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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 036-07
February 1, 2007

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES FOUR APPOINTEES TO CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

City Council Unanimously Confirmed Appointees Today

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the appointment of two new members to the City Planning Commission (CPC) and the reappointment of two current commissioners.  Betty Chen and Nathan Leventhal are newly appointed and Alfred Cerullo and Richard Eaddy have been reappointed.  All four were confirmed by the City Council today by a vote of 47-0.

“I’m pleased to announce the appointments and confirmation today of four individuals who have dedicated themselves to making New York a better place,” said Mayor Bloomberg.  “Betty and Nat will bring new blood and a wealth of experience to the Commission and Fred and Richard will continue to lend their expertise and familiarity with pending issues to the CPC. CPC plays such a vital role in shaping our City and their work is so essential to our overall plan to redevelop every borough to better serve the people and meet the needs of the future.  I’m delighted to have people of this caliber willing to serve.”

Alfred Cerullo was first appointed to the CPC in 2004.  His reappointment will allow him to serve until June of 2011.  Mr. Cerullo, a former member of the City Council, also served as Consumer Affairs Commissioner and Commissioner of Finance for the City of New York.  He is currently President of the Grand Central Partnership, one of the largest Business Improvement Districts in the United States.  Mr. Cerullo also is a former member of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, and the BID Managers’ Association.  He also serves on the Baruch College School of Public Affairs Advisory Board and is a member of the International Downtown Association.

Betty Chen is an award winning architect who currently serves as Vice President for Planning, Design and Preservation for the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation.  Prior to that, Ms. Chen served as Vice President of Planning and Design and Development for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.  She has also worked at several renowned architectural firms as a project manager overseeing a diverse array of major building projects, including the Johns Hopkins University Student Arts Center, Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum Master Plan, Sloan Residence, Freeman Silverman Residence, The Chinatown History Museum, and the West Harlem Waterfront Park, Rising Sun Mills site plan.

Richard Eaddy is currently the Principal of ET Partners LLC, a real estate development and consulting company.  He is a former Chief Financial Officer for L&M Equity Participants LTD, a former Vice President at FSM East River Associates LLC, where he managed the pre-development phase of a large-scale real estate development.  Mr. Eaddy is also a former Bronx Deputy Borough President and served as Executive Director for the Harlem Community Development Corporation.  In addition to serving on the City Planning Commission, Mr. Eaddy also serves as a trustee of North General Hospital, a trustee of the Bowery Resident’s Committee and a trustee of the Skyscraper Museum.

Nathan Leventhal is a Director and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of Movado Group, Inc.  Mr. Leventhal formerly was a partner in the law firm Poletti Freidin Prashker Feldman and Gartner.  New York City governmental positions Mr Leventhal has held include Fiscal Director of the Human Resources Administration, Commissioner of Rent and Housing Maintenance, Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development, and Secretary of the New York City Charter Revision Commission.  Mr. Leventhal also has served as an attorney in the Office of the Air Force General Counsel, Assistant to the Executive Director of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Chief Counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure. He has also served as Chief of Staff to John Lindsay, Deputy Mayor to Ed Koch, and Transition Chairman for Mayors David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg and serves as Chairman of the Mayor’s Committee on Appointments.  Mr. Leventhal serves on the Boards of 16 equity and fixed income mutual funds managed by the Dreyfus Corporation, with a total asset value in excess of $20 billion.  Mr. Leventhal was appointed by President Clinton, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, to serve on the National Council on the Arts.  In the not-for-profit sector, Mr. Leventhal served for 17 years as President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where he is now President Emeritus and Chairman of the Avery Fisher Artist Program. He has also served as Chairman of Citizens Union.

The City Planning Commission is responsible for the City’s physical and socioeconomic planning, including land use and environmental review; preparation of plans and policies; and provision of technical assistance and planning information to government agencies, public officials, and community boards. The Commission also reviews proposals for zoning map and text amendments; special permits under the Zoning Resolution; changes in the City Map; the acquisition and disposition of City-owned property; the acquisition of office space for City use; site selection for public facilities; urban renewal plans and amendments; landmark and historic district designations; and community-initiated plans under Section 197-a of the City Charter.







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