Scene Last Night: Henry Cornell, Robert Reffkin, Fred Armisen
Henry Cornell, a partner at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), boiled down the purpose of last night’s gathering.
“We support helping neighborhoods, one block at a time,” Cornell said as he kicked off the annual gala for the Citizens Committee for New York City, which he has served as chairman for nine years.
Among the 500 guests at Gotham Hall were Kenneth Rosh, a partner at Fried Frank, who counts Goldman Sachs as a client, Rodge Cohen, a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell (1147L) LLP, musician Paul Simon and Robert Reffkin, a vice president at Goldman Sachs. Reffkin is also a board member of Citizens Committee. The event raised $1.2 million, including $65,000 in text pledges.
The organization gives grants to block associations, community gardens and other small community groups throughout New York City. According to a study by Deloitte & Touche LLP, 80 percent of these groups would have nowhere else to go for funding, “because they’re too small and they’re not part of the philanthropic mainstream,” said Peter Kostmayer, chief executive officer of Citizens Committee.
Among last year’s 231 grant recipients: the Inwood Canoe Club, the Young Gents Society of East New York and the P.S. 149 PTA in Jackson Heights.
Peeks’ Eye Exams
The gala honored several individuals.
Jeff Peek, vice chairman of investment banking at Barclays Capital Inc. (0059588D), and his wife, Liz Peek, a writer and former head of the National Association of Petroleum Investment Analysts, have funded eye exams for third graders and the MillionTreesNYC initiative.
Bob Humber started the M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden on the Lower East Side. He used his first Citizens Committee grant to buy noisemakers to keep drug dealers out.
Lorne and Alice Michaels, in addition to making us laugh with “Saturday Night Live”, which Lorne created, and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” which Alice has produced, support such nonprofits as the Robin Hood Foundation and the American Museum of Natural History.
Fred Armisen, of “Saturday Night Live” and IFC’s “Portlandia,” described how Lorne creates a sense of community in the workplace.
“He does it very physically,” Armisen said, as waiters put down plates of beef and risotto. “Whenever we have pitch meetings, it’s in his tiny, cramped office.”
Bank of America’s New York City market president, Jeff Barker, received the Corporate Citizen Award. The bank funds Citizens Committee Green Grants.
Favorite Vegetable
Barker’s presenter was 11-year-old Jada Nicole Young, who tends the Padre Plaza Success community garden in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, where she likes to grow broccoli, her favorite vegetable.
“Bank of America does lots of good things for New Yorkers that people don’t even know about,” Young said at the lectern.
“I think we’ve found the next Bank of America spokesperson,” Barker replied.
Barker has some work to do yet: Jada’s college savings account is at Citibank, said her dad, Michael Young, a carpenter. “But we could always use another.”
(Amanda Gordon is a writer and photographer for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. Any opinions expressed are her own.)
To contact the writer on this story: Amanda Gordon in New York at agordon01@bloomberg.net or on Twitter at @amandagordon.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
Citizens Committee
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Vanessa Cornell and her husband, Henry Cornell, a managing director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and chairman of Citizens Committee for New York City.
Vanessa Cornell and her husband, Henry Cornell, a managing director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and chairman of Citizens Committee for New York City. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," Vanessa Bayer, a featured cast member on "Saturday Night Live," and Fred Armisen, star of "Portlandia" and "SNL" cast member. John McEnroe is behind Fallon, and the screen behind them shows the activity of the event's text-to-pledge campaign.
Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," Vanessa Bayer, a featured cast member on "Saturday Night Live," and Fred Armisen, star of "Portlandia" and "SNL" cast member. John McEnroe is behind Fallon, and the screen behind them shows the activity of the event's text-to-pledge campaign. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Lorne and Alice Michaels.
Lorne and Alice Michaels. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Benis Reyes, a student at Columbia Business School, and Robert Reffkin, a vice president at Goldman Sachs and Citizens Committee board member.
Benis Reyes, a student at Columbia Business School, and Robert Reffkin, a vice president at Goldman Sachs and Citizens Committee board member. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Seth Meyers
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Seth Meyers, of "Saturday Night Live," and Alexi Ashe, a lawyer in the sex-trafficking unit of the Kings County District Attorney's Office.
Seth Meyers, of "Saturday Night Live," and Alexi Ashe, a lawyer in the sex-trafficking unit of the Kings County District Attorney's Office. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Paul Simon, who has three shows in April with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center, sat with Lorne and Alice Michaels at the gala.
Paul Simon, who has three shows in April with Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center, sat with Lorne and Alice Michaels at the gala. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Kenneth Rosh and Ian Schwartz, lawyers at Fried Frank. Rosh is chairman of Harlem RBI.
Kenneth Rosh and Ian Schwartz, lawyers at Fried Frank. Rosh is chairman of Harlem RBI. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Jeff Peek, vice chairman of investment banking, Barclays Capital, and an honoree.
Jeff Peek, vice chairman of investment banking, Barclays Capital, and an honoree. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
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Liz Peek, an honoree.
Liz Peek, an honoree. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Bob Humber, head gardener and founder of M'Finda Kalunga Community Garden, and Deborah Glass, his adopted daughter. Citizens Committee development director Jane Slater looks on.
Bob Humber, head gardener and founder of M'Finda Kalunga Community Garden, and Deborah Glass, his adopted daughter. Citizens Committee development director Jane Slater looks on. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Emily Rafferty, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Coco Kopelman, mastermind of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering cookbook series, "Park Avenue Potluck," and Candance Beinecke, chairman, Hughes Hubbard and Reed.
Emily Rafferty, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Coco Kopelman, mastermind of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering cookbook series, "Park Avenue Potluck," and Candance Beinecke, chairman, Hughes Hubbard and Reed.
Citizens Committee
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Noelle Coleman, who works at Allied World Assurance Co., and Matt Coleman, a local political consultant. Married in September 2011, they met while working for Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Noelle Coleman, who works at Allied World Assurance Co., and Matt Coleman, a local political consultant. Married in September 2011, they met while working for Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Anu Vohra, a managing director at Citi Private Bank, and Unazah Moonis, a director at Ci ti Private Bank.
Anu Vohra, a managing director at Citi Private Bank, and Unazah Moonis, a director at Ci ti Private Bank. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Citizens Committee
Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
Jeff Barker, Bank of America's New York City market president, and Jada Nicole Young, a founder of Padre Plaza Success community garden.
Jeff Barker, Bank of America's New York City market president, and Jada Nicole Young, a founder of Padre Plaza Success community garden. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg
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