Bette Midler, Founder  View Bio

Benjamin F. Needell Esq., Chairman  View Bio

Linda Allard Gallen, View Bio

Todd DeGarmo,  View Bio

Karen J. Lauder,  View Bio

Ellen Levine,  View Bio

Sarah E. Nash,  View Bio

Maria Rodale,  View Bio

Charles Sussman, Treasurer  View Bio

Jann S. Wenner,  View Bio

Ann Ziff,  View Bio

Hon. Adrian Benepe, ex officio  View Bio

Bette Midler, Founder

Since 1995, the award-winning actress and singer has been a tireless, passionate and influential advocate for New York City's most neglected and forgotten spaces and, as such, has been responsible for rescuing parks and scores of community gardens in underserved neighborhoods throughout the city’s five boroughs. Bette’s initial and ultimate visions for New York Restoration Project (NYRP) and its role in the greening of New York City continue to steer NYRP in both inspiration and execution at every level of the organization.

Bette is NYRP’s principal fundraiser and primary cultivator of donors, corporate partners and members – tirelessly rolling up her sleeves and getting involved in NYRP’s many events, projects and programs. She is the main draw at NYRP’s annual Spring Picnic and Hulaween gala benefits, where her performances and commentary are anxiously anticipated each year, raising almost $3 million annually to support the organization’s efforts. She also leads selective donor tours of project sites, opens newly restored community gardens and – every year – generously donates to NYRP and its many programs.

Bette has received many honors for her critical work and leadership in protecting and restoring some of New York City’s most vital green spaces, including the 2002 Governor's Award for Parks and Preservation. In 2005, she was made an honorary member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and, in 2008, she received the National Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award, the nation’s premier recognition of women who have demonstrated great leadership and commitment to conservation.

Benjamin F. Needell Esq., Chairman

Benjamin Needell is a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he heads the firm's Real Estate Department, which also provides valuable pro bono legal services to NYRP. As Chairman of NYRP’s Board since 2001, he led the successful effort to secure a $2.5 million grant from the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation to build NYRP's Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse at Swindler Cove Park.

Linda Allard Gallen 

Linda Allard previously served as Design Director of Ellen Tracy. Under her guidance, the fashion company became a leading iconic brand offering designer sportswear, dresses, accessories, fragrances and a collection of home furnishings. She is the author of Absolutely Delicious, published by Random House in 1994.  It is a handwritten collection of her favorite recipes, illustrated with her own watercolor paintings.  

An avid gardener, Linda is a former board member of The Garden Conservancy and continues to participate in their annual Open Days program. She recently partnered with NYRP to design and help implement the 111th Street Community Garden. Currently, she serves as a board member for American Ballet Theatre, Housatonic Valley Association, The Shakespeare Society, Washington Art Association, and Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust, Inc.

Todd DeGarmo

Todd DeGarmo is Chief Executive Officer of STUDIOS architecture, an international design and architecture firm. Todd is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is a LEED accredited architect. His current projects include the renovation of the AIA’s National Headquarters and a Platinum LEED nature center on Kingman Island, both located in Washington, DC. Todd has been an NYRP board member since May 2008 and serves as Chair of the Real Estate Committee. He and his firm also provide pro bono design services and support to various NYRP projects.
 

Karen J. Lauder

Karen Lauder, Co-President and Co-Founder of Abandon Entertainment, is a founding Trustee of NYRP. She and her husband, William Lauder, CEO of Estee Lauder, Inc., have generously supported NYRP since 1995, most notably championing Founder Bette Midler’s and NYRP’s highly publicized effort in 1999 to save and preserve 114 community gardens in New York City, which were threatened with impending commercial development.

Ellen Levine

Ellen Levine, Editorial Director of Hearst Magazines has held numerous, prominent positions in the publishing industry. Levine made publishing history in October 1994 as the first woman to be named editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping since the magazine was founded in 1885. She was also instrumental in launching new titles at Hearst, including O, The Oprah Magazine in 1999, the most successful magazine launch ever. A Founding Trustee of NYRP, she and her husband, Dr. Richard Levine, were honored with NYRP’s Wind Beneath My Wings Leadership Award in 2003 for their distinguished service to NYRP and to many philanthropic causes involving women’s health and media issues. Ellen currently serves on NYRP’s Marketing Committee.

Sarah E. Nash

Sarah Nash recently retired as Vice Chairman of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s Investment Bank, where she was responsible for the firm's client relationships. She now concentrates on philanthropic efforts and her work as an investment advisor, including serving on the Board of Directors of Knoll, Inc., a renowned international innovator in workplace furnishings. Sarah has served as a Board member since 2001 and currently chairs NYRP’s Finance & Audit Committee.

Maria Rodale

Maria Rodale is the Chairman and CEO of Rodale Inc., the world’s leading multimedia publisher of advice and information about health, wellness and the environment, and the largest independent book publisher in the United States. Rodale reaches tens of millions of people worldwide through magazines like Prevention and Men’s Health and through books like The South Beach Diet and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Maria is also Editor-in-Chief of the company’s newest online venture, Rodale.com, which features the latest news about healthy living on a healthy planet. Maria joined NYRP's board in 2004 and enthusiastically sponsored the restoration and endowment of NYRP’s Rodale Pleasant Park Community Garden, a fully functioning organic farm in East Harlem. She currently chairs NYRP’s Education Committee.

Charles Sussman, Treasurer

Charles Sussman, is a CPA and the President of Sussman & Associates, which provides business management services to the entertainment industry. Mr. Sussman has served as Treasurer of NYRP's Board of Trustees since the organization’s founding and also sits on NYRP’s Finance & Audit Committee. In October 2006, he joined the NYRP Board in contributing funds to restore Bette's Rose Garden, a community garden in the South Bronx that honored NYRP Founder Bette Midler's 60th birthday.

Jann S. Wenner

Jann Wenner, Chairman of Wenner Media, is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics biweekly Rolling Stone, as well as the owner of Men’s Journal and Us Weekly magazines. In 1997, The American Society of Magazine Editors inducted Jann into their Hall of Fame, making him the youngest editor ever inducted there and, in 2004, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category. Jann is a founding Trustee of NYRP and, since 1995, has provided guidance and advice, in addition to generous personal contributions.

Ann Ziff

Tamsen Ann Ziff is Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera and a Vice-Chairman on the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. She is also a member of the National Council of the Aspen Music Festival. In addition, Ann is the Founding Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Smile Train, an International Organization that provides free cleft lip and palate surgery for underprivileged children. Ann was Chairman of the Board of the Rainforest Alliance for six years and is now a member of the Board of Directors of Conservation International and the Fairchild Tropical Garden. She is a founder and producer of the Caribbean Community Theater, St.Croix, U.S.V.I. Ann joined NYRP’s Board in 2009 and is our newest member.

Hon. Adrian Benepe, ex officio

Adrian Benepe has worked for nearly 30 years protecting and enhancing New York City's natural and historic beauty. He has continued this effort as Commissioner of the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation, appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002. In this role he has advocated for and been instrumental in improving park facilities and programs for children, developing new waterfront parks and greenways, and making New York City bloom with countless new flowers and hundreds of gardens. Mr. Benepe started his Parks & Recreation career as a teenage seasonal helper and later became a member of the first corps of Parks & Recreation's Urban Park Rangers. He then took on a variety of positions ranging from Director of Natural Resources & Horticulture to Director of Art & Antiquities, helping to found the Historic House Trust. In addition, he served as Manhattan Borough Commissioner, managing Manhattan's green infrastructure of more than 300 parks, playgrounds and malls, and helping to found the Fort Tryon Park Trust. As Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Parks & Recreation, he now oversees the operations of nearly 4,000 properties on nearly 29,000 acres, including some 1,000 playgrounds, 600 ballfields, 550 tennis courts, 66 swimming pools, 48 recreation centers, 14 miles of beaches, five major stadia and 2.6 million street and park trees. Mr. Benepe currently serves as an ex-officio member of NYRP’s Board.