New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly Honored at Partnership Benefit Gala

Date: June 24, 2008
Location: Cipriani’s 42nd Street, New York, NY
Honoree: New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Theodore Roosevelt Award for the Advancement of Public Service

On Tuesday, June 24, the Partnership for Public Service hosted its fifth New York City gala at Manhattan landmark Cipriani’s 42nd Street. The gala brought together more than 700 government leaders, business executives and stakeholders from the entertainment and nonprofit sectors to demonstrate their support for a vital federal government.

Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report, served as master of ceremonies and had the audience laughing all night with his trademark wit and enthusiasm. The centerpiece of his opening remarks was a memorable recap of the 2008 presidential primaries.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Theodore Roosevelt Award for the Advancement of Public Service to New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Kelly was recognized for his outstanding leadership of the New York Police Department during two nonconsecutive terms, as well as his tenure as the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service and more than 30 years of service in the Marine Corps Reserve.  In his remarks, Commissioner Kelly noted that the honor was particularly meaningful for him since Theodore Roosevelt once served as New York City’s police chief.

New York Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo presented Kelly with the award, which was designed by noted pop artist Robert Indiana.

Audience members also heard from three federal employees, who spoke about how federal service has given them unique opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.  Leo Wise of the Justice Department detailed his role in the successful prosecution of Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling in the landmark Enron case. The State Department’s Christina Sanford discussed her current efforts to advance peace talks in Darfur. And Anh Duong of the Defense Department recounted her experiences as a South Vietnamese refugee who came to America with nothing after the Vietnam War. She feels like she has been given everything by her adopted country and sees government service as her way to give back.

Jamie Niven of Sotheby’s led an auction to provide college students the opportunity to pursue internships with the Federal government and to more broadly promote Government service at Colleges and Universities, which raised more than $300,000.

Previous recipients of the Theodore Roosevelt Award include Senators Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Paul Volcker and leaders from Goldman Sachs. The event raised more than $2.4 million for the Partnership.

Images ©Patrick McMullan, Photo: BILLY FARRELL/PatrickMcMullan.com

 

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