Robert De Niro Honored at BMCC Fundraiser

ROBERT DE NIRO IS GUEST STAR HONOREE AT BMCC FUNDRAISING GALA

NEW YORK, NY—The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) of the City University of New York will welcome Robert De Niro, one of the greatest actors of his generation, as Guest Star Honoree at its 2014 BMCC Foundation Gala.

DATE: Tuesday, May 13, 2014

TIME: 8:30 p.m. to 9:30p.m.

PLACE: 54^th floor, 4 World Trade Center

GUEST STAR HONOREE: Robert De Niro

HONOREES: Kurt D. Woetzel and Elizabeth Margaritis Butson

SPECIAL GUESTS: Gilbert and Gail Ahye; Jessica and Natan Biblowicz; Maureen Clancy; Rishi Chopra; Michael and Donna Corbat; Matt and Caroline Del Percio; Robert and Harriet Druskin; Jay Lieberman; Stephen Meringoff; Cherrie Nanninga; Thomas and Beth Renyi; Sandy and Joan Weill.

Guest Star Honoree Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro is co-founder with producer Jane Rosenthal of the Tribeca Film Festival, and is a loyal champion of Lower Manhattan.

“This festival is something that we started twelve years ago and it is amazing how much it has grown,” he said in a recent interview.

“We just were doing the festival because of 9/11 to help the neighborhood, to revitalize it … The nicest thing about it is that it could become something that is a part of the fabric of New York City for years to come and forever. That would be a real contribution to the city.”

De Niro will be honored with a special video tribute and will join the stage at 8:30 p.m.

Master of Ceremonies, Special Honorees and Guests

The Gala’s theme is Reaching for the Stars: The Next 50 Years at BMCC and it will be held amid spectacular views from the 54^th floor of the newly opened 4 World Trade Center.

A reception with a full bar and hors d’oeuvres, silent auction and live string trio will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Jim Axelrod, a national correspondent for CBS News and former Chief White House Correspondent, will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Guests will enjoy an elegant banquet from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

BMCC President Antonio Pérez will recognize on stage, two special honorees:

• Kurt D. Woetzel, CEO, Global Collateral Services, BNY Mellow
• Elizabeth Margaritis Butson, former publisher and owner of The Villager and Downtown Express, as well as former president and current member of the BMCC Foundation Board.

At 8:30 p.m., President Pérez will be joined by Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, to present the BMCC Award of Excellence to Robert De Niro. A tribute video in De Niro’s honor will also be screened.

In attendance will be a number of special guests, including:

• Gilbert Ahye: Executive VP and Chief Development Officer, American Express Company, and Gail Ahye
• Jessica and Natan Biblowicz
• Maureen Clancy: Investment Advisor, Barclay’s Bank.
• Rishi Chopra: Wadhwani Foundation
• Michael Corbat: CEO, Citigroup, and Donna Corbat
• Matt Del Percio: Principal, Altman Vilandrie & Co, and Caroline Del Percio
• Robert Druskin: Executive Chairman, DTCC (Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation), and Harriet Druskin
• Jay Lieberman: Derfner Management and Trustee, Derfner Foundation
• Stephen Meringoff: Chairman, Himmel+Meringoff Properties
• Cherrie Nanninga: Chief Operating Officer, CBRE
• Thomas Renyi: Former CEO, BNY Mellon, and Beth Renyi
• Sandy Weill: American Banker, financier and philanthropist, and Joan Weill

Among the First to Celebrate in 4 World Trade Center

BMCC is proud to be among the first of New York City’s major institutions to hold an important event at 4 World Trade Center.

Seventy-four stories and nearly 1,000-feet high, 4 World Trade Center opened in November 2013. It was designed by renowned architect Fumihiko Maki and developed by Silverstein Properties.

BMCC is a close neighbor with the World Trade Center—so close, in fact, that a BMCC classroom building, Fiterman Hall, was destroyed on 9/11 when 7 WTC fell against it.

Both the World Trade Center site—one of the nation’s premiere economic hubs—and BMCC—one of the nation’s premiere community colleges—are changing the landscape of New York City. Each is a symbol of opportunity and economic growth.

To register for the Gala contact the BMCC Foundation at 212-220-8020 or development@bmcc.cuny.edu.