Board of Directors Biographies
Roger O. Goldman - Chairman
After receiving his B.A. degree from NYU in marketing and his J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University, he joined Citicorp. He moved from trainee to managing a series of successively larger and more complex businesses, becoming the youngest senior credit officer at Citicorp. Mr. Goldman was a member of the original management team when Citicorp started its consumer business in 1976. In 1983, he became President and CEO of a community bank in California until late 1986 when he became a partner in a boutique financial services consulting firm. In 1990, he joined the Coreast Savings Bank as part of a regulator-inserted senior management team where he was responsible for consumer and small business activities and for the "work-out" of almost $10 billion in troubled assets. After Coreast was sold, he became EVP in charge of the community banking group of NatWest Bancorp ($31 B) where he was responsible for managing all consumer and small business activities overseeing a staff of 4,500. While at NatWest, he was a member of the holding company's management committee, risk policy committee, asset and liability committee, and technology steering committee.
From 1996 to 2000 Mr. Goldman was President and CEO of Global Sourcing Services, LLC which he grew from a start-up to several hundred million dollars in sales before it was sold. Since 2000, he has been a private investor and a board member of numerous public and private corporations including Resource Bankshares Mortgage Group (sold); Authentidate, an Internet document verification company; Minyanville, an Emmy winning new media company; and Cyota, an Internet security company (sold). He is Chairman of the Audit Committee of American Express Bank, FSB, the principal domestic lending card issuer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express Company. He has served on AXP's US Bank boards since 2001. He is the general partner of the Berkshire Opportunity Fund, a mezzanine fund investing in companies in the Northeast.
He also serves as the current Chairman of the Lighthouse International and he is the former Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
He is married to Fern Portnoy, a philanthropic consultant, and they live in Alford, Massachusetts in the Berskshires.
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Mark G. Ackermann - President and CEO
Mark G. Ackermann assumed the position of Lighthouse International as President and CEO in September of 2009. In joining the Lighthouse, Mr. Ackermann continues his exemplary career in health care leadership, which has spanned more than 20 years.
Mr. Ackermann served in various senior management positions at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center beginning in 1983, and held the position of Chief Administrative Officer of the hospital's successor corporation, St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers of New York (SVCMC) until June 2007. He was also President of the SVCMC Foundation and successfully undertook a $100 million capital fundraising campaign, which included funding for the proposed new Rudolph W. Giuliani Trauma Center at St. Vincent's Manhattan.
Among his many achievements, Ackermann and the management team of St. Vincent's expanded the ophthalmology department and created a strong working relationship with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. His executive management skills were honed as Interim President and CEO of St. Clare's Hospital and Health Center during the mid-nineties.
In 2007 and 2008, Mr. Ackermann served as the Special Assistant to Edward Cardinal Egan and Executive Director of the Office of the Papal Visit for the Archdiocese of New York. In this capacity, he was responsible for all aspects of the visit to New York by Pope Benedict XVI in April 2008; including 8 major events and coordination of federal, state and city agencies and the offices of the Vatican. More recently, he has been a management and fundraising consultant to several New York area hospitals and non-profit organizations.
Mr. Ackermann received a B.A. in Journalism and Communications from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and an M.S. in Healthcare Management from New York University. He now lives in Howell, NJ, with his wife June. The couple has six children.
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Donald J. D'Amico, MD
Donald J. D'Amico, MD, Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at New York Presbyterian Hospital, is an internationally recognized leader in the field of vitreoretinal surgery. He recently assumed the Chair at Weill Cornell after his longstanding positions at Harvard Medical School as Professor of Ophthalmology, and as Associate Chief of Ophthalmology and Director of the Diabetic Unit at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.
A graduate of the University of Illionois College of Medicine, he completed his residency at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He completed his fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases at the University of Miami, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, followed by selection as Chief Resident in Ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary prior to joining the Harvard faculty.
Dr. D'Amico has published over 175 articles in vitreoretinal diseases and has co-edited two books covering comprehensive retinal themes. He has participated as a principal investigator or co-investigator in many clinical trials and laboratory investigations. His major interests include: vitreoretinal surgery; diabetic retinopathy; experimental lasers and other technologies for the surgical treatment of vitreoretinal disorders such as retinal detachment; macular degeneration; and endophthalmitis and intravitreal drug therapy. As attending physician specializing in the care of patients with vitreoretinal disorders at the Weill Cornell Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. D'Amico also provides direct instruction of medical students, ophthalmology residents, and retina fellows. In this role he has twice received the Teacher of the Year Award given by the residents of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. D'Amico is a distinguished national and international lecturer, and is the recipient of many honors, including the Honor Award and the Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He serves on the board of four major journals, and is highly active in professional societies. He is currently also a member of the Executive Committee of the prestigious Club Jules Gonin, and is the President-elect of the Retina Society.
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Deborah L. Bernstein
Ms. Bernstein, age 37, has worked in the financial services industry since 1993. Prior to joining Aquiline in 2008, Ms. Bernstein was a general partner (2001-2008) at Pequot Ventures, the former direct venture investment arm of Pequot Capital Management, Inc., where she led the firm's investment efforts in financial services technology. She also helped launch its West Coast office. Prior to that (1999-2001), she was a principal at Thomas Weisel Capital Partners L.P., where she was responsible for the firm's various technology investments, including several in financial services. Previously, she was an associate (1997-1999) and financial analyst (1993-1995) in the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Ms. Bernstein serves on the board of directors of Lighthouse International. She graduated from Dartmouth College with an A.B. in economics and earned her M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
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Charles S. Cohen
As owner, president and chief executive officer of Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation (CBRC), Charles S. Cohen has achieved an enviable national reputation for his exceptional business acumen, innovation and creativity at every turn. An entrepreneurial real estate executive in the truest sense, Mr. Cohen, one of the country's legendary commercial real estate owners/developers with a portfolio of over 12 million square feet of prime properties located in New York, Texas, Florida and Southern California, is one of the rare breed of developers with a vision that is clearly and ultimately defined by design. Beyond his mastery of business transactions, he has brought his impeccable--and innate--taste and style to a wide range of high-profile projects, from office skyscrapers to corporate parks to his newest passion--Design Centers.
Mr. Cohen's rare mix of business savvy and design sensibilities has been instrumental in CBRC's extraordinary record of success and achievement. Since purchasing the company outright in 1988, he broadened its horizons and, at the same time, significantly increased its profitability. These results can be attributed to Mr. Cohen's unparalleled expertise in all phases of building development--from construction to leasing, to financing, marketing and managing. At CBRC, he has scrupulously assembled a team of more that 400 employees who share his passion for and commitment to achieving the highest standards of excellence in the real estate field. The CBRC team finances, assembles, constructs and manages its own properties. An exacting dedication to detail and superior leadership skills are hallmarks of both CBRC and Mr. Cohen himself.
Despite his inordinately busy schedule, Mr. Cohen has always found the time to pursue other interests--both professional and personal. He is a board member and former chairman of the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, a position that he held from 1991 to 1993. In 2008, Mr. Cohen joined the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles. He is also the former chairman of the Metro New York Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the international business organization's largest chapter. Mr. Cohen is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York, the Young Men's and Women's Real Estate Association, the American Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. He is a licensed real estate broker in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In 2001, Mr. Cohen received the USO's prestigious Gold Medal for a lifetime of patriotic service to his country and was honored on both coasts by B'Nai B'rith International for his humanitarian and community service. He received the prestigious Israel Peace Medal in 2002 at a luncheon event in his honor that raised an all-time record $52.4 million for the State of Israel Bonds.
Charles S. Cohen is a 1974 graduate of Tufts University and a 1977 graduate of Brooklyn Law School. He resides in suburban Connecticut (where his home has a movie theatre in it) and New York City. Mr. Cohen is married and has three children.
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Richard E. Feinbloom
Richard and his wife Toni have lived in New York City most of their lives and have two grown children, Abraham and Samantha. Richard was educated at the Institute of Optics in Rochester, New York and Baruch College in New York City. Richard, the son of William Feinbloom, OD, Ph.D., has spent his entire working life in Research and Development of aids for the Partially Sighted and in speaking to various professional and public groups to further the interest of the Low Vision patient.
Richard holds over 75 patents in the medical industry. Included among these is the introduction of the first customized head-borne optics for microsurgery. Through a contributive effort with many leading Medical Institutions in the United States, Richard has engineered the surgical product offerings to the point that Designs for Vision, Inc Surgical Telescopes are considered essential tools in the armamentarium of many surgical specialties. Richard also introduced the first fiberoptic headlight system to provide cool illumination onto the surgical field. Advancements in L.E.D. applications allowed Richard to introduce portable illumination devices for the Dental Industry.
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Lino Garcia
General Manager, ESPN Deportes
Lino Garcia was named general manager of ESPN Deportes in June of 2003. He is based in ESPN's offices in New York.
Garcia is responsible for guiding ESPN Deportes on a day-to-day basis in all areas of operation, including programming, production, affiliate sales, and marketing. Garcia's pivotal role with ESPN Deportes was recognized by Sports Illustrated, which named him as one of the 101 most influential minorities in sports in 2004.
Prior to joining ESPN, Garcia accumulated fifteen years of experience in the cable and satellite industry where he focused his efforts on marketing to the Hispanic community. He had served as vice president, affiliate marketing and local ad sales for Universal Television (2000-2003) and as vice president and general manager of Sony Entertainment Television (1998-2000), where he was responsible for all aspects of the Latin American cable television operation. Earlier in his career, Garcia held several director-level marketing positions with HBO and was instrumental in the development and launch of HBO en Español (1993-1998).
Garcia's marketing expertise has been recognized several times throughout his career. He has been the recipient of four Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) Awards, and in 1997, Garcia accepted the Se Habla Español Award presented by Hispanic Business Magazine in the multimedia campaign category. In 1998, Garcia was honored with the NAMIC Excellence Award in Marketing.
Garcia graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.
Thomas S. T. Gimbel
Thomas S.T. Gimbel is the Executive Managing Director of Optima Fund Management LLC. Mr. Gimbel joined Optima from Credit Suisse Asset Management where he was Managing Director for Hedge Fund Investments responsible for product and business development in the U.S. He represented the firm on CSFB's Asset Allocation Committee for private clients and on CSFB's Hedge Fund Roundtable. He originated various hedge fund investments and structured several fund-of-funds offerings.
Mr. Gimbel was previously a Managing Director and head of the Hedge Fund Department at DLJAM and joined CSAM in 2000 when DLJAM was acquired by CSAM. Prior to DLJAM, Mr. Gimbel was Managing Director in Investment Banking at PaineWebber and Chairman of PaineWebber Futures Management Corporation. Prior to that, for more than five years, he was Managing Director of the Financial Products Group at Kidder, Peabody, which PaineWebber acquired in 1995. Mr. Gimbel began his career in investment banking in 1978.
Mr. Gimbel has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and an MBA in finance from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He has passed his Series 3, 7, 24. He is a member of the Board of Overseers of Children's Hospital in Boston, Director of Lighthouse International, a Director of Prime Energy Corporation and a Trustee of Portledge School.
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Arlene R. Gordon
Arlene R. Gordon, for whom the Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute is named, started at Lighthouse International as a Senior Social Worker in 1965 and retired in 1990 after serving as Associate Executive Director in differing leadership roles for seventeen years. Ms. Gordon has served on the Board since 1992 and served on the Board of Directors until 2000 and was then re-elected in 2001 after a one-year hiatus.
Ms Gordon graduated from Hunter College and received a M.A. from the University Of Chicago School Of Social Service Administration. In 1988 she was awarded the Edith Abbott Award by the Alumni Association as well as receiving other honors in the field of vision rehabilitation. She co-authored "Accounting: A Social Institution, A Unified Theory for the Measurement of the Profit and Non-Profit Sectors", published in 1992.
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William P. Miller
William P. Miller was elected to serve on the Board in 2005. Mr. Miller is an investor in Broadway and off-Broadway theater and the Director of Theatreworks USA. He is active on several other non-profit boards, including the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary. He has also practiced law and accounting.
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Joel B. Mounty -- Vice-Chair
Mr. Mounty is the President of Mountco Construction and Development Corp., a real estate development and general construction company with a specialty in building and developing affordable and special needs housing, which he founded in 1988. Mr. Mounty is also on the Board of the Municipal Assistance Corporation (MAC), a New York State authority that was established in the 1970's during New York City's fiscal emergency to finance NYC during financial crisis. He has been a Director of MAC since 1995 and Chair's MAC's Finance Committee.
Mr. Joel Mounty serves on the Executive Committee of Lighthouse International and is Chairman of the Westchester Lighthouse Advisory Board and Chair's the Lighthouse golf event. Mr. Mounty has been actively involved with the Lighthouse for 25 years.
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Barbara Munder
Barbara Munder is Executive Director, Institutional Investor Memberships. As such she has operational responsibility for the Institutional Investor Institute and the Hedge Fund Institutional Forum which serve the asset management industry.
Previously Ms. Munder was COO of wf360, a distance learning company. Prior to that she was a twenty-year veteran of The McGraw-Hill Companies where she was ultimately SVP for corporate-wide marketing and e-business initiatives. She served on the company's investment committee, which oversees the company's defined benefit ($900m) and defined contributions ($900m) plans and was Secretary for The McGraw-Hill Companies Board of Directors' Corporate Governance Committee. Previously, she was Vice President and General Manager, Business Week Services with oversight for the media unit's newsletter, conference and electronic products group.
Ms. Munder serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Petsmart, Inc. and Lighthouse International and was on the Advisory Board of DOAR Communications Inc.
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Dorothy M. Philips, PhD
Dorothy Philips is chairman and chief executive officer of Philips Healthcare Communications, Inc. (PHC), a communications agency in the healthcare industry. PHC offers consulting services, strategic planning and execution of marketing communications and educational programs for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, devices, healthcare products, and institutional clients such as health related trade associations, hospitals/HMOs and organizations that deliver healthcare services.
She was president and chief operating officer of Barnum Communications, a healthcare advertising agency, where she also served as board member, executive vice president, and senior vice president of the Health Industries Group with responsibilities for development of client services and company administration. Prior to this position, Dr. Philips was senior vice president of Deltakos, the healthcare agency of J. Walter Thompson.
Dr. Philips has a BA in economics from Wellesley College and MBA and PhD degrees from New York University Graduate School of Business, with majors in marketing and economics. She has been an adjunct professor of marketing at Pace University and associate professor of marketing at Iona College. At the Lighthouse, she is the chair of the Membership, Nominating, and Governance Committee and she is the secretary of the Wellesley College Business Leadership Council.
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Ellen Ratner
Ellen Ratner is the White House Correspondent and Bureau Chief for The Talk Radio News Service, covering the White House and providing exclusive reports to talk radio stations from the Congress and government agencies. Ms. Ratner is a news analyst on The Fox News Channel where she has a weekly segment entitled "The Long and Short of It" with Jim Pinkerton. She is heard on over 500 stations across the United States representing individual stations as well as syndicated shows on both commercial and public radio venues. In addition she writes a weekly column "Liberal and Proud" for World Net Daily. She developed the podcasting site, www.newstalkcast.com, which is currently in beta testing. She is also the only talk show host granted two in-person interviews with President Clinton.
Ratner is the political editor and Washington bureau chief for Talkers Magazine, the "bible" of the talk industry. In addition, she has developed College Media News, a broadcast service for college and university radio stations, served by students interning in Washington, DC. In the capacity as Political Editor of Talkers Magazine, she developed the concept of combining radio rows with immediate Internet access via the site, www.radiorow.net. In addition, she has trained many groups in use of radio, television and Internet media. Her latest book, Getting On! Talk Radio, Talk Television, Talk Internet, published in November, 2005.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Ratner graduated from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. She earned a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University.
From 1973 to 1986, Ratner served as co-director and co-founder of Boundaries Therapy Center, in Acton, MA. Also, from 1974 to 1981, Ratner was the Director of the Psychiatric Day Treatment Program at South Shore Mental Center in Quincy, MA. In 1984, Ratner joined the Addiction Recovery Corporation as a Consultant on Program Development. From 1986 to 1990, Ratner served as Vice-President of Research, Development, and Service at the Addiction Recovery Corporation and as Director of its ARC Research Foundation. She served as Principal Investigator for an outcome research study, determining treatment outcome factors in alcoholism and chemical dependency treatment.
Ratner is the author of The Other Side of the Family: A Book for Recovery from Abuse, Incest and Neglect (Health Communications, Inc.), published in 1990. In February 1997, Ratner published 101 Ways to Get Your Progressive Ideas on Talk Radio, published by National Press Books and Talkers Magazine.
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Stephanie Goldman-Pittel
Stephanie Goldman-Pittel was elected to serve on the Board in 2006; she is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in Communications.
Mrs. Goldman-Pittel is actively involved with the community serving as, Chair of Contributory Membership -- JCC on The Palisades; a member of the Board of Directors at JCC on The Palisades; Chair of Young Women's Division -- UJA; a member of the Women's Division Board of Directors-UJA-NNJ; Treasurer of Dwight-Englewood Lower School; National Young Leadership Cabinet for UJA; and Berrie Fellows Leadership Program.
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Joseph A. Ripp
Joseph A Ripp was appointed as President and Chief Operating Officer of Dendrite International, Inc. in November 2005. Dendrite was a leading supplier of sales, marketing, clinical and compliance solutions for the pharmaceutical industry with over 4,000 employees in 52 countries around the world. Mr. Ripp operated the company for over 18 months until its sale in May 2007 to a major competitor for a price, which was twice its public trading value.
Prior to joining Dendrite Mr. Ripp was Senior Vice President of Time Warner's Media & Communications Group reporting to Don Logan, the Group Chairman. During his tenure in this position Joe worked with Don to develop alternative strategies for Time Warner's America Online unit.
Joe's responsibilities at Time Warner, Inc. included America Online, where, as Vice Chairman from 2002 to 2004, he oversaw AOL's advertising, technology, network operations, marketing, call centers, human resources and legal departments. In this capacity he was directly responsible for revenues in excess of $7 billion and costs in excess of $5 billion. Mr. Ripp is credited for launching an aggressive cost containment program at AOL, which reduced run rate costs by over $400 million per year. He is also credited with the development of AOL's safety and security line of products as well as many new innovative approaches to AOL's marketing efforts. He was previously AOL's Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to leading AOL and since he joined Time Warner in 1985, Joe held numerous senior positions, including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Time Warner Inc. from 1999 to 2001, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Time Inc. At the time Mr. Ripp was Chief Financial Officer, Time Warner's revenues were in excess of $30 billion.
Mr. Ripp served on the Board of Directors of Greenfield Online, Inc. until it was sold in November 2007 to Microsoft. He has also served on the Board of Whittle Communications and American Express Publishing.
In the Not-for-profit world Mr. Ripp serves on the Board of Trustees of Manhattan College, the Board of Directors of the Advertising Educational Foundation and the Board of Directors of Lighthouse International where he serves on the Executive Committee. He formerly served on the Executive Committee of the Advertising Council, Inc. and of A Better Chance, Inc. He is also a founding member of the Wilton Educational Foundation.
Mr. Ripp graduated from Manhattan College, Riverdale NY in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and earned his Master's of Business Administration from Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York in 1978. He is a native of Babylon, NY.
Mr. Ripp resides in Wilton, CT with his wife Virginia.
Laine Siklos
Laine Siklos is Vice President, Digital Marketing and Advertising at Warner Premiere - a division of Warner Bros focused on short-form, movie-quality content created for emerging technologies including broadband, mobile, VOD, and electronic sell through (downloading). Prior to Warner Bros, Mrs. Siklos was Associate Publisher at The Knot Inc where she was responsible for the print and online editions of The Knot, WeddingChannel, The Nest, and The Nest Baby/Lila Guide. She also worked in strategy and marketing positions at Time Inc and Heart Magazines International. In addition to serving as the Chair of Lighthouse International's School and Music Committee, Mrs. Siklos was the co-founder and co-chair of the Young Leadership Committee developed to introduce a new generation of volunteers and donors to the organization.
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Sarah E. Smith
Sarah is the controller and chief accounting officer of Goldman Sachs, with responsibility for the 1,200 members of the global controllers department. She serves on the Firmwide Risk Committee, the Commitments Committee, the Partnership Committee and the PIA Investment Committee. She is cochair of the Structured Products Committee and has oversight of Operational Risk. Sarah joined Goldman Sachs in 1996 as a vice president in Finance and held various positions prior to becoming controller in 2002. She was named managing director in 1998 and partner in 2002.
Prior to joining the firm, Sarah worked in the national and audit practices of KPMG in both London and New York, and held several finance positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Sarah attended City of London University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She is former chair of the Securities Industries Association Accounting Policy Committee and a member of the Washington-based Committee for Economic Development.
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Ann D. Thivierge
Ann is lead portfolio manager of the Active International Allocation Equity strategy and a member of the Global Asset Allocation Committee. She joined Morgan Stanley in 1986 and has 16 years of investment experience. Prior to her current role, Ann was a senior professional in the firm's Fiduciary group, advising large pension plans and family trusts on asset allocation and manager selection. Previously, she was co-head of the firm's Active International Allocation Equity strategy and a managing director. Ann received a B.A. in international relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University and an M.B.A. in finance from New York University, Stern Business School. She serves as the chair of the Investment Committee and as a board member at Lighthouse International. Ann is also on the board of Highbridge Voices, an after school choir program serving over 200 children in the Bronx.
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Phyllis White Thorne
Phyllis White-Thorne is Manager of Public Information in Con Edison's Brooklyn Public Affairs Department where she is a company liaison to community and government leaders and not-for-profit organizations in Brooklyn. Prior to coming to Brooklyn she was Manager of Strategic Partnerships at Con Edison's Corporate Headquarters where she created and implemented the strategy for the Company's support to education, and managed the Corporate Volunteer Program.
She has worked for Con Edison for 36 years, during which time she created and organized many programs and partnerships to enhance and support the education of children and adults, especially in underserved communities. Phyllis believes that education is the key to personal fulfillment and improving the quality of life in our communities. Her passion is to support the education and the development of others, and assist them in achieving their goals and living purpose driven lives.
She has received Con Edison's Living our Values Award, the most prestigious award presented to employees, and the Harlem Y's Black Achievers in Industry Award. She has also received awards from Goodwill Industries, The Black American Heritage Foundation and Newtown High School for outstanding community service. Most recently Phyllis received an award from the Trey Whitfield School for her outstanding community service; the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic's Neighborhood Advocate Award, and Channel Thirteen/WNET New York's Community Leadership Award.
Phyllis is President of the Board of Reader's Theatre Workshop. In addition she is a member of the Board for the Lighthouse International; Brooklyn Children's Museum; The Brooklyn/Queens Conservatory of Music; Bridge Street Development Corporation; Retired and Senior Volunteer Program; The North Brooklyn YMCA; and NAACP Act-So. She is also a member of the education committee for The Orchestra of St. Luke's.
Phyllis has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from Iona College, and a Master of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) from Mercy College.
In addition to her work at Con Edison, she is an Adjunct Professor in the Masters Program at Mercy College. She has a daughter, Lisa, two stepdaughters, Cheri and Michele, and lives with her husband, Hugh, in Hartsdale, New York.
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Jonathan M. Wainwright, Esq. -- Secretary
Jonathan M. Wainwright is a partner in the Corporate Department of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. His practice is concentrated in the areas of investment management and alternative investment products. Mr. Wainwright's practice focuses on structuring pooled investment entities, complex joint ventures and transactions for private and public companies, merchant banks, investment managers, and not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Wainwright also has extensive experience counseling private equity and investment funds, including partnerships, limited liability companies and off-shore structures. He represents and counsels U.S. and non-U.S. clients, including not-for-profit organizations, in corporate governance matters, private placements of debt and equity securities, mergers, acquisitions, sales, leveraged buyouts, exchange offers and significant investment issues. His clients include domestic and off-shore banks, hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds and other investment managers' consulting firms, service companies, not-for-profit organizations, and family offices.
Mr. Wainwright is a member of the Federal Bar Council. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the managers of several large hedge funds, as well as numerous closely-held U.S. companies and foreign corporations.
Mr. Wainwright graduated with honors from Yale College in 1965, with a bachelor's degree in American Studies. He received his J.D. degree from New York University School of Law in 1968 and began working at Cadwalader the same year. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York (1968), the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (1975) and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (1975).
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Lawrence A. Yannuzzi, MD
Larry Yannuzzi is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston University Medical School, where he was honored as a distinguished alumnus. He is a professor of clinical ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical School, vice-chairman and director of The Retinal Research Center of the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, and founder and president of The Macula Foundation, Inc. He is a world renowned retinal specialist who has published more than 300 scientific papers and 11 textbooks, with particular interest in diseases of the macula, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. He has also been given awards and distinctions in his field for contributions on retinal imaging drug development, ophthalmic laser, and the diagnosis and treatment of macular and retinal diseases. His achievements have gained worldwide respect and admiration. Most recently, he was given an honorary doctorate at the University at Ancona, the Michelson Award for Retinal Vascular Disease Gent, the Alcon Research Institution Award, a distinguished alumnus award at Boston University, and a lifetime achievement award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. This year he will receive the coveted Wacker Award from the International Retinal Society, the Club Jules Gonin.
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