KEITH  BANKS, PRESIDENT, U.S. TRUST AND CO-HEAD, PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT, BANK OF AMERICA, DIANA TAYLOR, MANAGING DIRECTOR, WOLFENSOHN & CO, MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND OSCAR DE LA RENTA Photo by:  Nick Dagostino

 

New York, NY – Over 350 friends and supporters of Partnership with Children gathered at the Pierre Hotel on April 6^th for its annual spring celebration.  The organization honored Keith Banks, President, U.S. Trust and Co-Head, Private Wealth Management, Bank of America, and Diana Taylor, Managing Director at Wolfensohn & Co., with the Anne Vanderbilt Award for Achievement for their commitment to Partnership with Children’s mission.

            “Keith is a key figure in the financial industry
and a strong supporter of education and children’s health.  Beyond her many accomplishments in the business world, Diana Taylor is an exceptional leader in her philanthropic work for under-served communities. I am delighted to present both with the Anne Vanderbilt Award for Achievement,” said Michelle Sidrane, Executive Director of Partnership with Children. 

The Anne Vanderbilt Award for Achievement is named after the founder and first president of Big Sisters, Inc., which was founded in 1908 and is now known as Partnership with Children (www.partnershipwithchildrennyc.org) – a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the emotional, social and cognitive skills of at-risk public school children in order to help them succeed in school, in society and in their lives. Its school-based Open Heart-Open Mind program, founded in 1992, grew from the recognition that, in addition to focusing on individual and small groups of students, the entire school community must be involved in supporting a child's social and emotional growth.  What began as an individual program in one struggling Lower East Side school, Open Heart-Open Mind now reaches 10,000 students in 22 elementary, middle and high schools across New York City.

Bank of America executives’ commitments over the years have resulted in helping Partnership with Children expand its program to thousands of children and families. “By providing critical guidance and emotional support, Partnership with Children is building a stronger future for at-risk youth in New York City,” said Keith Banks, president, U.S. Trust.  “We are proud to support an organization that has had a profound effect on the community.”

Honoree Diana Taylor is well known for her work with after-school programs and nonprofits that help low-income women lead sustainable lives. “I am honored to receive this award and am delighted to be part of this event to support the work of Partnership with Children,” said Ms. Taylor. “I have seen first-hand how the organization is a positive force in the lives of many at-risk children.”

Co-chairs of the event included: Oscar de la Renta, Chairman, Oscar de la Renta Ltd.; Dr. Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor, City University of New York; Emily Rafferty, President, Metropolitan Museum of Art; and Dick Silverman, Vice Chairman Wealth & Investment Management, Bank of America.

Auction items included:  a first-class seven-day, six-night stay at the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor and the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Cambodia; a five-day, four-night stay at the renowned Alvear Palace Hotel, located in the heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina; a six-day, five-night stay in a deluxe oceanfront room at the beachfront Sheraton Kauai resort on Poipu Beach, Hawaii; and, a six-day, five-night stay at the Royal Palm Hotel in the Galapagos Islands.

Tanya Rivero, host of Good Morning America Health, led the live auction, which included sponsorships for a Partnership with Children newspaper group.

U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management is a leading private wealth management organization in the United States providing vast resources and customized solutions to help meet clients’ wealth structuring, investment management, banking and credit needs.  Clients can also benefit from access to resources available through Bank of America and its affiliates – including capital markets products, large and complex financing solutions, and its extensive retail banking platform.

Founded by James D. Wolfensohn in 2005, Wolfensohn & Company, L.L.C. is an investment and advisory firm focused on emerging market economies. With offices in New York, London, and New Delhi, Wolfensohn & Company seeks to provide exceptional service and financial returns to its clients while furthering its values of sustainability and poverty alleviation around the world.