Event Raised More than $1.4 Million for National Land Protection Leader
OSI’s 50th Anniversary Gala Honorees
OSI 50th Anniversary Gala
New York, NY, May 10, 2024 – More than 500 guests joined the Open Space Institute (OSI) at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Wednesday, May 8th to celebrate the organization’s 50th Anniversary Gala. The event honored board founding chair John Adams and his wife, Patricia, a vital longtime supporter, as well as Kim Elliman, OSI’s former President & CEO, who retired in early April after more than 30 years in his role. Select photos available here; full gallery here.
The Gala raised more than $1.4 million for OSI, a national leader in land protection and expanding public access to the outdoors. The event featured a keynote address from Kris Tompkins, President and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation and former CEO of the Patagonia outdoor recreation company.
“The Gala was both a wonderful celebration of OSI’s 50 years and a spirited testament to the enormous values of the smart, strategic land conservation on which OSI has built its reputation,” said OSI president and CEO, Erik Kulleseid. “Our deepest thanks to all who had a hand in making our celebratory event an unparalleled success including our Board of Trustees, Gala chairs and host committee members, and our guests. This event was truly one for the ages.”
“From our beginnings in New York’s Hudson Valley and Catskills regions, OSI has grown into a powerhouse in the fields of land protection, conservation policy, and improving the public access to protected land for all,” said OSI Board of Trustees co-chair, Amy Salzman. “We are extraordinarily proud of everything we have achieved over the past five decades and prouder yet of the community of supporters, partners, and friends with whom we share our success. With the strength of this expansive community, our committed board of trustees, and stellar staff, we are poised for continued and greater success in the future.”
The event marked OSI’s first-ever Gala. In addition to the Gala, the organization is celebrating a key milestone this year: 2.5 million acres of land saved directly and with partners throughout the eastern seaboard of the United States and southern Canada.
OSI extends sincere thanks to the honorary chairs for OSI’s 50th Anniversary Gala: Christopher C. Davis, Leonard A. Lauder, Kitty Patterson & Tom Kempner, Larry Rockefeller & Wendy Gordon, Elizabeth W. Smith, and Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky, M.D. They were joined by honorary co-chairs Kate Adams & Duke Wiser, Tom & Currie Barron, Lea Paine Highet & Ian Highet, and Amy Salzman & Randy Milch. The Gala committee comprised Carol Ash, Virginia & Dana Beach, Anne Perkins Cabot, Kim Elliman & Jennifer Cunningham, Paul Elston & Frances Beinecke, Buzzy Geduld, Trustees and Staff of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Joseph & Carson Gleberman, Jane & Roger Goodell, Holly Hegener & Jon Cummings, Samuel G. Huber & Catherine Weiss, J.M. Kaplan Fund, the Klipper Family, Larry & Dana Linden, Michael Mantell, Barnabas McHenry, Thomas McHenry, the Prospect Hill Foundation, Jennifer Perkins Speers, Hume Steyer & Nanahya Santana, Patricia F. Sullivan, Marjorie & Charles Van Dercook, Robin & Giorgios Vlamis, and Kim & Finn Wentworth.
