Board of Directors

The New York Common Pantry Board of Directors includes leaders across the business, beauty, and culinary industries.

 

BOARD OFFICERS

Elaine Clark
Board Chair

Elaine Clark is the former Regional Head of Corporate Communications, ING Americas and brings more than 20 years of corporate marketing and communications experience to NYCP. Elaine currently serves as NYCP Board Chair and is the interim chair of the Community Partners Committee and a regular volunteer in the Choice Pantry program. A Board member since 2010, she has helped to spearhead corporate volunteerism for NYCP. Elaine has served as Vice Chair and as a member of the Personnel and Program Committees before being elected as Board Chair in July 2019.
 
 
Sherrell Andrews
Nominations and Governance Chair

Sherrell Andrews is a retired attorney who has been a member of the NYCP Board since 2002, and currently chairs the Nominations and Governance Committee. Previously Sherrell held the position of Board Chair and is currently a member of the Program and Executive Committees. She and her husband Rob Kuhbach are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 
Thad Davis
Development Co-Chair

Thad Davis is currently a Senior Managing Director at SVB Securities where he is responsible for the leveraged finance franchise with a secondary focus on healthcare sector coverage. He joined the Board in 2016. Thad is a member of the Executive Committee and co-chair of the Development Committee. He and his wife Debra are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 
Paul Emery
Finance Chair

Paul Emery is a Partner in the New York office of Altas, a Toronto-based investment firm. He has been a Board member since 2015, serving as Treasurer from 2016-2021. Paul serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and Co-chair of the ad hoc Real Estate Committee; he also is a member of the Executive and Investment Committees. Paul and his wife Caitlin are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 
Susan L. Merrill
Personnel Chair

Susan Merrill is a retired Partner and former litigator at Sidley Austin. Susan joined NYCP in 2017, and in 2019 was honored to accept the award for Corporate Honoree on behalf of Sidley Austin at the annual Fill The Bag Benefit. She is Chair of the Personnel Committee and a member of both the Executive and Program Committees. Susan and her husband Tom Faneuff are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 
Sara Moss
Board Vice Chair

Sara Moss is Vice Chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies. Each year, she presents the Estée Lauder Distinguished Volunteer Award, given to an individual or organization demonstrating a commitment to the mission of NYCP, at our Fill The Bag Benefit. Sara joined NYCP’s Board in 2011; she is Vice Chair of the Executive Committee and a member of the Nominations and Governance Committee. She and her husband Michael Gould are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 
Alan Pardee
Secretary

Alan Pardee is a Managing Director at Valor Equity Partners, focused on the Firm’s capital raise and client service functions, and brings more than 30 years of financial services experience to NYCP. He was one of three Managing Partners and Co-Founders of Mercury Capital Advisors, the global private funds placement agency. Alan joined the NYCP Board in 2021. He serves as Board Secretary and is a member of both the Community Partners and Development Committees.
 
 
Brian Rose
Treasurer

Brian Rose is a Managing Director at Viking Global Investors, where he has worked since 2014, and currently runs the Software/Technology private equity investing practice. Brian joined the NYCP Board in 2019, contributing his finance and analytical skills to the Board. He is the Board Treasurer and a member of the Executive, Finance, Investment, and the ad hoc Real Estate Committees.
 
 
Wendy A. Stein
Program Chair

Wendy Stein has been affiliated for many years with the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Wendy has been a Board member since 1999, serving as Board Chair from 2014-2016. In 2012, Wendy paved the way for exponential growth and a rebranding of NYCP. In 2010, she received the Helene Abraham Award for her dedication, service, and support of NYCP. Wendy chairs the Program Committee, as she has for more than 15 years, and also is a member of the Executive, and Nominations and Governance Committees. Wendy and her husband Bart are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 
Matias Stitch
Board Vice Chair
Matias Stitch is a Managing Director at Rothschild & Co Merchant Banking, where he is heading the Direct Lending Group’s U.S. operations. Matias joined the NYCP Board in 2018, and is Vice Chair of the Executive Committee and a member of the Finance, Development, and ad hoc Real Estate Committees. Matias and his wife Katie are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 
Margie Sung
Development Co-Chair

Margie Sung spent 14 years on Wall Street advising hedge funds and mutual funds on their equity portfolios. Margie joined the NYCP Board in 2014 and was appointed co-chair of the Development Committee shortly thereafter. She also serves on the Executive and Food Professionals Committees. Margie was the co-chair of our Fill The Bag Benefit from 2016-2020 and in 2022, she was honored with the “The Distinguished Partner Award,” recognizing her extraordinary volunteerism, dedication and service to NYCP. Margie and her husband Michael Schmidtberger are members of NYCP’s Bread and Butter major donor circle.
 
 

BOARD MEMBERS

Brad Beckstrom
Vice President, Government and Community Affairs
Mt. Sinai Health System

Hartley Bernstein
Attorney/Partner
Bernstein Cherney LLP

Scott Crawford
Chief Merchandising Officer
Fresh Direct

Didi Fenton-Schafer
Community Volunteer

Cristina R. Fernandez, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Jim Fishman
Professor of Law Emeritus
Haub School of Law at Pace University

Candice K. Frawley
Community Volunteer

Charlie Higgins (Board Vice Chair)
Managing Director
JP Morgan

Annie Huneke
Community Volunteer

Dominique R. Jones
Executive Director
Global Kids

Camille Kelleher
Representing the Church of St. Thomas More

Christina Li
Managing Director/Alternative Capital & Markets
Goldman Sachs

David McInerney
Co-Founder and Former CEO
FreshDirect

Doreen S. Morales
Representing Park Avenue Methodist Church

Michael Nachman
Former President
Mantex Fabrics Corporation

Cathy Taub
Senior Global Real Estate Advisor and Associate Broker
Sotheby’s International Realty

Lara Thyagarajan
Partner
Sidley Austin
 

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Shannon Tyree Brown
Consultant

Dick Cattani
Former CEO
Restaurant Associates

Michael Fitzsimons
Chairman and CEO,
DeskNet

Edward Gallagher
President/CEO,
American Scandinavian Foundation

Katherina Grunfeld
Community Volunteer
Representing Park Avenue Synagogue

Robert Hetu
Head of US Private Department, Fixed Income
CDPQ U.S. Inc.

Jamie Hirsh
Community Volunteer

Linda E. Holt
Community Volunteer

Stephen Jury
Managing Director, Global Head Currencies and Commodities
JP Morgan

Kathy L. Nalywajko
Managing Director and Head of Client Development
ETHIC, A Wealth Bank

Neda Navab
Community Volunteer

Madeleine Rice
Community Volunteer

Rebecca Robertson
President
Park Avenue Armory

Lite Sabin
Community Volunteer

Andrew Skobe
Founder: Strategic and Financial Consultant
Hudson Charles Consulting

Elaine Weiss
Community Volunteer
 

JUNIOR BOARD

Chelsea Aharon

Tommaso Auerbach
Oxeon Partners

Seferina Berch
WilmerHale

Alyssa Blochlinger
Deloitte

Corey Costella

Karisha Ewell
Bronx Bridges High School

Katie Frohlinger
Accenture

Aaron Kim
Oxeon Partners

Michelle Loh
NYCP Volunteer

Kathy McTigue
Citi Bank

Ruth Mauldin

Ivan Mendezabal
Angelo Gordon & Company

Florencia Moers
Aterian, Inc.

Rebecca Milian
Boston Consulting Group

Austin Nalen

Charlotte Newell
Sidley Austin

Ike Nwokike, Jr.

Alex Palma
Talent Inc.

Blake Petitclair
The Supply House

Lillian Poloner
Birch Wathen Lenox School

Joshunda Sanders
Writer

Katie Sheridan
Kantor and Fitzgerald

Constance Su
W Capital Partners

Patrick Sullivan
Oxeon Partners

Nikkita Thompson
Independent Production Coordinator

Michael Verrier
PURE Insurance

Frank Walter
UBS

Members and Officers as of January 1, 2022. All Board members are independent, voting members.