As expected, the Mayor gets the nod to chair the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation–or rather, he accepted.
Be careful what you wish.
Full release after jump.
–Matthew Schuerman
UPDATE: Eighteen minutes after we got this press release via e-mail, we got another one announcing a $10 million gift to the Memorial Foundation from American Express. It even has a quote from “Foundation Chairman Mayor Bloomberg.” That guy works fast.
WTC MEMORIAL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD LEADERSHIP
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Named Chairman and Governor George E. Pataki Named Honorary Chairman
John P. Cahill, Keating Crown, and Andrew M. Senchak are Named to Board of Directors
The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation today elected new board leadership by naming Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as Chairman and naming Governor George E. Pataki as lifetime Honorary Chairman. John C. Whitehead, who has served as the Board’s Chairman since 2005 and announced last May his intentions to retire from the position, will remain Founding Chairman of the Board. In addition, the Foundation named John P. Cahill, Keating Crown, and Andrew M. Senchak to the Board of Directors.
“The Foundation has made tremendous achievements towards building the Memorial and Museum and I am confident that this steady progress will continue under the leadership of Mayor Bloomberg as Chairman,” Founding Chairman John C. Whitehead said. “We are grateful that someone of his stature in so many different roles, from philanthropy to business, to the rebuilding itself, will serve as Chairman.
“Governor Pataki has been a true leader of the rebuilding. The Foundation is pleased to have the Governor continue to share his perseverance and commitment to building a lasting Memorial as lifetime Honorary Chairman.
“We are also pleased to announce that John Cahill, Keating Crown, and Andrew Senchak will be joining our Board of Directors because they are each dedicated, through personal and professional experiences, to helping build a fitting tribute. It has been an honor for me to serve as Chairman of the Foundation and to work with so many talented individuals and I look forward to continuing to serve on the Foundation Board in order to see the Memorial and Museum realized,” Whitehead said.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, “There isn’t a more noble task before us as a city than creating a memorial that reflects the tragedy of 9/11 while also giving shape to our unshakable hope for the future. As a result, I am deeply committed to doing whatever it takes to getting this momentous Memorial built. I am honored to serve as Chairman of this prestigious board, and look forward to working in partnership with each and every member to harness our newfound energy and build a memorial our city can be proud of.”
Governor George E. Pataki said, “I am honored to serve as lifetime Honorary Chairman of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. The Board has made a tremendous choice in having Mayor Bloomberg serve as Chairman of the Foundation. Mayor Bloomberg has been a great partner in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site and I am heartened that our partnership will continue, as together we take the steps necessary to complete the Memorial fundraising and construct the Memorial.
“Generations to come will see the Memorial as a reminder that America was attacked but not bowed, and heroes were lost but not forgotten. Their actions, their selfless courage borne of compassion, and their ultimate sacrifice has inspired us and strengthened our resolve as a nation and I remain committed to ensuring that our solemn and historic mission to build the Memorial is fulfilled in a way that all Americans can be proud,” the Governor said.
Acting President & CEO Joseph Daniels said, “Mayor Bloomberg’s leadership and extensive philanthropy experience will help ensure that we accomplish our ambitious fundraising goal. We’re also grateful that Governor Pataki who has been a tremendous champion of the Memorial will continue to share his leadership efforts with the Foundation as lifetime Honorary Chairman.”
“We are proud that John, Keating and Andrew have joined the Foundation Board. As the Governor’s point person for downtown rebuilding, John Cahill brings with him extensive knowledge of the Memorial project since its very inception. I have worked with John for the past year and he has been consistently dedicated to ensuring the success of the Memorial project. We are thankful to have his skills and insight on the Board.
“As Vice Chairman and President of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW), Andrew Senchak experienced the tragedy of September 11th both personally and professionally. He lost friends and colleagues on that day and has worked tirelessly to help KBW families in the wake of the attacks and to honor the memory of those lost. We are pleased that he will bring his energy and dedication to building the Memorial.
“Keating Crown worked for the AON Corporation on September 11, 2001 and has a remarkable story of survival. He brings an important and new perspective to the Board and will help ensure that the stories of the survivors of September 11th are told and forever remembered,” Daniels said.
John P. Cahill
John P. Cahill is currently Secretary to Governor George Pataki, advising the Governor on a wide array of critical policy issues and personnel decisions. In 2005, Governor Pataki named him to lead and coordinate the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, working with government and private stakeholders. He was previously Senior Policy Advisor.
Prior to joining the Governor’s staff in February 2001, Cahill spent more than five years with the Department of Environmental Conservation, including four as Commissioner. Cahill played a key role in the development of the historic Clean
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Fordham University. Cahill earned his law degree, as well as a master’s degree in Environmental Law, from Pace University.
John P. Cahill said, “It is a privilege to be named to the WTC Memorial Foundation which serves such a critical role in remembering our friends, family, and neighbors who were lost in the horrific attacks. The creation of a fitting memorial has been the centerpiece of all our efforts in Lower Manhattan and I am proud to be able to continue to play a role in ensuring that a powerful memorial and museum dedicated to the courage of America and the resilience of New Yorkers is built.”
Keating Crown
Keating Crown is currently Director of Development for Tishman Speyer in New York City and has been with the firm for the past four and a half years. Prior to joining Tishman Speyer, Keating Crown worked at the AON Corporation as an Associate in the Financial Services Group.
On September 11, 2001, Crown was in his office on the 100th floor of the South Tower when the North Tower was hit. As he attempted to evacuate the building, he reached the 78th floor when the airplane hit the South Tower from floors 78-84. Keating was fortunate to survive the impact and able to find his way to the stairwell and despite his injuries, he made it down to the ground level where he was evacuated and taken to the hospital.
AON Corporation lost 176 people on September 11th, seven of whom were in the Financial Services Group.
Crown is actively involved in charity work, serving on the Duke University Annual Fund Executive Committee, the Leadership Council of Seeds of Peace, and on the Carnegie Hall Notables Board of Young Leaders. Crown holds a B.A. in Sociology from Duke University.
Keating Crown said, “I consider my appointment to this Board both a privilege and a responsibility. September 11th impacted people around the world and the many stories of loss, courage, and survival must be forever remembered. I am honored to be a part of the organization responsible for the development of this important Memorial which will pay tribute to the many who lost their lives and to their loved ones they left behind.”
Andrew M. Senchak
Andrew Senchak has been an employee with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) for over twenty years. Dr. Senchak’s primary responsibilities include oversight of KBW’s substantial Corporate Finance practice, which includes mergers & acquisitions, recapitalizations, restructurings and capital markets transactions. He also is a member of the three-person Office of the Chairman and sits on the KBW Board of Directors. Prior to joining KBW’s Investment Banking department in 1985, Dr. Senchak taught economics at Rutgers University and spent three years in Brazil with the Peace Corps. He received a B.A. from Lafayette College and a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University.
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods is the largest full-service investment bank that specializes exclusively in the financial services sector. Clients of the employee-owned firm include banking companies, insurers, broker/dealers, asset managers, and others in the financial services sector. KBW also trades securities and manages investments in financial institutions. KBW earned top honors in Institutional Investor’s 2005 Best of the Boutiques Survey. Formerly headquartered at the World Trade Center, KBW lost a third of its staff on Sept. 11, 2001, including Chairman Joseph Berry.
After the attacks of September 11th, KBW established the KBW Family Fund for donations to assist the families of those KBW colleagues that died. Over $10 million was raised and each year, the firm donates one day’s trading commissions to the Fund. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods has pledged $5 million to the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation.
Andrew Senchak said, “I am honored to help the Foundation in its efforts to create a lasting Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site. Building the Memorial and the Museum is a necessary part of rebuilding our city, honoring the memory of those we lost and ensuring that future generations understand the impact of the attacks.”
In early July, the Foundation launched a national campaign to help raise the remaining $155 million needed for construction and planning of the Memorial and Museum. The Foundation has already raised almost $145 million from nearly 26, 000 donors in all 50 states and 18 different countries.
ABOUT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation founded in 2005 to realize the Memorial quadrant at the World Trade Center site. The Foundation will raise the funds, oversee the design, and operate the Memorial, the Memorial Museum, and a Visitor Orientation and Education Center located on 8 of the 16 acres of the site.
The Memorial will remember and honor the thousands of people who died in the horrific attacks of February 26th, 1993 and September 11th, 2001. The design, “Reflecting Absence,” created by Michael Arad and Peter Walker consists of two voids that reside in the footprints of the original Twin Towers surrounded by a plaza of oak trees. The Arad/Walker design was selected from a design competition which included more than 5,000 entrants from 63 nations.
The Memorial Museum will include artifacts, interactive exhibitions, a resource center, contemplative areas, and educational programming which will convey individual and collective stories honoring the memory of the victims and recounting the experiences of survivors, responders, area residents, and witnesses. The Memorial Museum will help facilitate an encounter with both the enormity of the loss and the triumph of the human spirit that are at the heart of 9/11, as it affirms the courage, compassion, sacrifice and resilience – the best of humanity – demonstrated at a moment of cataclysmic tragedy.
Donations can be made through the Foundation’s website, and more information on the Foundation can be found at http://www.buildthememorial.org/ or by calling 1-877-WTC-GIVE.
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