Okin says this will be one of the best-attended receptions of the closing season, and asks that members RSVP by calling (718) 624-0675 no later than today, June 13.

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JOSEPH McCARTHY HAS JOINED the team of theatrical group Irondale Ensemble Project as its director of development. A longtime resident of Cobble Hill, McCarthy has a background in film production and publishing. He wrote, directed and produced the creative documentary, “The Brave Man,” an inspired cinematic profile of William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling, who is the forgotten hero of the Battle of Brooklyn. Much of the key action in the movie is set around the historic Stone House in Park Slope, where McCarthy has been a long-time board leader and supporter. McCarthy’s wife, Pam Maffei McCarthy, a vice president and managing editor at The New Yorker magazine, is a fourth-generation Cobble Hiller.

Irondale, a 15-year-old theater ensemble that creates original work to explore emerging themes in society, is currently helmed by Terry Greiss, executive director, Jim Niesen, artistic director and Maria Knapp, managing director. The Irondale Center is renovating its Off-Broadway space, housed in the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church’s former Sunday school, up the street from BAM. Irondale plans to retain the original scale, character and details of the distinctive site, including its 28-foot ceilings and stained glass windows, while installing a 168-seat performance space. McCarthy will work to integrate the new facility into the community.

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FORTY FOUR-YEAR-OLD DOORMAN RICHARD RANDAZZO from Gravesend won $5,000,000 on the Lottery’s Set For Life instant ticket. The self-described “simple guy” said his tenants are pretty “fair” with their tips, but he was thrilled when he scratched the ticket he purchased at Mill Basin Mini Mart on May 2, to reveal he was a big-time winner. “Now that’s a tip,” said Randazzo. “I was shocked, pure and simple. I’ve never come close to that kind of money before. It’s still unreal.” On Wednesday afternoon, he was presented the check at Gargulio’s Restaurant in Coney Island. He will receive $5,000 a week for life.

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IKEA IS GOING TO SEND PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL. Manager Mike Baker has announced that the first 35 people in queue on the store’s opening day, June 18, will receive a free sofa. While this sounds like an escalating factor to a day that will already be insane, at least it’s not exactly possible to push and grab for a sofa, as people did for the free fleece blankets at the Brooklyn Bridge’s birthday party. Oh, and if you are interested, IKEA says you are welcome to start lining up 48 hours in advance of the 9 a.m. opening. Um, OK …

State Senator MARTY GOLDEN was the principal speaker at last night’s 34th graduation ceremony at BAM for The New York School of Career and Applied Studies, a division of Touro.