Crain's New York - March 18, 2013 - (Page 8)

BUSINESS PEOPLE NO PLACE LIKE DOME: Klaus Biesenbach’s geodesic dome in the Rockaways will be a center for exhibitions and conferences on rebuilding New York in the age of climate change. Source: City of New York buck ennis EXECUTIVE MOVES GOTHAM GIGS Hipsters become ‘helpsters’ PS1 director renews Sandy cleanup in Rockaways ‘We want to make sure the area recovers and thrives’ 190K Average daily call volume to NYC’s 311 during the seven days surrounding Sandy. The 2012 daily average was 50,000 The first weekend after Hurricane Sandy, Klaus Biesenbach, director of MoMA PS1 in Queens, hired a bus and parked it outside the midtown mother ship. It quickly filled up with art-world fixtures—Lady Gaga and James Franco among them—who shuttled out to the Rockaways to volunteer. ¶ Mr. Biesenbach bought a house in the blue-collar beach community two years ago, part of a wave of surfers, artists and hipsters who had descended on the area. The locals did not exactly welcome the arrivistes. ¶ But as volunteers continued to bus in through Christmas, residents began to change their attitude. “I was at a community board meeting and somebody called us the ‘helpsters,’ ” Mr. Biesenbach recalled. ¶ Like his Lower East Side apartment, which is empty but for gallery-white walls and a lone chair, Mr. Biesenbach’s Rockaways house is sparsely furnished. When Superstorm Sandy hit, “I had 8 | Crain’s New York Business | March 18, 2013 nothing to lose,” he said. ¶ Still, he felt the collective loss experienced by his neighbors. When the initial wave of volunteerism faded, Mr. Biesenbach issued a call not just for more helping hands but new ideas. “New York’s coastline is still a disaster zone three months after the hurricane,” cried the subject line of an email he sent in late February to the MoMA mailing list. ¶ Mr. Biesenbach has built a giant geodesic dome like the one in the PS1 courtyard to host exhibitions, performances and conferences aimed at tackling climate change. Submissions for the space, on a public lot at Beach 95th Street, were due this past Friday. ¶ “This last 10 years, the Rockaways has had an attraction a lot like Detroit has, attracting artists and urban pioneers,” Mr. Biesenbach said. “We want to make sure it recovers and thrives as a place for all kinds of New Yorkers to live, work —matt chaban and play.” RichRelevance: Eduardo Sanchez, 56, joined the e-commerce company as president. He was previously executive vice president of strategic development at MicroStrategy. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co.: Robert P. Mulligan, 48, was promoted to president at the investment management firm’s subsidiary Mirae Asset USA. He will continue his role as head of sales and distribution. Peter P. Graham, 48, was promoted to chief executive. He will continue as president of Mirae Asset Discovery Funds and head of marketing and product development. Robert E. Shea, 47, was promoted to chief operating officer. He was previously head of finance and operations. International Council of Shopping Centers: John Emmert Jr., 54, joined the trade association as chief operating officer. He was previously chief financial officer at Seedco. Lock Lorde: Edwin DeYoung, 66, was promoted to global head of litigation at the law firm, a newly created position. He will continue as partner. The Helmsley Charitable Trust: James O’Sullivan, 47, joined the nonprofit as program director and senior adviser. He was previously director at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Eliot Brenner, 49, joined as program director. He was previously deputy executive director at Casey Family Services of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Peoples United Business Capital: Martin Hyman, 42, joined the financial firm as senior vice president, business development. He was previously senior vice president, originations, at GE Capital Corporate Finance. Dunnhumby: Lung Huang, 36, joined the branding and retail-experience company as vice president of digital advertising, global partnerships. He was previously vice president, national accounts division, at Arbitron Inc. Foley & Lardner: Jonathan Israel, 47, joined the law firm as a partner in its sports-industry team and labor and employment practice. He was previously a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig. Mayer Brown: Lewis J. Greenwald, 55, joined the law firm as a partner in its tax transactions and consulting practice. He was previously a partner and head of the international tax practice group at Sullivan & Worcester. Harlem Lofts: John Crafton, 35, joined the real estate firm as an associate broker. He was previously an associate broker at Nest Seekers International. —eva saviano

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's New York - March 18, 2013

IN THE BOROUGHS
IN THE MARKETS
THE INSIDER
BUSINESS PEOPLE
OPINION
STEVE HINDY
GREG DAVID
REPORT: REAL ESTATE
real estate deals
THE LIST
FOR THE RECORD
CLASSIFIEDS
SMALL BUSINESS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
SOURCE LUNCH
OUT AND ABOUT
SNAPS

Crain's New York - March 18, 2013