For information on the upcoming John A. Reisenbach event and to purchase tickets or make a donation, visit www.reisenbachfoundation.org
Marking twenty years since the John A. Reisenbach Foundation was established, the organization has announced its 2011 Gala Tribute for a Better New York, to be held Monday, November 28th at Gotham Hall in Manhattan. The Reisenbach Foundation was created in 1991, one year after advertising executive John Reisenbach was killed in a random shooting in Greenwich Village. According to this year's Gala Tribute Chair Ed Erhardt, "This is an especially important opportunity for us to remember John and to honor his memory by rededicating ourselves to making New York a better place to live and work…and keep the Foundation alive for 20 more years."
This year's Reisenbach Distinguished Citizen Awards will be presented to Carolyn Everson of Facebook and Rino Scanzoni of GroupM. Everson is a native New Yorker and has dedicated her career to the media and advertising industry. She joined Facebook earlier this year to lead the company's global marketing solutions team focused on top strategic accounts and global agencies. She also oversees media strategy, advertising sales, and account management. Everson joined Facebook from Microsoft where she was corporate vice president of Global Advertising Sales and Trade Marketing. Prior to Microsoft, Everson spent 7 years at MTV Networks, where she most recently was COO and executive vice president of U.S. Ad Sales for MTV Networks. Earlier positions were held at Primedia, Walt Disney Imagineering and Zagat.
Rino Scanzoni joined Mediaedge:cia in 2002 as president of the agency's Broadcast division. In 2003 he was elevated to the role of Chief ImplementationOfficer [CIO]. Previously, he was executive vice president and managing director of MediaVest Entertainment, a division of MediaVest North America, part of the Starcom MediaVest Group. Scanzoni also served as MediaVest's executive vice president and director of National Broadcast, having held the same positions at TeleVest and D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles.
Driven by a small group of volunteers who knew and worked with John or his dad Sandy Reisenbach, the Foundation has spent the last twenty years supporting initiatives that help to improve the quality of life in New York City and the neighborhoods where we work and live. "John would have described himself as an 'ordinary guy.' He was a warm, wonderful human being, which makes us proud that we have been able to turn the tragedy that ended his young life into two decades of good work for the people of New York,">Past recipients have included such industry stalwarts and special guests as Bill Cella, Erhardt, Irwin Gotlieb, Peggy Green, John Hayes, Commissioner Ray Kelly, Bill Koenigsberg, Gerald Levin, David Levy, Bob Liodice, Jon Mandel, Judy McGrath, Pat Mitchell, Charlie Rutman, Dennis Swanson, Katherine Oliver, Dick Wolf and John Wren. The John A. Reisenbach Foundation donates at least 93% of funds raised and has given more than $4 million to programs that improve the safety and the quality of life in New York City, in John's memory.