Press Release
The Humpty Dumpty Institute
WILLIAM J. ROUHANA, JR., NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE HUMPTY DUMPTY INSTITUTE |
July 14, 2010
New York, July 14 -- The Humpty Dumpty Institute (Humpty Dumpty) is pleased to announce that William J. Rouhana, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Chicken Soup for the Soul, will succeed Constance J. Milstein as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Humpty Dumpty Institute, effective July 14, 2010. Rouhana is one of the four original co-founders of the Institute and has served as its Vice-Chairman since its inception in 1998. Rouhana said “I am privileged and honored to take over as Chairman of Humpty Dumpty. I have been engaged with this organization since its inception in 1998 and two extraordinary leaders, Michael W. Sonnenfeldt and Connie Milstein, preceded me in this position. Michael laid a strong foundation for this unique organization and established an unparalleled standard of excellence for Humpty Dumpty to follow. Connie nurtured the Institute into a world class non-profit organization and under her brilliant stewardship and generous support, Humpty Dumpty experienced remarkable growth. I want to thank both of them for their deep commitment to public service and for setting the stage for continuing success.” “I am thrilled,” said Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, the Institute’s founding Chairman, ”that Bill is becoming Humpty Dumpty’s new Chairman. Our Mission has grown considerably over the years and has thrived under Connie’s constant care. The organization will grow even stronger with Bill as Chairman. He is a great leader and will ensure not only the organization’s continuing effectiveness, but also its well-known reputation for providing fresh new solutions to critical problems around the world.” “I am very pleased that Bill is taking over as Chairman, added Connie Milstein. “The Humpty Dumpty Institute is an important organization and Bill brings with him great new energy and strong leadership. He also brings a very sophisticated understanding of the world in which we live. I know Humpty Dumpty will continue to prosper under his watchful eye.” “As we look ahead,” continued Rouhana, “I am going to work exceptionally hard to increase the Institute’s impact. Around the world, we will continue our holistic approach to development by clearing minefields, feeding hungry children, developing large agricultural livelihood projects for the disenfranchised, and providing health care to the sick. And here at home, we will put special emphasis on strengthening our enduring partnership with the United Nations by building bridges to new constituencies. While our signature U.N.-Congressional program continues to thrive, we will also build new bridges to the financial industry, the academic community, and the Hollywood creative community.” “I have had the pleasure of working with Bill Rouhana on a number of occasions and am very pleased to learn that he is becoming the Chairman of the Humpty Dumpty Institute,” commented United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. “We are grateful for the Humpty Dumpty Institute’s work in support of the United Nations.” In 2008, Rouhana established, and now chairs, the Global Creative Forum (GCF) which will become a program of the Humpty Dumpty Institute when Rouhana takes over as its chairman. The GCF is an annual event that supports the United Nations by introducing leaders in the Hollywood creative community to the work of the United Nations. The GCF inspires activities that support the Creative Community Initiative, a joint program of the U.N. and the UN Foundation, and explores ways the U.N. and the entertainment industry can join forces to raise awareness and mobilize the public in support of the Millennium Development Goals and other U.N. issues. “Bill Rouhana is a talented and committed individual who will be able to take the Humpty Dumpty Institute to a new level of support for the U.N. and the U.N. community,” added Kathy Bushkin Calvin, CEO of the United Nations Foundation. “We look forward to continuing our already collaborative relationship in building support for the U.N. across the country.”
Mr. Rouhana continued, “Humpty Dumpty has earned a sterling reputation for its development work around the world and for its innovative programming within the U.N. community. This success has come from an unswerving commitment to a set of core principles that guide our work. These include: 1) executing a holistic and businesslike approach to development work that tries to solve many problems in the developing world simultaneously, and give victims of poverty and war the best possible chance to improve their lives under the most extreme conditions; 2) crafting innovative and entrepreneurial programs with measurable results that utilize the Institute’s experience, contacts, resources, and reputation; and 3) building sustainability and local capacity into all of our programs so that our beneficiaries can continue to help themselves once one of our programs is concluded. “ “We are particularly well known for our ability to create unconventional partnerships that bring new and untapped resources to the international community,” Rouhana went on to say, “and I look forward to continuing down this path.” “We are very fortunate to have Bill Rouhana as our incoming Chairman,” Ralph L. Cwerman, President of the Humpty Dumpty Institute noted. His tremendous success in the business world, his strong commitment to public service, and his exceptional leadership skills will propel the Institute to new heights. We have been blessed to have Michael Sonnenfeldt and Connie Milstein serve as our Chairmen for the past twelve years. Now, Bill Rouhana will take this legacy and strengthen it further to face new and daunting challenges. The future of the Humpty Dumpty Institute is in good hands.”
Please click here for a full biography of William J. Rouhana. |
