Annual Program Selects 19 Senior Executives Committed to Corporate Civic Engagement
NEW YORK, NY, October, 10, 2014 – The Partnership for New York City, an organization of the city’s business leaders, today announced the newest class of David Rockefeller Fellows, a group of 19 senior executives selected to participate in a year-long business and civic leadership program.
The 2014-2015 class of Fellows represents a cross-section of industries, including financial services, media, technology, fashion, and retail. During the year, Fellows will have the opportunity to learn firsthand how New York City is run from top leaders in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
Since its inception in 1989, the David Rockefeller Fellows program has cultivated a community of over 300 business leaders committed to the model of corporate civic engagement exemplified by the Partnership’s founding chairman, David Rockefeller.
“David Rockefeller has always been a champion of business engagement with government as the way to deal with the issues facing the city,” said Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “The Fellows spend a year learning how the city works, gaining the knowledge and network they will need to help New York remain the world’s foremost city of opportunity.”
During the year, Fellows meet with top government and elected officials as well as with key private and civic sector leaders to discuss issues affecting New York City, ranging from health and education to infrastructure and technology. Fellows also get an exclusive look at the inner workings of the city through site visits and tours that have included: the MTA Command Center, Riker’s Island Correctional Facility, Con Edison Energy Control Center, the World Trade Center, Manhattan Family Court, and the New York Genome Center.
Each member of the class was selected through competitive process and must hold a key leadership position at a NYC-based company, have a demonstrated interest in civic activities, and be nominated by their company’s CEO. The 2014-2015 class of David Rockefeller Fellows includes:
- Marsha Askins, Managing Director and Chief Communications Officer, UBS
- Hana Ben-Shabat, Partner, A.T.Kearney, Inc.
- Orlan Boston, Principal, Americas Life Sciences Sector Transactions Leader, Ernst & Young LLP
- Karin Darmanin, Executive Vice President, Merchandise Planning, Macy’s, Inc.
- Michele Davis, Managing Director and Global Head of Corporate Affairs, Morgan Stanley
- Trinh Doan, Managing Director and Private Client Advisor, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Corporation
- Anindo Dutta, Vice President & General Manager, Global Financial Services Sector, Xerox Corporation
- Kirsten A. Frivold Imohiosen, Vice President-State and Local Tax, Goldman Sachs & Co.
- Kevin Gundersen, Senior Managing Director & Chief of Staff, Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
- Steve Jacobs, Chief Information Officer, Gilt
- Sarah Kirshbaum Levy, Chief Operating Officer, Nickelodeon Group, Viacom Inc.
- Andrew Klaber, Investor, Paulson & Company, Inc.
- Ellie Nieves, Vice President, Counsel & Head of Government Relations, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
- Robert Schiffer, Managing Director, Investment Group, SL Green Realty Corp.
- David Shevlin, Partner, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
- Richard Siklos,Vice President, Strategic Communications, Time Warner Inc.
- Joel Steinhaus, Chief of Staff, Office of the Chairman, Citigroup Inc.
- Joshua Wechter, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Jamestown Properties LLC
- Heather Zuckerman, Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Neuberger Berman Group LLC
For more information about the program and the Fellows, visit www.pfnyc.org/david-rockefeller-fellows.
About the Partnership for New York City
The Partnership for New York City (www.pfnyc.org) engages the CEOs of the city’s 200 largest employers in efforts to advance the New York City economy and maintain the city’s position as the center of world commerce, finance and innovation. Through the Partnership Fund for New York City, the Partnership supports promising NYC-based entrepreneurs in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors to create jobs, spur new business and expand opportunities for New Yorkers to participate in the city’s economy.