The Honorable Earle I. Mack to Receive 'National Arts Award' From Americans for the Arts

NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Honorable Earle I. Mack, former United States Ambassador to Finland (2004 – 2005) will receive a National Arts Award from Americans for the Arts, a national arts advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., for his lifelong commitment to elevating and increasing access to arts and culture around the United States. Hosted at Cipriani on October 21, Ambassador Mack will be presented with the 'Philanthropy in the Arts Award,' by former New York Governor George Pataki, given each year to an "individual with a demonstrable history of philanthropic giving to one or more major arts institutions." Past recipients of the award have included Paul G. Allen, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and Brooke Astor.

Ambassador Mack serves as senior partner of The Mack Company, a prominent real estate development and investment firm in the New York metropolitan area, and in 1997 became a founding board member of the Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI). Despite his successes in business, Ambassador Mack's true passion has always lied with the arts and he has made it his mission throughout his career to elevate American culture through funding and leading various initiatives in the art world.

"These are challenging times, making it vitally important to provide safe, cultural havens for the at-risk youth and their families, and giving children an arts education in their learning process to help them build self-confidence," said Ambassador Mack.

In 1996, Governor Pataki appointed Ambassador Mack as chairman of the New York State Council on the Arts, where he served from 1996 to 1999, during which time he doubled the budget of the organization and led an initiative to put arts education back into New York state public schools. Upon retirement, Ambassador Mack was named chairman emeritus. He was recognized again by Governor Pataki in 2000, when he received the New York State Governor's Arts Award for outstanding leadership in the arts.

Ambassador Mack also has served as a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the New York City Ballet, a position he held from 1987 to 1996, and again from 1999 to 2004, resigning once he was appointed Ambassador. He also has served as co-chairman of the board of the Dance Theater of Harlem, as well as a board member of the American Friends of the Paris Opera and Ballet.

After September 11, 2001, Ambassador Mack led an initiative as chairman of Arts Rebuild New York and on the advisory council for Arts, Education, and Tourism for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, as well as former vice chairman of the board of the New York City-based advocacy organization Alliance for the Arts.

In 1977, Ambassador Mack received an Academy Award nomination for The Children of Theatre Street,  a feature documentary – which he produced and co-directed - on Russia's Vaganova Choreographic Institute (Kirov Ballet School) narrated by Princess Grace of Monaco.

Ambassador Mack received his B.S. from Drexel University and attended Fordham Law School. Long interested in legal education, he is the founding donor of the Drexel University School of Law and is past chairman and Chairman Emeritus of the board of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He has received honorary law degrees from Drexel University School of Law, Fordham Law School, and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, as well as honorary degrees from Franklin Pierce University, Drexel University School of Business, Yeshiva University, and Daemen College.

Ambassador Mack currently resides in Florida with his wife, Carol.

SOURCE The Earle I. Mack Foundation