As the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts launches its 2019/2020 Season with record-breaking ticket sales and on the heels of its highly successful and critically lauded 2018/2019 Season, Michael Nemeroff, Chairman of the Board of Directors, announces the election of five business leaders to its growing Board of Directors. All highly accomplished in their respective fields and philanthropic work, they include: Thomas Blumenthal (a Beverly Hills resident), Donald Kivowitz (a West Hollywood resident), Agnes Lew (a San Marino resident) Peter Lowy (a West Los Angeles resident) and Richard Ziman (a Beverly Hills resident). In addition to Nemeroff, The Wallis is led by Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Rachel Fine and Artistic Director Paul Crewes.
"At one of the most significant times in The Wallis' history, we welcome Tom, Don, Agnes, Peter and Dick, all outstanding individuals, to the Board of strong arts advocates and community leaders," says Nemeroff. "Each adds unique qualities and perspectives to our Board to help us grow as a dynamic cultural hub and community resource in Beverly Hills and the Southern California region."
THOMAS J. BLUMENTHAL is one of the foremost curators of luxury in the country and a noted speaker on the history and trends of the luxury industry. For the past 15 years, he has served as President and CEO of GEARYS Beverly Hills, a Beverly Hills icon since 1930. Under his leadership, GEARYS has expanded its range of fine jewelry and home entertaining goods to include three Rolex Boutiques and the very first free-standing Patek Philippe Boutique in the United States. A native Angeleno, Blumenthal has served as president of the Rodeo Drive Committee for four years as well as the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce for two. He is the former Vice President of the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills. In 2005, the Beverly Hills City Council presented him with the Pioneering Spirit Award for his significant contributions to the city. To this day, he actively supports the various community leaders and organizations in Beverly Hills. Throughout his career, Blumenthal has utilized his position as a respected businessman and prominent community figure to advance causes close to his heart and give back to the institutions that have helped make him the man he is today. Currently, Blumenthal serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Mount St. Mary's University, where he has been involved since 2002. He continues to serve on numerous philanthropic boards and committees throughout California.
DONALD P. KIVOWITZ was the Founder and Chairman of Regency Post-Acute Healthcare System, which managed a conglomerate of over 120 limited partnerships and corporations. The organization was active in developing, operating, and owning post-acute healthcare facilities throughout Texas. Within 25 years, Kivowitz opened 35 post-acute healthcare facilities with 4,200 beds and more than 4,000 employees. Prior to founding Regency Post-Acute Healthcare System, from 1981 to 1989, he was involved in all facets of commercial real estate brokerage, investment development and syndication of shopping centers, office buildings and apartment complexes. From 1969 through 1980, Kivowitz was an employee of NCH Corporation, a New York stock exchange company. Starting in sales, he ultimately rose to Senior Vice President in charge of three operating divisions. More recently, since the sale of his company, Kivowitz has purchased 14 skilled nursing facilities in Texas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Nevada with approximately 2,000 beds. He graduated from Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Being involved in a myriad of philanthropic organizations is important to the Kivowitz family. Kivowitz is a major donor to UT Southwestern Medical Center, Jewish Federation, Vogel Alcove, The Bridge, Texas Food Banks, After School All Stars and many other cancer related charities. He is a board member of Maple Mark Bank of Dallas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. His wife, Stacey Kivowitz, is on the National Council of The Humane Society of the United States and on the board of The Vogel Alcove, and The SPCA of Texas. The Kivowitzes have created many academic scholarships benefitting students throughout Texas. He is a member of the Dallas National Golf Club as well as Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles.
AGNES LEW began work as Senior Vice President, Director of Wealth Management at East West Bank in 2012 and now oversees the Private Banking Department. Lew has more than fifteen years' experience in the financial industry. Under her leadership, East West Bank Wealth Management had constant growth in revenue and profits for 5 years as well as Cathy Wealth Management for 10 years. She was also the President of Platinum Financial Services. In May 2014, Lew was ranked #1 from the Top 20 Program Managers selected by "Bank Investment Consultant" and was ranked #3 in May 2018. She works in the Los Angeles area and mostly serves the Chinese-American community. She remains sensitive to the customs and culture of the bank's customers, while also maintaining a fierce loyalty to her team, referring to the advisors as her clients. Lew holds a liberal arts degree from Occidental. An active member of the community, Lew is involved with various philanthropic organizations, including serving on the Board of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Pacific Symphony. She is also on the Los Angeles Philharmonic Board of Overseers. Lew resides in San Marino.
PETER LOWY is a principal of The Lowy Family Group (LFG), a private investment business with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Sydney. With a long-term focus on listed equities, real estate and technology, LFG also collaborates with select external firms to augment its direct investment activities. Prior to the completion of its sale to Unibail-Rodamco in June, 2018, Lowy served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of Westfield Corporation, the global leader in design, development and operation of iconic retail destinations in major world cities. Valued at $34.5 billion at the time of the transaction, the company held a portfolio of 35 shopping centers in the United States and United Kingdom, along with a seminal development site in Milan, Italy. Lowy has more than three decades of international investment and executive leadership experience in the REIT industry. Prior to his 35-year tenure with Westfield, he worked in investment banking in both London and New York. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Additionally, Lowy serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council for Los Angeles County, is a Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy and is on the Supervisory Board of the recently combined Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.
RICHARD S. ZIMAN is Co-Founder and Chairman of Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE Symbol: REXR), one of Southern California's leading owners and operators of infill industrial real estate. He was also Founder Chairman and CEO of New York Stock Exchange Arden Realty, Inc., which was the largest owner of office space in Southern California until its $5 billion merger with General Electric (GE), the largest single real estate transaction in the history of Southern California. Over the years, Ziman has also held many leadership positions in the educational, cultural and social service life of Southern California. He served six years as Chairman of the Board of City of Hope National Medical Center and its Beckman Research Institute and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ziman is also the CEO and Co-Trustee of The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, a major charitable organization. Among his major contributions, Ziman has established and endowed the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate (which combines academics, research, governmental and entrepreneurial resources), the Ziman Family Oncology Outpatient Center at City of Hope, the 96-bed Alzheimer hospice at the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging and graduate fellowships, scholarships and other programs at, among others, UCLA Anderson, City of Hope, Hebrew University and American Jewish University. Ziman has received numerous awards and honors for both his business and philanthropic endeavors, and he is the recipient of three Honorary Doctorates and the UCLA Gold Medal (the University's highest award). Ziman received his BA and JD degrees from the University of Southern California and is married to May.
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