Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer and President of National Programming, iHeartMedia
Devon Eisenberg, Co-Founder and Principal, The Young Women’s Leadership School of the Bronx
Save The Date – September 28, 2023
Concert Headliner to be Announced
City Parks Foundation (CPF) is pleased to announce their 2023 benefit fundraiser, taking place Thursday, September 28 in Central Park. The dinner and concert under the stars will be held at the flagship SummerStage venue. This year’s event will honor Chief Programming Officer and President of National Programming for iHeartMedia, Tom Poleman, with the SummerStage Icon Award and will honor Co-Founder and Principal of The Young Women’s Leadership School of the Bronx, Devon Eisenberg, with the People & Parks Award. Special performances by top artists will be announced soon.
City Parks Foundation (CPF), through its Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Festival, is one of the largest presenters of free arts and cultural programs in New York City parks, and serves more than 275,000 New Yorkers each year through arts, education, sports and community building initiatives. City Parks Foundation is dedicated to offering diverse programming to encourage New Yorkers to use and care for their local parks and green spaces, to bring these public spaces to life and to make them accessible for all.
“We are excited to announce Tom Poleman and Devon Eisenberg as this year’s honorees for the annual City Parks Foundation benefit fundraiser,” said Heather Lubov, Executive Director of City Parks Foundation. “Our honorees share an exceptional dedication to building and enriching our city, be it through educating the next generation of leaders or nurturing the careers of talented performing artists. We are proud to be able to recognize and highlight their distinguished accomplishments.”
City Parks Foundation is proud to present the 2023 SummerStage Icon Award to Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer and President of National Programming for iHeartMedia. Named to Billboard’s Power 100 List for seven consecutive years, Tom has been recognized throughout his career as an industry pioneer, introducing innovative programming and music initiatives across multiple platforms including broadcast radio, digital and live events. Coproducing major concert events, overseeing iHeartMedia’s music discovery and emerging artist initiatives and leading iHeartRadio’s 860 radio stations, Tom is an entertainment powerhouse for the growth, development and vitality of new music and artists. After joining New York station Z100 in 1996 and eventually overseeing the entire New York market including WLTW, WKTU, Q104.3, Power 105.1, and WOR, Poleman became a driving force and influence behind New York’s music culture. Under his leadership at Z100, he launched Elvis Duran in the mornings and created the Jingle Ball concert that has become a nationwide tour. Z100 has become one of New York City’s most iconic brands, part of the fabric of the community and the most listened-to top-40 station in the United States. CPF is honored to recognize Tom, one of the most accomplished and influential leaders in the entertainment industry, for his significant contribution to New York City’s arts and culture.
“New York City continues to thrive thanks to the dedication and strong efforts of City Parks Foundation, which has reinvigorated our parks and contributed to the wellbeing and vibrancy of our communities through arts, sports and education programs,” said Poleman. “Having a sense of community is important; it builds local connection and encourages comradery. I’m humbled and honored for this recognition from City Parks Foundation, an organization that shares a common commitment to the community.”
City Parks Foundation is thrilled to present the 2023 People & Parks Award to Devon Eisenberg, visionary co-founder and Principal of The Young Women’s Leadership School of the Bronx (TYWLS). US News & World Report ranked TYWLS Bronx’s high school in the top 10% in the nation, and the school was featured in The New York Times recently for innovative STEM education. Named the Blackboard Awards Rising Star Teacher of the Year during her tenure as Assistant Principal at Mott Hall V School in the Bronx, Devon has devoted her career to fostering a community of empowered young women who will become our future leaders as scientists, artists, engineers, and influential advocates for social justice. Devon’s long-standing partnership with CPF’s free Seeds to Trees environmental education program has inspired countless students to become stewards of our natural world. CPF is honored to recognize Devon’s significant contributions to their city, its educational system, and the communities they serve.
“I am beyond thrilled to receive the People & Parks Award this year,” said Eisenberg. “Partnering with City Parks Foundation is synergy in action for our students and those who enjoy our city’s parks; working with Seeds to Trees nurtures and grows both our students’ emerging leadership skills and the park itself.”
Following dinner and the evening’s award ceremony, the crowd will be treated to a concert featuring special performances to be announced soon.
City Parks Foundation’s 2023 Gala is chaired by Angela Barkan, Jenny Lee and Joe Killian, Jennifer and Roland Merchant, and Katy and Greg Williamson. Co-chairs include Bonnie and Steven Beer, Mia and Fergus Campbell, Chana and Cliff Chenfeld, Jodi and Andrew Dady, Debbie and Richard Fife, Heather Lubov and Chris Mann, Lori and David Moore, Claire Goodman Pellegrini and Rusty Cloud, Elizabeth Sarnoff and Andy Cohen, Jeanne and Bob Savitt, Rebecca and Peter Shapiro, Jean Troubh, and Louisa and John Troubh.
Thursday, September 28, 2023
6:00 – 8:30pm: Cocktail Reception & Dinner 8:30pm: Awards Ceremony & Concert
SummerStage in Central Park
Rumsey Playfield, enter at E. 72nd Street and Fifth Ave (Rain or Shine – Tented Venue)
Tables and tickets for the evening, including the dinner and concert, are now available for purchase. For more information, visit: https://cityparksfoundation.org/city-parks-foundation-gala/
About City Parks Foundation
At City Parks Foundation, we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building and education programs for all New Yorkers. Our programs — located in more than 300 parks, recreation centers and public schools across New York City — reach over 275,000 people each year. Our ethos is simple: thriving parks mean thriving communities.
About SummerStage
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is one of New York’s most beloved, broadly accessible, free outdoor performing arts festivals. SummerStage annually presents nearly 90 free and benefit performances in Central Park and neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs to 217,000 fans. With performances in genres that represent the cultural fabric of New York City ranging from jazz, hip hop, Latin, global, indie and contemporary dance, SummerStage fills a vital niche in New York City’s summer arts festival landscape. Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, more than six million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage.
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