Board of Directors

Jeffrey D. Friedlander

Jeffrey D. Friedlander

President

Jeff Friedlander was the longest serving First Assistant Corporation Counsel in the history of the City of New York, second-in-command of the New York City Law Department, an office of over 700 attorneys representing the City. During his tenure at the Law Department, Mr. Friedlander played a significant role in many cases and laws including the handling of South Africa anti-apartheid legislation and divestment; establishment of the Campaign Finance law and the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and the drafting of the City’s pioneering Gay Rights Law. Following the events of September 11, Mr. Friedlander supervised the drafting of the executive orders and legislation necessary to keep the City functioning, and now serves as an appointee of the Mayor on the World Trade Center Captive Insurance Company. In 2017, he was appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council as a member of the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board, which is empowered to administer, interpret and enforce the City’s public ethics and financial disclosure laws. He is active in the City Bar and has been the recipient of a number of awards for his legal service to the City. 

Paula Stelzner

Secretary

Paula Stelzner

Rachel Ziemba

Rachel Ziemba

Board Member

Rachel Ziemba is a political economist and founder of Ziemba Insights, an advisory firm that helps investors assess geoeconomic and macroeconomic risks. She is Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and teaches at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. She is also a wine expert who received the WSET diploma and sometimes hosts wine tastings that support Heart & Soul programs.  In addition to Heart & Soul, Rachel serves on the board of the Harriman Foreign Service Fellowships and on the Finance Committee of the Unitarian Church of All Souls NYC.

Thomas Blum

Thomas Blum

Treasurer

Thomas Blum has spent over 30 years as an investment banker and an investor in private equity and venture capital opportunities. He is currently a partner of GC Andersen Partners LLC, a boutique merchant bank, where he primarily focuses on clean-tech investments. He is an active member and Board Director of the New York Angels, a leading angel investment group on the East Coast. He serves on the Board of Directors of Helios Coatings Inc., Landauer Metropolitan Inc., Interactive Frontiers, Inc., M2M Imaging, Inc. and SkyFuel, Inc. He is a 1984 graduate of Harvard Business School and has a BS degree in Engineering from Princeton University in 1980.
Robin Bossert

Robin Bossert

Robin Bossert founded Bossert and Company in 1988, a video production/distribution company specializing in educational and corporate communications. He founded The Navigators USA in 2003, incorporated it as an NYS non-profit and directed all publishing, fundraising, and chapter activities. He is also President of Miramar Ski Club and Hike Leader for NY/NJ Chapters of the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Ben Yandell

Ben Yandell

Board Member

Ben Yandell grew up in a small town in Mississippi. He graduated from Columbia Business School in 1980. From there, he traded commodity futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange for over 20 years. After 9/11, he left the exchange and began brokering physical commodities such as fuel, gold, and bank instruments. After successful careers in cash and futures commodity trading, he felt the need to give something back to the world and joined the Heart and Soul board. He is happily married to Kim Calder and has one child, Chris Yandell.


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Jeong-A Kim

Jeong-A Kim

Head of Grants Committee

Jeong-A Kim is an art history researcher and writer specializing in modern and contemporary art. Previously, she worked as an analyst and a lawyer for over fifteen years. Jeong-A has a keen interest in supporting her community’s children, women and financially disadvantaged members of society through her volunteer work. She has been trustee for a women’s service against domestic violence in London and worked pro bono on domestic violence related casework in New York City. She was treasurer and co-chair for parent associations in community-based organizations such as Manhattan Korean School and the Unitarian Church of All Souls’ religious education. She is a regular volunteer at Monday Night Hospitality. Jeong-A received her Master’s degree from Christie’s Education, New York and received her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the London School of Economics, London. 
Tara McNamara

Tara McNamara

Tara McNamara is a physical therapist who runs her solo practice in New York City providing physical therapy, exercise and wellness training.  She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Russell Sage College and a Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of New York at Stony Brook. She is a certified Pilates Instructor from Polestar, a Certified Exercise Expert for the Aging Adult from the American Physical Therapy Association and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as well as a Certified Life Coach from the Fearless Living Institute. She is a current member of the American Physical Therapy Association and after 9/11 spent a few months providing massages to those working at Ground Zero and coordinating other physical therapists and massage therapists to volunteer too. Tara can be found most Mondays as one of the Red Apron Leaders for Monday Night Hospitality. She previously co-led the All Souls Reproductive Justice Task Force which she helped form in 2011. 

Laura Hepler Tappe

Laura Hepler Tappe