Jay Burgess
Director of Communications, Scenic Hudson, Inc.
Tel: (845) 473-4440 x222 Cell: (914) 489-0362 Fax: (845) 473-0740
jburgess@scenichudson.org
HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y.—Adding to the expertise represented by the members of its Board of Directors, Scenic Hudson has announced that Rebecca R. Cohen and Edward “Ned” B. Whitney are the organization’s newest board members.
Rebecca R. Cohen of New York City and Rhinebeck
Ms. Cohen currently serves as vice president and general counsel at Mark43, Inc., a leading developer of cloud-based essential public safety software. Previously she was an attorney at the firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP.
Ms. Cohen and her husband Jared Cohen joined by other like-minded preservationists, have undertaken a project intended to restore and preserve Astor Courts on the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, Dutchess County. Designed by Stanford White, Astor Courts was commissioned by John Jacob Astor IV as a sporting pavilion with an indoor swimming pool and tennis courts for the many notable people who visited the Astor estate. Prior to joining the Scenic Hudson board, Ms. Cohen served as a member of the group’s Environmental Advocacy Committee.
Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said, “Rebecca Cohen has a keen interest in the environment, history and culture of the Hudson River Valley. Her legal experience and sophistication in finances will provide us with wise counsel on the business aspects of our operations. Along with her husband, she has a passion for Scenic Hudson’s work to connect more and more people and communities to the natural assets of the region.”
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Cohen also earned a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law. She served as managing editor of the UCLA Law Review. She lives with her husband and two children in New York City and Rhinebeck.
Edward “Ned” B. Whitney of New York City and Garrison
Mr. Whitney is a retired investment banker, having spent 33 years with Dillon, Read & Co., Inc. and successor companies, where he held the post of managing director. He had extensive experience in U.S., European and Asian corporate finance and capital markets transactions, both public and private. He was co-head of Dillon, Read’s Corporate Finance Department from 1981 to 1997 and from 1997 to 2002 was based in both London and New York.
A long-time supporter of conservation causes, Mr. Whitney is a board member and former board chair with American Rivers, a director of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Garrison, Putnam County. His service to Hudson Valley organizations includes being a board member of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.
“Ned Whitney will provide Scenic Hudson with analytical and investment expertise. We’ll also benefit from his deep experience with national nonprofit preservation organizations and advocacy campaigns. He’s very knowledgeable about the Hudson River and will jump right in with advancing Scenic Hudson’s charitable mission,” said Mr. Sullivan.
Earning an undergraduate degree in history from Harvard College, Mr. Whitney also earned an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.
About Scenic Hudson
Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 25,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley’s inspiring beauty and natural resources. To date Scenic Hudson has created or enhanced more than 65 parks, preserves and historic sites up and down the Hudson River and conserved more than 35,000 acres.
