President Obama Appoints Five to U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals as Members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council:

Tom A. Bernstein is President and Co-Founder of Chelsea Piers, L.P, where he has worked since 1992.  He is also Co-Chairman of Chelsea Piers Connecticut, which he opened in 2012.  Mr. Bernstein served as a Principal of Silver Screen Management, Inc. from 1983 to 1998.  Mr. Bernstein was an attorney with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison from 1978 to 1983 and served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Jack B. Weinstein of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 1977 to 1978.  He serves as Chair of the Partnership for Public Service, Vice Chair of the Board of Human Rights First, and is a member of the Yale University Council and the Board of Directors of City Year New York.  Mr. Bernstein was first appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in 2002, and has served as its Chairperson since 2010.  Mr. Bernstein received a B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

David Marchick is Managing Director and Global Head of External Affairs at the Carlyle Group, positions he has held since 2007.  Mr. Marchick was an Attorney, Partner, and Vice Chair at Covington & Burling from 2001 to 2007.  He previously served in the Clinton Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Policy and Transportation Affairs at the Department of State, Principal Deputy Assistant for Trade Development at the Department of Commerce, and Deputy Director of Presidential Correspondence at the White House. Mr. Marchick serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Robert Toigo Foundation and is a member of both the Council on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  Mr. Marchick received a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego, an M.A. from the University of Texas, Austin, and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Michael Polsky is Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Invenergy, positions he has held since 2001.  Mr. Polsky founded SkyGen Energy LLC and co-founded Indeck Energy Services Inc., and he previously held positions at Fluor, Brown Boveri Turbonmachinery, and Bechtel Power Corporation.  He serves on the boards of the University of Chicago, World Resources Institute, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.  Mr. Polsky is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Economic Club of Chicago.  Mr. Polsky received an M.S.M.E. from Kiev Polytechnic Institute and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Richard Price is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mesirow Financial, positions he has held since 2011.  Mr. Price has held various positions at Mesirow Financial since 1972, including President, Chief Operating Officer, and Vice Chairman.  He has been a member of the Board of Directors of Mesirow Financial since 1987.  Mr. Price is a member of the Board of Directors of World Business Chicago and The Executives’ Club of Chicago, and is Vice Chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.  He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Rush University Medical Center, The Field Museum, and Ravinia Festival Association, as well as the Board of Directors of The Private Bank, Get In Chicago, and Big Shoulders Fund.  Mr. Price was first appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in 2012. 

Ronald A. Ratner is Executive Vice President of Development at Forest City Realty Trust, a position he has held since 2016.  Mr. Ratner has held numerous positions at Forest City since 1975, including President and Chief Executive Officer of Forest City Residential Group.  He serves on the boards of the Cleveland Clinic and Enterprise Community Partners and previously served on the boards of The Ohio State University and Brandeis University.  Mr. Ratner was first appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in 2010.  Mr. Ratner received a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.Arch. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Related Links

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council