2010 Spring Benefit: Honorees

Jeremiah A. Barondess, M.D.

Dr. Jeremiah Barondess is President Emeritus of the New York Academy of Medicine. During his tenure as president Dr. Barondess transformed the Academy into an internationally recognized engine of research to address and eliminate urban health disparities. He earned his M.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and trained on the Osler Medical Service of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, at the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, and at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, where he joined the faculty. He is a past president of the American College of Physicians, a longtime member of the Board of Trustees of the Johns Hopkins University, and a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, among other leadership roles.

John B. Rhea

John Rhea is Chairman of the New York City Housing Authority, the nation’s largest public housing authority, which provides decent and affordable housing for over 400,000 New Yorkers with low and moderate incomes. Today, East Harlem has the highest concentration of public housing in New York, with more than 40 percent of its residents living in NYCHA housing, and Union Settlement has worked closely with NYCHA since its founding in 1934. Before joining NYCHA, Chairman Rhea was a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division of Barclays Capital (formerly Lehman Brothers) and served as Co-Head of the Global Consumer & Retail Group.

Chairman Rhea serves on the board of the New York Business Development Corporation, and Council for Urban Professionals and he is an advocate for early childhood education and arts programs for New York City’s youth as a Board member of Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, and as Board Chair of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
 

Mark L. Wagar

Mark Wagar currently serves as President and CEO of Empire BlueCross BlueShield, a leading provider of health insurance coverage serving nearly six million New Yorkers. An experienced health care leader, Mr. Wagar has worked in health plan and provider management for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. His past leadership roles include positions at Caremark, CIGNA HealthCare, and other managed care organizations, as well as with hospitals, physician groups, and outpatient care providers. As a civic leader, he serves as an officer and director of a number of public, private and charitable organizations. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Business Council of New York State, Partnership for New York City, New York Academy of Medicine, American Red Cross of Greater New York, Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, and others. A recipient of the Dr. Jonas Salk Memorial Mentor in Medicine Award, Mr. Wagar is a graduate of Ohio State University, where he was a member of the 1971 Big Ten Champion Ohio State University Basketball Team.