Board of Trustees Members

Linda E. Rappaport

Linda Rappaport retired as a partner after a 35-year career with the law firm of Shearman & Sterling (which merged with Allen & Overy in 2024 to form A&O Shearman). She also served as an elected member of the firm’s Policy Committee and as a member of its Executive Group, the firm’s senior management group. She currently is of counsel to the firm. Ms. Rappaport spent most of her career advising public company boards of directors and senior executives in corporate governance and strategic transactions. Before joining Shearman & Sterling, she served as a law clerk to Chief Judge James S. Holden, U.S. District Court of the District of Vermont, from 1978 to 1979. Since her retirement, she has been active in lecturing and has written numerous articles on a variety of business issues.

Ms. Rappaport was named one of the top 50 women lawyers and one of the top 100 lawyers in New York City by the New York Times. She was also ranked as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA starting in 2007. She is a trustee emerita of Wesleyan University and as a former trustee of the Legal Aid Society of NYC and The New York Women’s Foundation; she is currently on the boards of The Naumburg Foundation, the Osborn Retirement Foundation, the Chamber Music Society of the East, the New York Flute Club, and Sandbox Percussion. Ms. Rappaport is also an accomplished flute player who performs regularly with several orchestras and chamber music groups.

Craig A. Bernecker

Craig Bernecker is the director of and an associate professor in the School of Constructed Environments' MFA Lighting Design program at Parsons School of Design. Dr. Bernecker is also founder of The Lighting Education Institute, an educational initiative focusing on lighting education for professionals in the lighting and buildings industry. He has taught in the Graduate Architecture program at the University of Pennsylvania and played a major role in the creation of a “Lighting Diploma” at the Ibero-American University in Mexico City.

From 1981 through 1999, he directed the lighting education program in the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University. While at Penn State, Dr. Bernecker also developed a number of continuing and distance education lighting programs and served on the major policy-advising body for the university’s online campus, Penn State World Campus. He has published more than 50 articles on research and education in lighting design and illumination engineering and is known for his work on the psychological aspects of lighting. In addition to his educational and research activities, he has maintained an active consulting practice, providing lighting design services and acting as an expert consultant on many projects and as an expert witness in many legal cases. He regularly serves as a peer reviewer for lighting research proposals and projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dr. Bernecker has also served the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) in multiple capacities, including president for 2004–2005. His contributions to lighting education led IESNA to name him a fellow in 1991, and he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2017 for his service to the organization. Dr. Bernecker holds a PhD in Psychology and a Master of Science in Architectural Engineering from Penn State.

Asmita Bhatia

ARUN BHATIA DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

Asmita Bhatia is a former senior executive at Citigroup with a specialization in corporate real estate strategy. Alongside her professional accomplishments, Ms. Bhatia is passionate about philanthropy, particularly causes related to education and the support of underresourced people in her birthplace of India. A co-trustee of the Arun I. and Asmita Bhatia Family Foundation, she actively supports nonprofit organizations such as SAYA! (South Asian Youth Action), the American India Foundation, and the Association of Indians in America.

Originally from Mumbai, Ms. Bhatia has lived in New York City for more than 40 years with her family. She holds a Master's in Architecture from Columbia University.

Franci J. Blassberg

Ms. Blassberg recently retired as a partner after a 35-year career with Debevoise & Plimpton, where she is currently of counsel. She spent much of her legal career advising private equity clients. Since her retirement, she has been teaching courses in private equity and corporate governance at Cornell Law School and Berkeley Law School. 

A skilled negotiator of complex transactions, Ms. Blassberg was named by the National Law Journal one of the 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America (2007) and one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America (2006). Ms. Blassberg has also been recognized by Private Equity International as one of the 30 most influential lawyers in global private equity. She is a trustee of the New-York Historical Society and a trustee emerita at Cornell University and served as a board member of the New York City Ballet. She is on the boards of The Lazard Funds, Inc., and other funds managed by Lazard Asset Management and its affiliates.

Steven H. Bloom

Mr. Bloom, CFA, has more than 40 years of experience managing money and building businesses in the alternative asset management business. He was one of five founding partners of Susquehanna International Group, a global proprietary trading firm. He later founded and managed Sagamore Hill Capital Management, a multi-billion-dollar multistrategy hedge fund. He has also worked in an advisory capacity with several other hedge funds. Mr. Bloom currently manages his family’s investment office. Before entering the financial industry, he was an environmental scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

In addition to serving on the board at The New School, Mr. Bloom has a long tenure at Binghamton University, where he is a past chairman of the foundation board, and was also involved at the University of Michigan.

Dominique Bluhdorn

Ms. Bluhdorn established the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation in the Dominican Republic, with the mission of creating and supporting a multifaceted arts community that encompasses the visual and performing arts, craft workshops, an artist-in-residence program that also serves as the Caribbean site for the Davidoff Arts Initiative, an archaeological museum, and teaching programs in design and the visual arts.

At the center of the Cultural Center Foundation is the Altos de Chavón School of Design, with campuses in La Romana and Santo Domingo. Since its establishment in 1983 the school has been affiliated with Parsons. This two-year, university-level school has graduated nearly 3,000 students, many of whom now hold distinguished creative positions in fashion, graphic design, digital design, fine arts, and illustration around the world.

Ms. Bluhdorn is a member of the Davidoff Art Initiative Advisory Council. She has served on the boards of the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC, and the New York Academy of Art.

Christopher J. Castano

Chris Castano is a partner and the head of Distribution at Sextant Capital Solutions, where he shares responsibility for business development and investor relationship management. 

Before joining Sextant, Mr. Castano was a senior member of the team at GCM Grosvenor, where he was involved in business development, client service, and consultant relations. Earlier he served as head of business development at Sonar Capital Management, a long/short equity fund. 

Mr. Castano has also held a number of positions at Merrill Lynch, serving as head of high net worth sales for alternative investments, head of the product platform for the private banking group, and head of private equity origination for the private client group. While there, he was a member of the Board of Directors for Merrill Lynch Alternative Investments and served on the Alternative Investments Product Management and Investment Committee. Before working at Merrill Lynch, Mr. Castano was an attorney at Waters, McPherson, McNeill, P.C., which specializes in environmental litigation and urban redevelopment. He also clerked for the New Jersey Superior Court in the Appellate Division. 

Mr. Castano received his Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University and his Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell and is chairman of the Board of Governors of the Schools of Public Engagement at The New School. 

Sylvestre Corti Maderna 

BBA CANDIDATE, PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN

Sylvestre Corti Maderna is a senior pursuing a BBA in Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design. He was drawn to Parsons by its blend of creative thinking and business strategy. He is the founder and CEO of MATEÏ, a start-up selling yerba maté that reflects his passion for sustainable product development. His entrepreneurial focus is creating meaningful user experiences and exploring life-centered design.

Mr. Corti Maderna is also an active member of the Parsons Entrepreneurship Lab (ELab) leadership team and is developing a student-led creative agency aimed at providing students with opportunities to collaborate with industry professionals. His experience spans design, entrepreneurship, and finance and includes a position as a private banking analyst at Centaurus Securities in Buenos Aires, which shaped his holistic approach to problem solving.

In addition to pursuing his academic and entrepreneurial interests, Mr. Corti Maderna is passionate about acting, debate, and public speaking. He has appeared in theater productions and served as an extra in I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Whitney Houston’s biopic. Through these experiences, he has refined his communication and collaborative abilities, which have served him in his efforts to create inclusive environments where all voices are heard. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Mr. Corti Maderna has drawn on his international background in developing a unique perspective on politics and design. As a student trustee on The New School Board of Trustees, Mr. Corti Maderna is committed to fostering student engagement and hands-on learning. 

Jane DeFlorio

After a successful 16-year career providing financial advice to the world’s most notable apparel and retail companies, Ms. DeFlorio retired in December 2013 as a managing director at Deutsche Bank in New York. At Deutsche Bank, Ms. DeFlorio headed coverage of the U.S. retail industry sector. Her clients included The TJX Companies, Home Depot, and Nike. Ms. DeFlorio joined Deutsche Bank in April 2007 from UBS Investment Bank, where she worked on consumer sector transactions.

Ms. DeFlorio’s current focus is serving on public company boards, private investing, and philanthropy. She is a director of DDR Corp (NYSE:DDR), an $11 billion real estate investment trust that owns and manages value-oriented open-air retail shopping centers, or “power centers,” on the U.S. mainland and in Puerto Rico. She is currently the lead independent director at Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ:PERY), a $350 million apparel wholesaler and retailer, where she serves on the Audit, Nominating and Investment Committees. In addition to serving on The New School’s Board of Trustees, Ms. DeFlorio is a member of Parsons' Board of Governors.

Douglas D. Durst

Mr. Durst is the chairman of the Durst Organization, one of Manhattan’s top real estate development companies and a leader in developing environmentally friendly buildings. Mr. Durst is also a noted philanthropist and serves on the boards of several New York City organizations, including the Trust for Public Land and the Roundabout Theater Company. He is a director of the Real Estate Board of New York and a trustee of The Old York Foundation, which is committed to helping people understand the history of and issues facing New York City. Mr. Durst carries on his family’s long tradition of involvement with The New School—his grandmother Rose Friedwald Durst was an art student at The New School, and his grandfather Joseph and father, Seymour, were both contributors and volunteers.

Julia Foulkes

Julia Foulkes investigates interdisciplinary questions about the arts, urban studies, and history in her research and teaching. As a 2021–2022 fellow at the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, she focused on her forthcoming book, Culture City: The Rise of the Arts in New York. She provided historical notes for the jazz trumpeter and composer Etienne Charles' commission San Juan Hill Story for the re-opening of Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center and collaborated with the choreographer Netta Yerushalmy on a piece on Bob Fosse for Yerushalmy’s Paramodernities. She also curated The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S., an exhibition at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center that ran from September 2024 to March 2025.

With Mark Larrimore, Professor Foulkes researches and teaches about the history of The New School. They oversee a website devoted to exploring the unusual history of the institution and its wide-ranging activity and influence. In Offense + Dissent: Image, Conflict, Belonging, a 2014 exhibition she created with Radhika Subramaniam, she investigated three episodes in which art aroused protest at The New School. In 2018, she and Ms. Subramaniam initiated a project on the history of The New School for Public Seminar, the university’s virtual intellectual commons, recording a podcast series, New Histories, and publishing a digital collection of essays, Realizing The New School: Lessons from the Past.

Professor Foulkes delivered the Aims of Education address at The New School’s Convocation in 2009 and was a member of the search committee for a new president in 2019. She has held numerous administrative positions and served on many program and college governance, curriculum, and promotion committees. She currently serves as the coordinator of Prior Learning in the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and is a member of the University Faculty Senate.

Susan L. Foote

Susan L. Foote has served as a trustee of The New School since 2007. She has also served on the Board of Governors of The New School for Social Research since 2002 and as chair of that school's board since 2009. She is an independent scholar and historian whose interests lie in 18th-century religion and society. Ms. Foote holds a PhD in History from New York University. In addition to her roles with The New School, she serves on the board of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Ted Goldthorpe

Ted Goldthorpe is a partner and the head of Credit at BC Partners, a firm he joined in 2017. He is also a member of the Private Equity Investment Committee.

Mr. Goldthorpe earlier served as the president of Apollo Investment Corporation, chief investment officer at Apollo Investment Management, and senior portfolio manager at U.S. Opportunistic Credit. After joining Apollo in  2012, he oversaw the Opportunistic Credit platform, aggregating more than $20 billion in assets under management during his tenure. His most recent focus was the direct origination business. Mr. Goldthorpe was named to the firm’s Senior Management Committee in 2014.

Mr. Goldthorpe was employed by Goldman Sachs & Co., beginning in 1999. He first worked in the high yield distressed business, the Merchant Banking Division, and the Investment Banking Division. Mr. Goldthorpe next served as managing director of the Special Situations Group, running both the middle market private equity business and the Canadian business (CSSG). He then ran the Bank Loan and Distressed Investing Desk.

Mr. Goldthorpe has served on the boards of SPARTA Insurance Holdings, Inc., Flatiron Re, JHT Holdings, Baxa Healthcare, Shelter Bay, Fairway Energy, and other firms and was a board observer for First Solar and other companies. He currently serves on the board of Crescent Point Energy, BC Partners Lending Corporation, Mount Logan Capital, and Portman Ridge Corporation.

Mr. Goldthorpe received a BA in Commerce from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He is a frequent guest lecturer at leading universities including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), the University of Virginia, New York University, Queen's University, and Stanford University. He serves on the Global Advisory Board of the Smith School of Business at Queen's University and on the boards of the Canadian Olympic Foundation, HerJustice, and Capitalize for Kids.

Nancye Green

Nancye Green is a designer, with a storied career addressing the strategies and complex communication challenges of large enterprises, startup companies and non-profit organizations. Nancye founded the design firm Donovan/Green with Michael Donovan. They designed and produced in multiple media for clients as diverse as Hoffman-La Roche, 3M, GM, P&G, Exxon, President Ronald Reagan, American Express, Sony and American Girl. After selling their firm, she served as CEO of Waterworks and on the Boards of Directors of several companies including Hallmark and Waterworks. She is currently Chief Design Officer of The Medicines Company. She is a past President of both the American Institute of Graphic Arts, receiving its Gold Medal with Donovan, and the International Design Conference in Aspen, and is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of EcoHealth Alliance. She holds degrees from Tulane University in Political Science and Parsons School of Design in Environmental Design, graduating as valedictorian, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from The Corcoran School of Art.

Joseph R. Gromek

A leading professional in the fashion industry for more than a quarter century, Mr. Gromek was president and chief executive officer of Warnaco Inc., a post he held from 2003 until his retirement in 2012 (when he also resigned from Warnaco's Board of Directors).

From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Gromek was president and chief executive officer of Brooks Brothers, Inc. Over the course of a long and distinguished career, he held senior management positions with Saks Fifth Avenue, Limited Brands, Inc., and Ann Taylor Stores Corporation.

Mr. Gromek is the former chairman of the Board of Directors of Tumi, Inc., a former member of the Board of Directors of Wolverine World Wide, The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc., and Guess?, Inc., and a member of the Board of Hudson Executive Capital.

His philanthropic and civic associations, in addition to serving on and formerly chairing The New School's Board of Trustees, include serving as chairman of Volunteers of America-Greater New York and chair of Parsons' Board of Governors. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House of New York, a member of the Parsons Board of Governors, a trustee of Saint Peter's University, a member of the advisory Board of The World Retail Congress, a member of the Advisory Board for the Jay Baker Retail Initiative at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a former trustee of The Trevor Day School.

Mr. Gromek is the recipient of the National Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee; the Good Scout Award from The Boy Scouts of America; the Distinguished Service Award, recognizing his service to The New School; the Spirit of the Founders Award from the Volunteers of America; and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Saint Peter's College and was named Man of the Year by the UJA Federation.

Jeffrey Gural

Mr. Gural is chairman of Newmark Family Properties, a commercial real estate firm currently managing 41 buildings in the metropolitan area, in which he maintains an ownership interest. He is also the owner of Tioga Downs Casino and Vernon Downs Casino, the president of American Racing and Entertainment, and the operator of the New Meadowlands Racetrack. He has received numerous awards for his philanthropic work in New York City and serves on the boards of several charitable organizations, including the Museum at Eldridge Street, the March of Dimes, the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan, Outward Bound New York City, and the Settlement Housing Fund. He is the president of the Starlight Children’s Foundation in New York, the chairman of the I Have A Dream Foundation - NY, and a trustee of Cooper Union. He is also a director of the Real Estate Board of New York. Mr. Gural was introduced to The New School by life trustee Eugene Lang.

William E. Havemeyer

Mr. Havemeyer is president of Havemeyer Management Services, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in urban planning and downtown revitalization as well as nonprofit organizational management and governance. He currently serves as the part-time COO of the Skyscraper Museum in New York City and also chairs the board of the New York City Cultural Institutions Retirement System, a $1.63 billion pension fund. He recently completed 20 years as a trustee of Union Theological Seminary in New York City and was also a long-standing member of the board of the Brooklyn Museum. Mr. Havemeyer received The New School’s Distinguished Service Award in 1994 and served as interim director of the Parsons Paris program in 1995–1996.

Mr. Havemeyer’s long involvement with historic real estate restoration helped him lead The New School’s Buildings and Grounds Committee’s work on the Greenwich Village campus for many years. Mr. Havemeyer appreciates the university’s focus on urban and progressive issues.

Monique D. Jefferson, MS Human Resources Management '03

CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER, COMMUNITY PRESERVATION CORPORATION

Monique Jefferson is a results-oriented human resources executive with more than 20 years of diverse global experience in the financial services, legal, insurance, nonprofit, and professional services industries. She has led regional and global teams in delivering value-added human capital solutions to C-suite executives. Her primary areas of expertise are talent and performance management, compensation, leadership development, succession management, talent acquisition, executive coaching, diversity, equity and inclusion, cultural change, employee engagement, training, and employee and labor relations. Ms. Jefferson is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR and SHRM-SCP). She is also an executive coach and is certified in The Leadership Circle Profile.

Ms. Jefferson began her career in 1996 as a financial auditor for Ernst & Young LLP. She now serves as the chief people officer at the Community Preservation Corporation. 

Ms. Jefferson earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Bentley University and her Master of Science in Human Resources Management at The New School. She is an active member of the Brooklyn chapter of The Links, Incorporated; a board member and past president of the CALIBR Global Leadership Network; a board member of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources; a board member of the Bentley University Global Alumni; and a member of The New School’s Executive Alumni Council. She also served on the board of trustees of the Lefferts Gardens Charter School, where she was board chair from 2011 to 2013.

Sheila C. Johnson

Sheila Johnson is the founder and CEO of the Salamander Collection. The company operates luxury properties centered on unique destinations in the United States and the Caribbean that include Salamander Middleburg, which has earned Forbes triple Five-Star ratings for its accommodations, spa, and dining. As a partner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Johnson is the only African American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams: the Washington Wizards, the Washington Capitals, and the Washington Mystics. She also spearheaded the formation of WE Capital, a venture capital consortium aimed at supporting and investing in female-led enterprises.

Ms. Johnson is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves on its Education Committee. She also serves as chairman of the College of Performing Arts at The New School. She established the Sheila Johnson Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School, which has supported 50 fellows. Ms. Johnson is also a board member of The Metropolitan Opera, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Simon & Schuster's Publishing Advisory Board, and the PBS Foundation and is a committee member of NeuroArts Blueprint: Advancing the Science of Arts, Health and Well-Being.

A powerful influence in the entertainment industry, Ms. Johnson was a founder of Black Entertainment Television, has been the executive producer of documentary and feature films, and is the founder and chair of the Middleburg Film Festival.

Ms. Johnson’s memoir, Walk Through Fire, was published by Simon & Schuster in September 2023.

Sasa Li, BFA Integrated Design ‘15

Sasa Li is a private wealth advisor at Wells Fargo Private Bank in Beverly Hills, California, where she applies her unique expertise to address the complex needs of her clients. She began her career in financial services at Goldman Sachs in New York City. Before moving into finance, Ms. Li founded and operated The Kimono Kid, an independent costume design firm specializing in the creation of traditional kimonos. Her work attracted high-profile entertainers and commercial productions and has been featured in prominent publications and outlets such as Nylon Magazine, Highsnobiety, and NBC News. Sasa holds an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business and a BFA from Parsons School of Design and is a graduate of George School, a co-ed Quaker school in Newtown, Pennsylvania. She is also a dedicated member of The New School Alumni Council.

Bevis Longstreth

In 1993, Bevis Longstreth, a senior partner of the New York City law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, retired to pursue other interests, including writing. Mr. Longstreth has always been attracted to teaching and values its role in democracies. Upon retiring, he began serving as a full-time adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, where he had taught a seminar for six years. He has published four historical novels. During his professional career, he has often spoken and written on finance, corporate behavior, and the law. Mr. Longstreth has served on many boards of directors, including those of TIAA/CREF, Invesco, GMO, and the Center for Public Integrity. He is a member of the finance committee of the Rockefeller Family Fund and an advisor to MDRC and the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System.

Mr. Longstreth has served as a trustee of The New School since 1987. He also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the College of Performing Arts and the Schools of Public Engagement.

Anthony Mannarino, BA '81, MA '83

Mr. Mannarino is executive vice president of Extell Development Company, where he oversees the firm’s extensive real estate portfolio of residential, office, hotel, and mixed-use projects. Extell is one of New York City’s most active developers and has owned and developed a portfolio of more than 20 million square feet. Before joining the Extell team, Mr. Mannarino served as managing director at Tishman Speyer, where he was responsible for development and new business initiatives in the New York region. Previously he was managing partner of Sony Center, a 1.3 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Berlin, Germany. Before joining Tishman Speyer, he served as the acting president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the city’s primary agency for economic development, business growth, and retention. He also served as the executive director of the New York City Industrial Development Authority. 

In addition to his involvement at The New School, Mr. Mannarino is a Trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission and a member of its Executive Committee. He also serves on the boards of the New York Building Congress, the NYU Furman Center, and the ACE Mentor Program. Mr. Mannarino is a member of REBNY and its Economic Development Committee. He has taught at the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

Daniel T. Motulsky

Mr. Motulsky is the managing principal of Cloudpoint Capital, a strategic and financial advisory and investment firm. Previously, Mr. Motulsky was a managing director at Moelis & Company, a global independent investment bank.  Prior to Moelis, Mr. Motulsky was a partner and global head of Consumer & Retail at Lazard, a global investment bank, for 16 years. Before his service with Lazard, Mr. Motulsky was a partner at Tanner & Co., a merchant banking and mergers and acquisition advisory firm. Before that, he served as an investment banker at Salomon Brothers.

Mr. Motulsky has served on the Board of Directors of a number of publicly-listed and private companies, including Rue 21, Klausner Lumber, Bon-Ton Stores and Mega Brands, Inc. He is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is a graduate of Stanford University.

Mr. Motulsky has been a member of The New School's Board of Trustees since 2014.

Robert H. Mundheim

Mr. Mundheim is of counsel at the global law firm A&O Shearman (formerly Shearman & Sterling LLP), where he advises on corporate governance and professional responsibility issues. He is also a professor of corporate law and finance at the University of Arizona Law School. He has been University Professor of Law and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and dean of its law school. Mr. Mundheim has been the general counsel of the U.S. Treasury, executive vice president and general counsel of Salomon Inc., president of the American Academy in Berlin, president of the Appleseed Foundation, and chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Mr. Mundheim has served as a Trustee of The New School since 1999. He also has been a member of the Board of Governors for the New School for Social Research since 1994. He is also a trustee of the Curtis Institute of Music, a director of the Salzburg Global Seminar, a founding trustee of the American College of Governance Counsel, and a council member (emeritus) of the American Law Institute.

Charles R. Perrin

FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CEO, AVON PRODUCTS, INC., AND DURACELL

Mr. Perrin is the former non-executive chairman of the board of The Warnaco Group, former chairman and CEO of Avon Products, and former chairman and CEO of Duracell International, Inc. He is currently a member of the boards of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and the Campbell Soup Co.

Mr. Perrin formerly served as chair of Save the Children International and is currently a trustee of Save the Children U.S. He is a founder and trustee of the Perrin Family Foundation. He is also the former chairman and vice chairman of Ability Beyond Disability and a former trustee of Trinity College

Mr. Perrin was introduced to The New School by former board chair Joseph Gromek.

Timothy L. Porter

Mr. Porter was formerly senior counsel and later chief client relationship counsel at Proskauer Rose, a global law firm. Before joining Proskauer, Mr. Porter worked at AT&T, where he was vice president—law and chief counsel for Labor, Employment and Environmental Matters. He served as a director of the AT&T Investment Management Company, the company’s pension and retirement benefits asset investment arm, and is currently a director of the Life Insurance Company of Boston and New York, a subsidiary of Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. Porter is a trustee of Newark Public Radio (WBGO) and is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He is a former board director of the YMCA of Greater New York and a former trustee of Holy Cross College, his alma mater. Mr. Porter first came to The New School as a student at the Guitar Study Center at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music (now the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music), where he took courses and participated in the school’s music ensembles.

David R. Poma, MA Economics ’02

PRIVATE INVESTOR

David Poma, MA Economics ’02 (NSSR), is a private investor. In addition to his degree from The New School, Mr. Poma holds a BA from Villanova University. He joined the NSSR Board of Governors in 2018. Mr. Poma taught economics at St. Francis College and previously worked at the Union Bank of Switzerland and Crédit Lyonnais. He has also worked with McKinsey & Company as an independent editor on business consulting projects.

Josh Sapan

MEDIA EXECUTIVE AND FORMER CEO, AMC NETWORKS

During Mr. Sapan's 25 years as CEO of AMC Networks, the company won praise for programming including Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Walking Dead, Portlandia, The Night Manager, and Top of the Lake.

After leaving AMC in early 2023, Mr. Sapan launched Sapan Studio. In partnership with IFC Films, the studio worked on two of the year's most acclaimed films: The Taste of Things, winner for Best Director at Cannes, and the documentary The Disappearance of Shere Hite.

Sapan Studio signed a producing deal with a Hollywood studio and took positions in several niche content, streaming, and social media companies.

At AMC, Mr. Sapan established IFC Films, which produced titles such as Monsoon Wedding, Boys Don’t Cry, and Richard Linklater’s multiple-award-winning Boyhood.

Mr. Sapan oversaw the creation of the IFC and WETV channels and the pioneering streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now, and AMC+. He engineered the acquisitions of The Sundance Channel, Acorn, and ALLBLK streaming services and established a joint venture with the BBC for ownership and operation of BBC America. Mr. Sapan sold the Bravo channel to NBC for $1.25 billion after developing the signature series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Under his leadership, the company, previously known as Rainbow Media, increased its revenue from $75 million to more than $3 billion. The company began to be publicly traded on NASDAQ in 2011 after changing its name to AMC Networks.

Mr. Sapan is the author of four books: Cable TV (Putnam), The Big Picture: America in Panorama and The Third Act (Princeton Architectural Press) and RX, a poetry collection (Red Hen Press).

In addition to serving as a trustee of The New School, Mr. Sapan is a member of the boards of the American Film Institute, New York Public Radio, the Museum of the Moving Image, The Public Theater, and People for the American Way.

Stanley P. Silverstein

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, WHP GLOBAL

Stanley Silverstein is a 30+ year retail industry leader with unparalleled expertise in licensing, global strategy and brand development. He currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer of WHP Global, leading brand acquisition and business development for WHP’s portfolio of brands which includes iconic names such as Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us, Joseph Abboud, and Anne Klein. Prior to joining WHP, he was President of International Development and Global Licensing for Perry Ellis International. He also served as a longtime senior executive at Warnaco/PVH, where he was responsible for the company’s highly successful global expansion of its brands including Calvin Klein.

In addition to his service as a New School Trustee, he is on the Board of the Fashion Scholarship Fund and a member of New York University’s Stern Fashion & Luxury Council.

Elliot Stein

CHAIRMAN, ACERTAS LLC AND SENTURION FORECASTING LLC


Mr. Stein is Chairman of Acertas LLC and Senturion Forecasting LLC. He is a member of the board of directors of Midcap Financial Investment Corporation, BellRing Brands, and other companies and is a trustee of Claremont Graduate University. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Stein’s personal and professional interests in politics, communications, the arts, and education have served him well as a New School trustee. 

Joel Towers

NEW SCHOOL PRESIDENT


Joel Towers became The New School’s tenth president on August 1, 2024. An architect by training, an educator at heart, and a passionate advocate for design-based solutions to climate change, he has served at The New School for more than 20 years, including a decade as executive dean of Parsons School of Design. He also served as Parsons’ first director of Sustainable Design and Urban Ecology, dean of the School of Design Strategies, and associate provost for Environmental Studies and founded the Tishman Environment and Design Center, which fosters the integration of bold design, policy, and social justice approaches to environmental issues. President Towers holds the faculty title of University Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design.

Throughout his career, President Towers has been dedicated to education, research, and collaboration promoting environmental sustainability and resilience. Before joining The New School, he worked as an architect, with a focus on environmental thinking and healthful buildings. From 1992 to 2010, he was a principal at his architecture practice, Sislian Rothstein and Towers Architects (SR+T), a firm that he co-founded and that completed a number of award-winning projects and served as a testing ground for the integration of research, scholarship, and creative practice. In 2019, he was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to co-chair the New York City Panel on Climate Change. 

President Towers received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation.

Nsisong Udosen

MS CANDIDATE, PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN

Nsisong Udosen is a Nigerian American designer, researcher, and strategist who focuses on participatory, community-oriented design and envisioning equitable futures. As a graduate student in the MS Strategic Design and Management program at Parsons School of Design, she focuses on promoting sustainability, strengthening civic engagement, and designing communities of care. With six years of experience in Big Tech, she has developed expertise in systems design and innovation management and now explores the way design principles can shape governance and public policy.

Kay Unger, Fashion Design '68

CEO, KAY UNGER FAMILY FOUNDATION


Fashion designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ms. Unger began her multifaceted career in 1968 as design assistant to Geoffrey Beene. Two years later, she founded her own dress firm, Kay Unger — the first of several successful global fashion concerns she founded and managed, including The Gillian Group, Kay Unger New York, Kay J’s Pajamas, and Phoebe Couture. In 2012, she formed Kay Unger Design as a means of focusing her boundless energy on unique design projects that benefit from her creative and leadership skills.

A committed philanthropist, Kay is CEO of the Kay Unger Family Foundation (KUFF), with its mission of “venture philanthropy.” KUFF supports existing foundations for cancer care and research and also provides funding for scholarships to underserved youths who are talented in the arts.

Born and raised in Chicago, Kay has lived in New York throughout her career.

Lilian Shiao-Yen Wu

William D. Zabel

Mr. Zabel is a founding partner of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP and head of the Individual Client Services Group. He practices in the areas of estate planning, wills, trusts, charitable foundations, income and gift tax planning, estate administration, and family law. He serves as chair of Human Rights First and Immigration Justice Corps and on the boards of Lincoln Center Theater and The Academy of American Poets, among other civic memberships. Mr. Zabel is keenly interested in the forces driving the worldwide movement toward democracy, an issue reflecting core values of The New School.

Beth Rudin DeWoody, BA '75

Beth Rudin DeWoody is chairman of the Rudin Family Foundations and executive vice president of Rudin Management Company. She has also curated shows for art galleries in New York City, New Orleans, London, and Vermont. Ms. DeWoody completed her studies at The New School for Social Research in New York City, where she received her BA in Liberal Arts.

Ms. DeWoody’s board affiliations include the Whitney Museum of American Art, Creative Time, The New School, Design Museum Holon Israel, Empowers Africa, Save A Child India, Inc., and The New York City Police Foundation. Ms. DeWoody is also on the Advisory Board of The Glass House in New Canaan and the Board of Overseers of the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and is an honorary trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Ms. DeWoody serves on the Advisory Board for New Yorkers for Children, Inc.

Ms. DeWoody serves on the Parsons Board of Governors, is a member of the Committee for the University Art Collection, and is on the Photography Steering Committee at the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach, Florida. Her professional affiliations include charter membership of New York Women Executives in Real Estate.

Ms. DeWoody is chairman of the Arts and Culture Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) and is on the Council of Conservators of the New York Public Library, the National Leadership Council at United States Artists, and the Library Association of MoMA.

Susan U. Halpern, MA '76

Ms. Halpern is the president of the Sirus Fund, a foundation that supports programs for needy children and their families. She is also an attorney specializing in legal issues associated with adoption and foster parenting.

Philip Scaturro

Before his retirement, Mr. Scaturro had a long career at the investment bank Allen and Company. Until recently, he served as vice chair of the Wolfsonian Museum at Florida International University. He is also a trustee emeritus at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. A chair emeritus of The New School, Mr. Scaturro also served as chancellor of The New School from 1999 to 2002.

Tomio Taki

Mr. Taki is a managing partner of Takihyo LLC, formed in 1999 after the sale of Anne Klein & Co. He was a founder of and partner in Donna Karan Co., which went public in 1996.

Mr. Taki is an advisor to Takihyo Co., Ltd. (TCL), a company created by his family 250 years ago in Nagoya, Japan. Today publicly traded, TCL has 24 subsidiaries in various industries including food processing, real estate, and chemical products.