The Board of Directors of the Police Athletic League, NYC (PAL), the city’s largest, independent nonprofit youth organization, recently appointed its new leadership team at its May 18th Board meeting. David Arena, Head of Global Corporate Real Estate for JPMorgan Chase & Co., was voted the new President of the Police Athletic League Board of Directors. David Arena has been a member of the PAL Board since 2010, and formerly served as Vice President.
John Osborn, President and CEO of BBDO New York, who has served on the PAL Board since 2005, and as Board President since 2008, will become a Vice Chairman. John Catsimatidis, Chairman and CEO of the Red Apple Group, who has been a member of PAL’s Board since 1987, will also serve as a Vice Chairman.
Robert M. Morgenthau, PAL Chairman of the Board of Directors, says, “John Osborn has worked tirelessly and with great tenacity and skill as President of PAL, and we are grateful that he will continue his work for PAL as Vice Chairman. As a member of the Board, David Arena has worked hard and has shown his commitment to the young people of this City. As President, Mr. Arena will no doubt use his considerable professional talents for the betterment of City kids. John Catsimatidis has distinguished himself in his 30 years of service on the PAL Board, and his elevation to Vice Chairman is most welcome and deserved. We are delighted that Bob McGuire, who has been of tremendous support to PAL, will continue to serve as Vice Chairman.”
David Arena, New Board President at PAL
David Arena is the Head of Global Corporate Real Estate for JPMorgan Chase & Co., and is responsible for managing the firm’s global real estate portfolio with over 7,400 properties worldwide, comprising over 80 million square feet of space. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Arena was the President of Grubb & Ellis, NY, a real estate service and investment management company. Under his leadership, the firm became one of the top-tier managers in the NYC league tables. Prior to this, he was the Chief Strategic Officer for Jones Lang LaSalle, NY and was responsible for advising clients such as IBM, MetLife, Goldman Sachs and The Port Authority of NY/NJ. Earlier in his career, Arena was a Managing Director and Head of Global Corporate Real Estate for Morgan Stanley, leading global investment and real estate strategy.
John Osborn, New Vice Chairman of the Board, PAL
John Osborn is President and CEO of BBDO New York for the past 11 years, longer than any other New York agency head. Under Osborn’s leadership, BBDO New York has more than doubled revenues and expanded its client base. Osborn joined BBDO New York in 1991. Over the years, he has demonstrated that he is an energetic, positive and passionate leader with a proven ability to build strong client relationships and to lead multi-disciplinary teams in the creation of powerful communication programs. He has been actively involved with many of the agency’s clients including FedEx, GE, J&J, Pfizer, CVS, Subway, Lowe’s, Mars, Visa and the American Red Cross. He began his BBDO career on Pepsi and was the principal architect of the agency’s integrated marketing efforts, expanding the agency’s service offerings to include digital and social marketing, CRM, design and more.
Osborn currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the American Red Cross of Greater New York, and was recently elected to the Board of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Social Sciences at Dartmouth College. He has previously served as Chairman of the Board of the American Advertising Federation.
John Catsimatidis, New Vice Chairman of the Board, PAL
John Catsimatidis is the Chairman and CEO of the Red Apple Group, an energy company with holdings in oil refining and bio fuels, retail petroleum products, convenience stores, real estate, aviation, and supermarkets, in addition to investments in both medical and industrial technology. Catsimatidis started the company in the late 1960s while still in college by opening a supermarket chain in Manhattan known as Gristedes Supermarkets. Today, his company is listed as one of the largest family-owned businesses in America. Catsimatidis employs 8,000 people in the New York area. His company posts annual sales of approximately $5 billion. Catsimatidis is also host of a weekly radio program on AM 970. Catsimatidis attended all public schools in New York City as well, as New York University.
Former Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau remains Chairman of the Board at PAL, and former New York City Police Commissioner Robert J. McGuire will remain a Vice Chairman.
New York City’s Police Athletic League is the first and finest civilian-run PAL in the country. Founded in 1914, PAL has served the city’s young people for over 100 years. PAL provides recreational, educational, cultural and social activities to 35,000 boys and girls annually. It is also the city’s largest, independent, nonprofit youth organization. For more information, please visit www.palnyc.org