FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2006
Contact: Poonam Prasad
(212) 755-1309
PrasadC@aol.com
PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IS HONORED AT LUNCHEON
Women in Development, New York Marks Year-Long 25th Anniversary Celebration
With Woman of Achievement Award to Ellen V. Futter
(NEWYORK) -- Citing women’s increasing rise to leadership positions in nonprofit organizations, the professional association Women in Development, New York (WID) announced that it will present its annual Woman of Achievement Award to Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History, at a luncheon today, Monday, May 1.
Ellen Futter has been selected for this award because of her extraordinary fundraising accomplishments and the unique leadership style she has brought to two landmark institutions in New York City: the American Museum of Natural History and Barnard College.
Under Ms. Futter’s presidency since 1993, the AMNH has experienced great growth and leadership in science, education, and exhibition. During this time, including with the support of a fundraising campaign that exceeded its $425 million goal by raising more than $500 million from a variety of public and private sources, the Museum opened the Rose Center for Earth and Space; restored and updated many of its beloved permanent exhibition halls and its facilities; established cutting-edge scientific research initiatives in biodiversity conservation, astrophysics, genomics, and bioinformatics; has taken a leadership role in improving science literacy and science education on local and national scales; and greatly expanded its educational and exhibition programs and outreach.
“Women in Development is particularly pleased to recognize Ellen Futter’s commitment to public service and the cultural community,” said Brenna Sheenan Mayer, President of WID and Vice President for College Advancement, The College of New Rochelle. “She is well known in the development field and has served by example and reputation as a positive role model for our members.”
WID will honor Ms. Futter at an award ceremony that will also conclude WID’s year-long 25th Anniversary celebration. The event will be held at Cipriani, a midtown restaurant on Monday, May 1st, 2006 at 11:30 a.m.
The award will be presented by Helene Kaplan, vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Museum of Natural History. Ms. Kaplan also serves as chair of the board of Carnegie Corporation of New York and is chair emerita of Barnard College. Ms. Kaplan is Of Counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she represents not-for-profit institutions and individuals with substantial philanthropic interests.
The Woman of Achievement Luncheon and the year-long celebration of WID’s 25th Anniversary recognize the past, present and future of this professional organization, as well as the central role of Development in the nonprofit sector.
About Women in Development, New York
Women in Development, New York (WID, www.widny.org) has a membership of more than 740 professionals engaged in all aspects of fundraising, including: Grantwriting, Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Special Events, Membership and Communications. WID hosts monthly luncheons featuring speakers who are leaders in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. The association also sponsors periodic professional development workshops for its members, who are primarily from the tri-state area. Founded in 1980, WID’s five-pronged mission was formalized in 1985:
· Promote professional development and leadership
· Provide networking opportunities for career growth and support;
· Inspire women to achieve and share their successes.
WID was founded as Women in Financial Development (WIFD) in the fall of 1980 by Elizabeth “Betty” Becker, who, at the time served as the Development Director for the National YWCA. When Ms. Becker attended a meeting of a national council of fund raisers, she was dismayed to find that she was one of only two women attendees. As a result, Ms. Becker set in motion the movement that is now WID with seven founding members: Libby O’Connor, then Major Gifts Director at the YWCA, now at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Ruth Logan and Jeanette Kahlenberg, from the staff of the YWCA; Rae Tattenbaum, of American Women’s ORT; the late Sanky Perlowin, Vice President, Oram Associates (who later founded a direct mail consulting firm, Sanky Perlowin & Associates, still in operation); Kay Dayton, Foundation Director, at Boys’ Club; and Marguerite Gilpatric, Director of Resources, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The enthusiasm at these informal get-togethers affirmed Betty Becker’s belief that women needed a forum to network and also to improve their status in Development.
WID’s Previous Women of Achievement
The first recipient of Women in Development’s Woman of Achievement Award was Elizabeth “Betty” Becker, then Development Director for the National YWCA, in 1987. At that time, the award was named the Sanky Perlowin Award, in honor of the late Founding Member of WID; the award was renamed in 1995. Past recipients are: Marguerite Gilpatric, Director of Resources, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (1988); Elizabeth “Liz” Hicks, then at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (1989); Penny Stoil, President of consulting firm Projects Plus (1990); Betsy Gotbaum, then Commissioner of the City of New York’s Department of Parks and Recreation (1991); Lenore Parker, Executive Director of the New York City YWCA (1992); Jane Blumenfeld, then Development Director at Beth Israel Medical Center (1993); Marie Wilson, then President of the Ms. Foundation (1994); Sarah Fagin, then Vice President of Development at Phoenix House (1995); Susan Webber Soros, Founder and Director of the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts (1996); Nicki Newman Tanner, UJA Federation of Jewish Philanthropies (1997); Eleanor Guggenheim, Founder of New York Women’s Agenda (1998); Naomi Levine, Senior Vice President for External Affairs at New York University (1999); Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean of the Tisch School of the Arts (2000); Elaine R. Jones, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (2001); Madeline Lee, Chief Executive Officer, New York Foundation (2002); Dr. Sara E. Melendez, Independent Sector (2003); Virginia P. Louloudes, Executive Director of the Alliance of Resident Theatres(A.R.T.)/New York (2004) and Emily Kernan Rafferty, President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2005).
About Ellen V. Futter
Ellen V. Futter is President of the American Museum of Natural History, a post she assumed in 1993 after serving for more than thirteen years as President of Barnard College. Ms. Futter was graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, from Barnard College and earned her J.D. degree from Columbia Law School. She was elected to the Board of Trustees of Barnard as a student representative and was subsequently elected to full membership to complete the term of Arthur Goldberg, former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. She began her career as an associate at the Wall Street firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy where she practiced corporate law. In 1980, Ms. Futter took a leave of absence from Milbank, Tweed to serve as Barnard's Acting President for one year. At the end of that period, she was appointed President of the College and served in that capacity until 1993 when she joined the Museum. At the time she was the youngest person ever to assume the presidency of a major American college. Committed to public service, Ms. Futter serves on the boards of several non-profit and for-profit organizations. She formerly served as Chairman of the Board of New York Federal Reserve Bank. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She has received numerous honorary degrees and awards citing her achievements in education, women's issues and human services.
For more information, please contact Poonam Prasad, Chairperson, WID’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Committee, at 212-755-1309 or at Prasadc@aol.com. |
