Board of Trustees
Jonathan May joined the Board of Trustees of Randall’s Island Park in 2011 and was elected as its Co-Chair in 2019. Jonathan also serves as co-chair of the Board’s executive committee and is an ex-officio member of its seven standing committees.
Jonathan May is a Managing Partner of Floresta Ventures, a firm focused on investing in early-stage restaurant concepts. He is also the Director of Columbia Care, LLC, and is a Director of Griffin Industrial Realty (Nasdaq: GRIF). He was the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Catalytic Capital LLC, a venture capital firm; previously, Jonathan was CEO of Arby’s, Inc. and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for Triarc Companies Inc.
Nancy Fuld Neff is a former principal in investment banking at Morgan Stanley & Co. She joined the Board of Trustees of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, Inc. (RIPA) in 2001, and has served as its Co-Chair since 2011. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Board’s Executive Committee and is an ex-officio member of its seven standing committees. Under Nancy and her Co-Chair’s leadership, RIPA developed and implemented a 3-year strategic plan to increase outreach, broaden support, expand volunteerism, improve access and develop creative Park programming.
An inveterate volunteer and philanthropist, Nancy is an Emeritus Trustee of Brown University, where she is currently Co-Chair of the Advisory Council on the College and a member of the University’s Advisory Council on Athletics. She was a former Co-Chair of the Brown Annual Fund and a former Co-Chair of the Women’s Leadership Council. She was also the Co-Chair the University’s 125 Years of Women at Brown conference. Additionally, Nancy is a board member and former President of the Board of Ramapo for Children, a summer camp for children with special needs. She formerly served as Trustee of The Dalton School, where she was Board Chair and Co-Chair of the school’s endowment and capital campaign. Nancy is also a Trustee of Maccabi USA, which strengthens Jewish bonds through athletic, cultural and educational programs, most notably the Maccabiah Games, or Jewish Olympics, in Israel.
Nancy graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University in 1976 and earned her M.B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1978. As a student at Brown, Neff played on the women’s basketball team and was captain of the women’s tennis team. She has been inducted into the Brown Athletics Hall of Fame.
Nancy is married to Daniel A. Neff, who is Co- Chair of the Executive Committee and a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. They reside on the Upper East Side and have three children: Michael, David and Jennifer, who is married to Stephen Davidson, and two grandchildren.
Deborah Maher serves as President of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance. In this role, she administers the management, programming, and restoration of over 330 acres of City parkland for active sports, entertainment, environmental and recreation use. Working with the Board of Trustees to strategically plan for Randall’s Island Park’s future, she is responsible for all governance issues, board development, donor relations, operations and the financial and capital projects planning for the Alliance. Deborah oversees a dedicated team of approximately 100 employees. She works to improve the Park for all and strengthen the public-private partnership between the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and RIPA.
Prior to joining RIPA in 2009, Deborah was at Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP. Deborah earned a J.D. from New York Law School in 2001, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, and a BA in Journalism from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont.
Andrea Feirstein is a Managing Director at AKF Consulting Group, which she founded in 2002 to address the growing need in the college savings marketplace for unbiased, expert advice on all aspects of 529 college savings plans. Since then, she has expanded the firm’s focus to include ABLE plans as well as State-run Retirement programs, and today she oversees the firm’s engagements on all these initiatives.
Prior to starting AKF Consulting Group, Ms. Feirstein was Director of College Savings at Citigroup Asset Management (now Legg Mason), where her team developed and managed the firm’s proprietary 529 business. Prior to her College Savings role, Ms. Feirstein was a senior investment banker with Salomon Smith Barney’s Municipal Securities Division (now a part of Citigroup) and a bond lawyer with Brown & Wood (now Sidley Austin LLP).
Ms. Feirstein currently serves on the Board of the National Institute of Public Finance, a joint venture between the Foundation of the National Association of State Treasurers (“NAST”) and Pepperdine University. She previously chaired the NAST Corporate Affiliate Advisory Board and the Corporate Affiliate Committee of the College Savings Plans Network. Ms. Feirstein is a member of the MSRB Advisory Group on Municipal Fund Securities. Additionally, Ms. Feirstein serves on the Boards of Directors of the New York City Industrial Development Agency and Build New York City, for which she chairs each entity’s Finance Committee.
Ms. Feirstein graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Tax Review, and from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (BS in International Finance). She is an SEC- and MSRB-registered Municipal Advisor Principal (Series 54) and a Municipal Advisor Representative (Series 50). Previously she was a FINRA-licensed General Securities Representative (Series 7), a Municipal Securities Principal (Series 53), and a Uniform Securities Agent (Series 63). She is also a member of the New York Bar (retired).
Richard Gross has been on the Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee since 1999. He has served as Secretary for the last 25 years and he also served as Treasurer for 15 years.
Richard is a lawyer and a consultant with over 40 years of professional experience in the financial services industry. This includes serving for over 10 years as the chief legal officer and a senior executive at two publicly traded financial institutions — US Trust and Ambac Financial Group — and, prior to that, nine years as a senior lawyer at Citibank in Chicago and in New York. Richard began his legal career on Wall Street as a corporate attorney with the international law firm of White & Case.
Most recently, Richard served for 12 years on the boards of a funds of hedge funds complex advised by a leading alternative asset management firm. Richard is licensed to practice law in New York (active) and in Illinois (retired status). He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and the Harvard Law School, and was a postdoctoral student in international law at Trinity College, Cambridge University in England.
Richard and his family live in New York City, where Richard serves as President of the Board of Directors of his residential co-op.
Richard J. Davis, after 30 years as a partner at the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, now practices at his own firm. In addition to serving as the Chair Emeritus of RIPA, he currently serves as a member of the New York City Campaign Finance Board and member of the Board of Trustees of Goucher College. He was a former Chair of the Legal Aid Society Board.
Karen Cohen founded the Randall’s Island Park Alliance in 1992 with the belief that access to high quality outdoor fields, play spaces and nature is key to the quality of life of all New Yorkers. Her vision led to the Island’s historic transformation of nearly 330 acres of sports fields, natural areas, pathways and open parkland.
Karen’s early career in interior design, combined with her commitment to children and love of sports, played an influential role in the development and redesign of Randall’s Island. Her philanthropic endeavors have included service on numerous nonprofit Boards, and she has been recognized for her contributions to New York City both locally and internationally.
In 2004 Karen was profiled in the Italian magazine Ventiquattro, which recognized the impact of her work on NYC. She was also honored by the Parks Council of NYC (now New Yorkers for Parks) for the creation of RIPA, and in 2008 received the Brooke Russell Astor Award for Philanthropy in recognition of her leadership of the Alliance.
Karen has two children, who inspired her to begin this work, and five grandchildren, who continue to keep her motivated!
Eloise Ackman is a History Teacher at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge. Eloise has interned for Senator Cory Booker, worked as an investigator for Bronx Defenders, and was a Resource Coordinator at the Center for Court Innovation in Brooklyn.
Cesar A. Argueta, Jr. is the Director of Accounts, Client Services at Omnicom Group. A dynamic entrepreneur and omnichannel digital marketer, his passion for human insight, technology, and data combined with storytelling helped put a system in place for senior leadership to develop and execute actionable programs. A self-starter with a track record of delivering revenue and quality results, his broad business expertise spans multiple disciplines and industries with an emphasis on ensuring continued client satisfaction.
Before joining Omnicom, Cesar began his profession in the U.S. Marine Corps, supervising over $15MM in equipment. After he toured Iraq and receiving an honorable discharge, he spent time in the engineering and technology fields and co-founded his own business. Joining the New York agency in 2008, he brings 13+ years of expertise in brand building and digital/product innovation. His strategic leadership and entrepreneurial spirit have impacted companies and brands such as Diageo, Kroger, Post Foods, L’Oréal, Johnnie Walker, Merck Consumer Care, Bausch Health, and Novartis. Most recently, he’s been working on cutting edge of marketing technology, leveraging dynamic content assembly and working with clients to bridge the gap between technology and marketing to foster more relevant consumer experiences.
Cesar currently splits his time between volunteering with a NYC-based non-profit (Tri-Latino) whose mission is to increase the participation of people of color in endurance sports and leading tech programs for Fortune 100 companies.
Tim Barefield is a Managing Director at Kotter International. He was formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Pershing Square Capital Management, LP. Prior to that he was the CEO of GiftCertificates.com Inc. from 2004-2006 and the Executive Vice-President of Marketing, Sales and Operations from 2000-2004. Tim was the Global Head of Human Resources for Swissôtel from 1999-2000 and the Vice President of Human Resources for Accor North America from 1997 to 1999. Tim was also the Director of Human Resources for Delray Farms, a retail startup in Chicago from 1995 to 1997. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri Science & Technology) in 1983, an MBA from Rockhurst University in 1987 and an A.M. in Psychology from Harvard University in 1997. Tim has served on the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board of Trustees since 2012; he currently is a member of the Development Committee.
*Mayoral Appointee
Robert Bose is a Principal at Charlestown Capital Advisors, a private investment firm located in New York City. He focuses on private and public equity investments principally in the energy sector. Robert is currently the Lead Director of Buzzards Bench Holding, LLC, owner and operator of a natural gas business in Utah, and is also an Independent Director of Sintana Energy, Inc., a public company partnered with ExxonMobil in Columbia. From 1997 to 2014, Robert was in the Global Investment Banking Group at Scotiabank.
Robert has a BA Honors degree in Economics from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and is a CFA Charterholder. Since September 2019, Robert has served on the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Board of Trustees.
Rodney Cohen is the Head of Private Equity at Black Diamond Capital Management, L.L.C. (“Black Diamond”), a leading alternative asset management firm with over $9 billion in assets under management. Mr. Cohen is based in New York.
Prior to Black Diamond, Mr. Cohen was the Managing Director and Co-Head of the Carlyle Equity Opportunity Fund at The Carlyle Group. Before joining Carlyle in 2010, Mr. Cohen was Co-Managing Partner with Pegasus Capital Advisors.
In his two decades of private equity investing, operational restructuring and legal advisory work, Mr. Cohen has invested in a variety of sectors including commodities, natural resources, media, consumer, financial services, security and industrials.
Mr. Cohen joined Pegasus in 1996. From 1993 to 1996, he consulted and managed several diverse business ventures. Prior to that Mr. Cohen practiced law with Anderson Kill Olick and Oshinsky P.C.
Mr. Cohen earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and his B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College.
He serves as the Chair of the Investment Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, a director of FLEOA – Federal Law Enforcement Officers Foundation, on the Franklin and Marshall Leadership Council and as a board member of the After School All Stars.
Susan Danilow is a Trustee of the New-York Historical Society, where she currently serves on the Executive Committee and as Chair of the Chairman’s Council. She is the immediate past Chair of the Historical Society’s Collections Committee. She was a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania from January of 2006 until December of 2015; is a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Medical School; and is a member and a former Chair of the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women – of which she is a founding member. Mrs. Danilow served as Chair of Penn’s Benjamin Franklin Society, is President of and Class Gift Chair for her class at Penn, and is a former Overseer of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and of Penn’s Graduate School of Education.
Mrs. Danilow is additionally a Trustee of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance where she chairs the Nominations Committee as well as the Access Task Force and of the Carl Schurz Park Alliance, and is a former Co-Chair of the Chapin School Annual Fund. She served as an ex officio member of the Mount Sinai Hospital Health System Board, and together with her husband, Greg, chaired the Mount Sinai Associates. She was a long-standing board member and a former Vice Chair of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center.
Mrs. Danilow earned concurrent BA and MA degrees in history from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Brooklyn Law School. She worked on corporate debt restructurings as Vice President and Counsel at the Manufacturer’s Hanover Trust Company for ten years, and served as Executive Director of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy from 2004 to 2014 under the Administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. She was named Director of the Americas Foundation of the Serpentine Galleries in 2016.
Brenda DiLuigi is the Global Head of Litigation and Investigations at Diageo. She was previously a Partner at Linklaters LLP, where she worked for over 19 years, representing clients in connection with sensitive corporate internal investigations and in complex commercial disputes, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, and antitrust class action cases.
Brenda has earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, and a B.A. from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Cum Laude. Since June 2017, Brenda has served as a trustee of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance.
**ex officio
Susan M. Donoghue became Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in February 2022. From 2014 until 2022, Susan M. Donoghue has served as President of Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates the park in partnership with the City of New York, and Prospect Park Administrator.
In this dual appointment by Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks, Sue set the vision and overall strategy for Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s flagship, 585-acre park, and led a workforce of 200 Alliance and NYC Parks staff in the day-to-day operations of the park, which spans from landscape management to maintenance and operations; design and construction; volunteer services; visitor services; public programs and other functions that keep the park green and vibrant.
As President of the Alliance, Sue led fundraising and revenue-generating activities that provide $12 million in general operating support for the park each year. Since her appointment in 2014, she has been responsible for raising over $130 million for capital improvements in the park, including the recent restoration of the Flatbush Avenue perimeter and new entrances to the park, and the upcoming restoration of the Vale in the park’s northeast corner. Sue led the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for the Alliance, establishing the framework for continued innovation and success. She also spearheaded the transformation of People + Culture at the Alliance through the lens of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Prior to her appointment, Sue served as a Senior Advisor and Assistant Commissioner at NYC Parks, where she played a leadership role in PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s blueprint for enhancing the city’s sustainability. Sue earned a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. She is a long-time New Yorker, and she and her husband and three children avidly enjoy New York City parks as part of their daily life.
Douglas F. Eisenberg is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of A&E. Mr. Eisenberg has been involved in all phases of A&E’s development since its founding in 2011 and determines the strategic direction and all investments of the firm. He is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and Investment Committee. Mr. Eisenberg holds a BS in Urban and Regional Planning from Cornell University and a JD from Brooklyn Law School where he was an Editor of the Brooklyn Law Review. Mr. Eisenberg serves on the boards of Montefiore Hospital, New York Junior Tennis League, New York Urban League and the Citizens Committee for New York.
Sandra Frenz is the Head of Transformation at Deutsche Bank. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Sandra was Managing Director and a US COO at Barclays. Sandra holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. Since 2019, Sandra has served on the Board of Trustees of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance and is a member of the Development Committee and the Access Task Force. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
Mark I. Greene is the Head of Cravath’s Corporate Department and the Leader of the Firm’s International Practice. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and securities matters, including advising on cross-border and domestic transactions, private equity deals, complex restructuring transactions, proxy fights, takeover defense and hedge fund activism. He has served on the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board of Trustees since 2011.
A native of Allahabad, India, Sunil Gulati has played an important role in the development of U.S. Soccer since the early 1980’s and has been intimately involved in the rise of the U.S. National Teams to prominence. Elected U.S. Soccer President in 2006 and re-elected in 2010 and 2014, Gulati served on the FIFA Executive Committee from 2013-2021. As a highly regarded senior lecturer in the economics department at Columbia University, Gulati balances his academic work with numerous responsibilities within the sport worldwide. He is currently the Chairman of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body. He is also a trustee at Bucknell University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from in 1981. Gulati earned his M.A. and M. Phil. in Economics at Columbia University. Gulati and his wife, Marcela, have one son, Emilio, and one daughter, Sofia. They live in New York City. He has served as a trustee for Randall’s Island Park Alliance since 2006.
*Mayoral Appointee
A partner in the Corporate Department of Latham & Watkins LLP, Justin is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and the Private Equity Group. He has been recognized as a Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer and The New York Law Journal and featured in Crain’s New York Business as one of “40 Under 40”. Justin also serves as the Co-Chair of the firm’s preeminent Media and Entertainment Group, where he has been noted by The American Lawyer and The Hollywood Reporter as “one of Hollywood’s top dealmakers” and by Variety as one of “Hollywood’s new leaders. He has served on the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board of Trustees since 2012; he is currently a Co-Chair of the Alliance’s Nominating & Governance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.
Daniel is a global business development, licensing, retail, and marketing executive, having worked in senior roles for several leading multi-national corporations on three continents.
Known for being a high-impact business driver and an inclusive leader, Daniel has a performance history of delivering P&L success. He has led and developed teams for major apparel, home, baby, and entertainment companies such as The Walt Disney Company, Kahn Lucas, Carter’s, Global Brands Group/ Li & Fung, Source3 (acquired by Facebook, August, 2016), and Joe Fresh/Loblaw. Over a span of two decades, he has built deep expertise in partnerships, licensing, and international retail, including on the ground experience in North America, Europe, Asia, and Middle East territories. As Chief Marketing Officer for two companies, he successfully drove branding, awareness, and consumer campaigns.
Believing in giving back to his community, Daniel has served on his Co-op Board from 2014 until 2018, and on the Board of his running club, Central Park Track Club-Tracksmith, from 2012 until 2019.
Daniel earned a B.A. in Urban Planning from Haverford College in Haverford, PA, and an M.B.A. from UCLA Business School in Los Angeles, CA. In addition, Daniel has also completed several executive education programs at Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Hong Kong University.
He is a competitive runner and triathlete. Running is a lifelong passion, having started competing in the sport as a pre-teen, competing in Varsity Cross-country and Varsity Track in both high school and college. He remains a competitive “age-grouper” at distances ranging from the mile to the marathon, and has completed 25 marathons including seven Boston Marathons. In triathlon, Daniel completed several sprint-, international-, and half-ironman-distance races, and qualified for and competed in the Half-ironman World Championships race in Clearwater, FL.
Mack Kline, managing director, is the Head of Field Strategy and Distribution for J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Subadvisory business. In this role, Mack is responsible for managing investment relationships with Insurance Institutions and leading a team of Client Advisors who oversee J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s distribution efforts in the insurance and annuity space.
Prior to joining the Subadvisory business, he was a Strategy Associate supporting the Head of North America Funds for J.P. Morgan Asset Management and worked for J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank covering Hedge Fund Principals. He holds a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Bio coming soon!
Dean Landis is the President of Entrepreneur Growth Capital. He represents the third generation of his family to own and manage a finance company. Dean has worked closely with hundreds of companies to provide working capital and other services. Dean joined his family business, United Credit Corp. in 1991 and started its invoice discounting division known as Patriot Funding. Dean sold United to Finova Capital in 1998 and led its Growth Finance Division. Two years later, Dean re-purchased the Company and renamed it Entrepreneur Growth Capital. Dean is also the Founder and CEO of Credit Cash LLC, a fast growing merchant advance company. Prior to entering commercial finance, Dean was an associate at Bear Stearns & Company and an analyst at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets. Dean received his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and his BA from Duke University. Dean serves on the Board of Trustees of the Allen-Stevenson School. Since 2005, he has been a member of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Board of Trustees, where he is Chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.
*Mayoral Appointee
Mark Levine was elected to be the next Manhattan Borough President on November 2, 2021 by an overwhelming majority of Manhattanites. He assumed office on January 1, 2022.
Mark has twice been elected to represent the 7th Council district–one of the most diverse in New York City–covering West Harlem/Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, and parts of the Upper West Side and Washington Heights. In his eight years in the City Council, Mark was a leading voice in New York City for tenants rights, public health, and equity in our schools, transit, parks, and housing.
In an historic first for the nation, Mark defeated the landlord lobby to pass legislation guaranteeing a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction in New York City’s housing courts. This landmark policy has leveled the playing field for tenants and has already resulted in a significant decline in the number of families in New York City losing their homes because of evictions.
As chair of the City Council Health Committee, Mark has risen to national prominence as a leader in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He has fought for health policy based on science, and has consistently taken on the racial inequity of both the pandemic and healthcare more broadly.
Mark has created hundreds of units of deeply affordable housing in his district. He secured approval of the Morningside Heights Historic District, preserving 115 historic buildings. He has successfully fought to preserve affordable homeownership in New York City by protecting low-income coops.
While chairing the Council’s Parks Committee in his first term, Mark championed greater investment in our city’s green spaces–securing tens of millions of dollars in funding for neglected parks in low-income neighborhoods. He has been a champion for improved bus service, more accessible subway stations, and streets which are safer for all–including pedestrians and bicyclists.
Mark led revitalization of the City Council’s Jewish Caucus as chair of the group in his first term, and is a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism. He passed legislation creating New York City’s first-ever office for the prevention of hate crimes.
At the start of his career, Mark taught bilingual math and science at Junior High School 149 in District 7 in the South Bronx. He went on to found Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union, a community development financial institution which has made $25 million in small loans to low-income families and small businesses in Northern Manhattan.
Mark earned a B.A. in physics from Haverford College and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Mark lives with his family in Washington Heights. He and his wife Ivelisse are proud parents of their sons Alejandro and Daniel. He speaks Spanish, Hebrew and a smattering of other languages.
Akshay joined the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board of Trustees in October 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude. Akshay also has a Master of Arts in International Relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he received outstanding student awards from former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright.
Akshay previously served as Director at Citigroup from 2002 until 2008, and then retired as a Partner at Redwood Capital, where he worked from 2008 until 2019. He also served as a Term Member at The Council on Foreign Relations. Akshay currently volunteers as a Coach with Downtown United Soccer Club (DUSC) and has completed his Grassroots, D, and C Coaching Licenses with US Soccer.
Tnyetta Mitchell is a Private Client Advisor at Bank of America Private Bank in New York City. She delivers strategic advice and guidance to clients across multiple aspects of wealth management, offering the knowledge she has gained from over 29 years with the firm. Tnyetta has taken on successive leadership roles leading to her current position where she focuses on ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions. She is adept in addressing clients’ custom credit needs that require end-to-end oversight and precise execution.
She holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University, a Post-Baccalaureate business certificate from Columbia University, and an M.B.A. in Finance from Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.
Tnyetta serves on the Board of Trustees for the Randall’s Island Park Alliance. She is a Finance Class Representative for the Chapin School Alumnae Association and mentors recent graduates through Wesleyan’s Cardinals Helping Cardinals program. Previously, Tnyetta served on the Board of Trustees for the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, now a part of Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Tnyetta grew up playing soccer on Randall’s Island and now married with two daughters spends time watching their games there.
David Pearson is the Executive Vice President of Related Affordable, a division of Related Companies that develops, acquires and preserves affordable housing throughout the United States. Mr. Pearson joined Related in 2008 and is responsible for the affordable multifamily acquisitions and development team nationwide. During his tenure, he has contributed to Related Affordable’s growth to become one of the largest private owners of affordable housing in the country.
David holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master of Taxation from Villanova University. David was a 4-year Letterwinner for the Michigan Football Team from 2000-2003 and went on to play 3 seasons in the National Football League with Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions. In addition to his role at Related Companies, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Related Affordable Foundation and the Employer Advisory Board for the University of Michigan Athletics Career Center.
Bradford Peck is the Founder and Managing Principal of Taurus Asset Management and has over 30 years of portfolio management experience. Prior to founding Taurus in 2004, Brad served as a Managing Director at Neuberger Berman and General Partner at Weiss Peck & Greer. He is highly experienced in creating specialized investment strategies that meet the changing demands of the industry, and preserving client wealth in difficult markets. Additionally, since 1996, Brad has advised professional and retired athletes and is familiar with their unique needs.
Brad holds a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Brad serves on the Board of Directors and Investment Committee for the Jewish Board of Children and Family Services, as well as the Board of Trustees and Investment Committee for the Randall’s Island Park Alliance since 2009.
Bimla Picot is the Founder and CEO of Reboundwear, an adaptive athletic wear company based in New York. Reboundwear solves the problem of getting dressed for people recovering from surgery or illness. The clothes help athletes rebound back to health after an injury. In addition, Ms. Picot has run her own interior design firm successfully for over twenty years. She has been a trustee of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance since 1999 and currently is a member of the Programming Committee.
David Salerno is the Randall’s Island Park Administrator. David oversees the operation of the Park, including daily maintenance, Park amenities, permitting, capital improvements, and coordination with Parks and the other agencies who operate on the Island.
David was promoted to Deputy Administrator after 15 years as the Manager of Concessions and Events for Randall’s Island overseeing large scale events such as Governors Ball, Electric Zoo and the Frieze Art Fair. He was recently promoted to Randall’s Island Park Administrator after three years in his role as Deputy Administrator.
David has a BA in English Literature from Rutgers University and Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Hunter College.
Brette is a partner in the Litigation Department at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. With a focus on civil litigation in antitrust, securities, and other commercial disputes, she has represented major financial institutions and companies in the media, advertising, and sports industries.
Brette is a graduate of Princeton University and Columbia Law School, where she was notes editor of the Columbia Law Review. Since October 2019, Brette has served on the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Board of Trustees.
Wray is a Partner and Founder of Focus Impact Partners as well as Founder & CEO of Clear Heights Capital. With more than three decades of experience as a CIO, investment leader and lead director, Wray has significant expertise in investment firm building and leadership, complex direct and indirect private investing, asset allocation strategy, practice and risk management frameworks, and corporate shareholder value creation. At Focus Impact and Clear Heights, Wray is focused on doing well while also doing good by investing in and growing businesses that strive to have a positive impact by improving outcomes for people and the planet. Wray was previously a Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer—Private Investments at Two Sigma Investments, where he architected and led the private equity (Sightway Capital), venture capital (Two Sigma Ventures) and impact (Two Sigma Impact) investment businesses. Prior to Two Sigma, Wray had been with Marathon Asset Management, Fox Paine & Co. Dubilier & Co. and Chemical Bank (now part of JP Morgan Chase). Wray has been involved in ~300 transactions, add-on acquisitions, realizations, corporate financings, fundraisings and other principal transactions with aggregate consideration in excess of $32bn, including 35+ direct private equity investments, 90+ direct venture investments and 40+ 3rd-party managed fund investments.
Wray is committed to giving back to the community, serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Youth, INC, a Board member of Futures and Options and the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, a grant monitor for Hour Children, an Associate of the Harvard College Fund and previously as the founding President of the Saint Stephen of Hungary School Foundation. Wray has been a speaker and guest lecturer regarding private and impact investing for Milken Institute, AIF Global, Global ARC, Super Return, Columbia Business School, Stern School of Business, Haas School of Business and other prominent industry events. Wray graduated from Harvard College, lives in NYC and is devoted to his wife, Melissa, and their 3 children.
Peter is co-head of Mergers & Acquisitions for the Healthcare Group within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. He is also the global head of healthcare information technology and digital health practice. Peter joined Goldman Sachs in 1999 and was named managing director in 2007 and partner in 2016.
Before joining the firm, Peter worked as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. Peter is a member of the Executive Board for the University of Pennsylvania’s Varsity Soccer Program, overseeing professional mentoring for members of Penn’s men’s and women’s soccer teams.
Peter received a BA in English and a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He also earned a JD, Order of the Coif, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a senior editor of Penn’s Law Review.
Matthew S. Washington is Vice President & Chief of Staff of Phipps Houses—New York City’s oldest and largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing. He is responsible for overseeing all public affairs, focusing on pursuing opportunities to create more affordable housing. Prior to joining Phipps, Matthew served as Deputy Manhattan Borough President under Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. As deputy, he has overseen the distribution of over $100 million in capital funding to enhance parks, theaters, hospitals, museums, affordable housing developments, community centers and public schools. He has also been actively involved in neighborhood planning processes and rezoning efforts throughout Manhattan. Matthew was named to the 2018 New York City 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list published by City & State New York.
Matthew invests much of his personal time to public service. Born and raised in East Harlem, he remains committed to the area and was a member of Community Board 11 for over 10 years. He is a board member of both the Waterfront Alliance and Green City Force. Matthew is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Trust for Governors Island and is a trustee for Alfred University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Cultures.
Sherri Williams is a Partner at The Raine Group, where she is Head of Investor Relations and Fundraising. Raine is a TMT merchant bank know for its work in the sports, media and entertainment sectors. The firm has approximately $4bn of AUM. Previously, she was a Principal at Montgomery & Co., a West Coast digital media and technology investment bank, where she was a senior member of the private placements team in the firm’s New York office. Prior to Montgomery, Sherri was an Executive Director at JPMorgan and a senior member of the New York equity private placements team. From 2001 to 2006, Sherri was a Vice President at Rothschild in the private placement group. Prior to Rothschild, Sherri was an Associate and Vice President at Credit Suisse First Boston in the private finance and consumer products groups.
Sherri has a B.S. in International Economics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. While at Georgetown, Sherri was on the Division I women’s tennis team and captain of the team her senior year. She has her M.B.A. from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Sherri lives in New York City with her husband Lee Sossen and two children. Since June 2017, Sherri has served as a trustee of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance. The entire family is regularly on Randall’s Island with their children who play soccer for MSC. Sherri and Lee can be found running on the pathways at Randall’s Island Park.