New York, N.Y. On Thursday, February 28, 2019, The J. Luce Foundation in conjunction with its sister charity Orphans International Worldwide (OIW), and its New York Global Leaders Lions Club, hosted the 19th Annual Leadership Awards Gala at The Princeton Club in New York City. This year’s theme is “Three Continents of Leadership Experience,” celebrating the success of three Luce Leadership Experiences to Greece. Indonesia, and Jamaica with an emphasis on international development field work.
Video by Tenzin Tseyang.
Our two hundred guests represented 49 countries including Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Brazil, Canada, the Cherokee Nation, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, México, Monaco, Mongolia, Nigeria, Palestine, Peru, Poland, Russia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Togo, U.S.A., Ukraine, Vietnam, and Yemen!
Photo by Francois Bonneau/The Stewardship Report.
We had the pleasure to welcome Dr. Grace A. McLean from the Ministry of Youth, Education & Information in Jamaica and Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, Deputy Representative of Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Hon. Mitzi Perdue, J. Luce Foundation 2015 Humanitarian, and RADM. Michael Alfultis, Ph.D., President of SUNY Maritime College.
Hon. Genevieve Metzger Brown. L.L.D., founder and president of the
the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation, surprised to receive the
foundation’s first Stephen Bleecker Luce Award for Maritime Excellence.
2019 promises to be our most impactful year to date highlighted by our Luce Leadership Experience Jamaica, and our World Congress V at Yale University. In addition, we are launching both our Leadership Center in Pikes County, PA and a $1.5 million endowed J. Luce Global Leadership Scholarship at Marietta College in Ohio.
Jim Luce, Founder & C.E.O. of the J. Luce Foundation, shared in his personal message:
It amazes me what has been accomplished with so little. In addition to a prominent brand, we have an enormously dedicated team – leaders across all professions who put their egos aside to better humanity. With a combined budget in 2019 of just under $500,000 for Orphans International and the Foundation, I am looking forward to announcing the launch of our Endowment Campaign in 2020.
No one individual can impact much of anything, but collectively we can change the world. Over the last two decades, we have had literally hundreds of Board members, executive committee members, Global Advisors, and Young Global Leaders working together — without compensation — because they wanted to repair the world. I thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart. Around the world, I have witnessed the profound difference we make.
It began in 1998 with Orphans International Worldwide, “Raising Global Leaders,” supported by the estate of Jim’s mother, a child psychologist. It was joined in 2008 by the Foundation, “Supporting Young Global Leadership,” inspired by Jim’s father, a French professor. And in 2018, with the creation of the Luce Leadership Centre @ Caribbean Maritime University, we began “Educating Young Global Leaders.”
Our executive team raising, supporting, and now educating Young Global Leaders: Chloe Hoang, our foundation’s executive director from Vietnam and the College of Wooster. Bix Saibor Luce, executive director of Orphans International, from Thailand, Jim’s husband. Tenzin Tseyang, Tibetan by way of Nepal, serving as our social media director. Rhiannon Murphy, of Cherokee descent, our assistant director. Nigel Roberts, M.A., originally of Guyana, serving as our development director.
Roberto Bennett, co-director of the Luce Leadership Centre of the Caribbean Maritime University in Jamaica, son of world famous Reggae performer by the stage name “Charlie Chaplin.” Zoran Saher, one of our very first Young Global Leaders eight years ago, from Persia across to India on to Oman and now New York. And Mathew Tendean-Luce, the Mathew in “Mathew’s Rule” of Orphans International – that we treat each child in our care the way we would treat our own children.
Jim Luce with President of Marietta College in Ohio, Dr. William N. Ruud.
This year – in addition to our annual Humanitarian Award to be given to N.Y.S. Assembly member Hon. Rebecca Seawright, Dr. William Ruud, President of Marietta College, and Dr. Fritz Pinnock, President of the Caribbean Maritime University – we proudly present the Clare Boothe Luce Award for International Service to Dr. Emma Fernandez Felipe, Partner & North American Transformation Leader at IBM and Dr. Eva Ritvo, Founder of Bekindr, a movement to bring more kindness to the world.
Dr. Fritz Pinnock, President of the Caribbean Maritime University.
Photo: The Stewardship Report.
Dr. Emma Felipe (right) and Dr. Eva Ritvo received the prestigious
Clare Boothe Luce for International Service Award. Photo: The Stewardship Report.
Past Awards have been given to H.S.H. Albert II of Monaco, H.E. Amb. Dr. Palitha Kohona (Sri Lanka), H.E. Hon. Li Baodong (China), H.E. Haya Rashed Al Khalifa (Bahrain), Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary, Dr. Judy Kuriansky (Columbia), the Hon. Carolyn Maloney, Hellenic Republic Parliamentarian Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, Charlotte Brandin of the World Childhood Foundation, and WCBS Anchor Cindy Hsu.
Luce Leadership Awards were presented to Dr. Abigail Pinnock (Jamaica), Caroline Callender (U.S.), Romain Wallace (Jamaica), Roberto Bennett (Jamaica), Sayief Leshaw
(U.S.A.), Tenzin Tseyang (Tibet/Leo), and Lindsay Chu (Jr. Luce Leader/China/Leo).
Abigail Pinnock has dedicated her life to the care of all creatures great and small, studying veterinary medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, Tuskegee University in the U.S., and the University of the West Indies School of Veterinary Medicine in Trinidad & Tobago.
Caroline Callender is the Producer & Director of the award-winning documentary T(HE)Y about two transgender high school students, giving them a platform to tell their stories in their own
voice, exploring how their identity was shaped by N.Y.C., winning awards for Best Student Short incl. London Independent Film Awards, New York Film Awards, and Los Angeles Film Awards;
Lindsey’s parents are active members of Lions, Lindsey joined and has now served as Leo Multiple District President for six years, growing her leadership from President of the Flushing Central Leos Club to Leo District 20-K1 President where she visits clubs all over New York State and Bermuda, encouraging their members to become more involved in the community;
The following is some of the highlights of the conference:
SEE FULL PHOTO ALBUMS:
By Duane Lyken
By Nan Melville
By Francois Bonneau
By Chaan Brooklyn
SAVE THE DATE:
Wed., Jul. 24, 2019: Orphans International Summer Soirée, Luce Room Asia Society, NYC
Oct. 25-27, 2019: World Congress V, Luce Hall, Yale University.
