"We decided to have a mission of making New York a safer and better place to live, to help prevent what happened to John from happening to others."
I am honored to be chairman this year of the John A. Reisenbach Foundation event on November 30 honoring Zenith Media Vice Chairman Peggy Green; Turner Entertainment President of Ad Sales, Marketing and Sports David Levy; and Paley Center for Media President Pat Mitchell. New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is also being honored by the Foundation with a lifetime achievement award. The following commentary explains why your support is so valuable and important to the City of New York and to the media and advertising communities. For information visit www.reisenbachfoundation.org and to order tickets call Linda Lese at (212) 935-1840.
Those of us who live, work and spend time in New York City are especially blessed that it has become the safest large city in the country. That was not always the case. Former Warner Bros president of worldwide marketing Sandy Reisenbach has an especially poignant perspective on that reality. Eighteen years ago, the John A. Reisenbach Foundation (www.reisenbachfoundation.org) was formed by media, advertising and communications executives in memory of Sandy's son John, a beloved TV industry executive who was shot and killed on the streets of lower Manhattan while on a pay phone to a colleague.
In the media and advertising business we share the blessing of being a part of a community that understands the importance of giving back and contributing to the greater good. It is especially important in this time of economic hardship for so many and especially for the local organizations committed to a better and safer New York that are funded in part by the Reisenbach Foundation. "I find that media and communications people are the most giving and most wonderful group," Sandy Reisenbach says. "We work together and compete, but when push comes to shove we all come together as a small family. It is incredibly important to give back, especially in times like these," Sandy believes. "When you go home at night you've accomplished something beyond work. When I think of what has been given to the Foundation established in John's name, I feel like I may have lost a son but something very good was created. It will never replace John but those who keep giving to the Foundation keep his memory alive and give to others in ways that would make John very happy and proud."
The cocktail event, to be held November 30 at 6 PM at the Harmonie Club, hosts an industry "who's who" from media companies and agencies, many of whom have actively supported the Foundation since its inception. The Reisenbach Foundation provides scholarships for students at John Jay College, supports child abuse prevention programs, underwrites the "Safe on Staten Island" anti-crime program, assists the "Safe Horizons" violence prevention program, works with police on 'Gun Stop' to get guns off the street, provides funds for the new Crime Center, and funds special police vans with high tech equipment to get first hand information to police who are on the scene at crimes. Contributions, says Sandy Reisenbach, "get right down on the street. You can see what your contributions accomplish and how it directly affects New Yorkers."
Robert Lilley, who was among the founders of the Foundation and who served as its chairman for 12 years, explains the organization was created following a memorial service for John as his friends and colleagues gathered and "discussed the pattern of unsolved murders in New York. We were all in the communications and advertising industry and we felt we should try to do something about this rather than let it pass. We met for some time trying to determine what to do and how to do it and someone passed along the phrase 'ruthless focus.' Many organizations try to do many things for many people. We decided to have a mission of making New York a safer and better place to live, to help prevent what happened to John from happening to others."
"When the boys decided to create the Foundation," recalls Sandy Reisenbach, "I wondered if it was appropriate. I appreciated the thought. I was concerned that they wouldn't know what to do; they weren't fund raisers. But they were determined they were going to do something about it. I have been incredibly impressed. They have a wonderful organization and have done great things for New York City. The foundation is as relevant today as it ever has been. There are people who are dangerous and people we need to protect to the best of our ability. With our economic issues today there is more unemployment and crime is likely to increase. Programs will be squeezed by the government and private donors. Getting support and funding is more important then ever. This is when they need it the most." Although he hesitated to single out individuals since "so many have contributed so much," Sandy offered thanks to Lilley, current Foundation chairman Jim Rosenfield, Larry Schatz, Arnie Semsky, Alec Gerster, Mike Weiden, George Karalekas, Jim Beloyannis and Gerry Byrne.
The November 30 event is a celebration and reaffirmation in John Reisenbach's memory, when people in the media and advertising industry come together to do good for the city and to remember John and renew the commitment of the media industry to New York. The cocktail event and awards presentation will be emceed by local news anchor Jim Rosenfield.
Although the economy causes us all to scale back our contributions, media companies need to give thanks for our blessings and support those causes that differentiate and define us as a community. Everyone in the industry is welcome to join us on November 30 in the spirit and memory of John A. Reisenbach, the All-American Television executive, friend and colleague who lives on through your support. Visit www.reisenbachfoundation.org, call Linda Lese at (212) 935-1840 and give thanks for being part of a community that cares and remembers.
To communicate with or to be contacted by the executives and/or companies mentioned in this column, please email your information and the column headline to Jack directly at jm@jackmyers.com.
This post originally appeared at JackMyers.com.