Board of Directors

Peter M. Rapaport, PhD
Chairman of the Board
Private Wealth Manager, Henley & Co.
Philanthropist
A volunteer and supporter of the Anne Frank Center for more than six years, Peter Rapaport began his term as AFC Board Chair in 2017. He has a long history of sponsoring education, health, and environmental nonprofit initiatives through the Rapaport Family Charitable Trust, and with Elisa Rapaport was the 2013 recipient of the AFC Distinguished Advocate Award at the Spirit of Anne Frank Awards gala. He is Chair Emeritus of the Greater New York metropolitan region of the American Red Cross. Peter holds an MBA and a PhD in Psychology and attended the University of Pennsylvania as an undergrad.

Sharon R. Douglas
Board Secretary & Chief Executive Officer
Philanthropist
A passionate advocate for the Anne Frank Center for nearly a decade, Sharon Douglas currently serves as the organization's Chief Executive Officer. With her husband Preston, Sharon was the 2016 winner of the Spirit of Anne Frank Distinguished Advocates Award. She holds a BA in Education, with graduate study at Queens College and St. John's University.
Board Vice Chair
Managing Director & General Counsel, M-III Partners
Charles Garner has more than 25 years of legal, advisory and operational management experience in international law, real estate investment, telecom and technology. Charles is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania and has a JD from NYU. He also previously served as Chairman of the Board of the African Medical & Research Foundation and as a Director of Continuum Health Partners.

Anthony Polak
Board Treasurer
Investment Advisor, Aegis Capital
Tony Polak continues the tradition of the Polak family's support of the Anne Frank Center, with his parents Jack and Ina Polak having been champions of the organization since the early 1980s. He has an MBA from American University in Washington, DC. Tony has actively volunteered with the youth basketball programs at the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club and YMCA.

Evi Blaikie
Hidden Children Foundation
Author, Magda's Daughter: A Hidden Child's Journey Home
Holocaust Survivor

Jonathan Cohen
Founder & President, Generated Materials Recovery

Amy Sara Cores, Esq
Founder of Cores & Associates, LLC

George Fechter
Entrepreneur
Civil rights and social equity advocate

Irene R. Gottlieb
Founder, Garnet Media Group
Author, photographer

Pieter Kohnstam
Author, A Chance to Live: A Family's Journey to Freedom
Holocaust Survivor

Sybil Rosenberg
Sponsor, Jacob Salzman SAFA Scholarship
Real estate management
Philanthropist
Are you interested in joining our Board of Directors?
Please contact us at info@annefrank.com for more information on this opportunity to serve as an ambassador and philanthropist for the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect.
Advisory Council
The AFC Advisory Council engages an accomplished group of professionals as ambassadors, occasionally lending their expertise and presence. Advisory Council members include scholars, clergy, industry leaders, public figures, and others with backgrounds as varied as the communities we serve. The Advisory Council is distinct from board membership, as there are no philanthropic or time commitments beyond serving as an ambassador on the AFC's behalf.

Joyce Ahrens
Foundations Developmental Resources, LLC

Amanda Bailey
VP Human Resources
Brown University

Lt. Col. Jennifer Bower
Assistant Professor
U.S. Army War College

Maria Esposito, PhD
Associate Professor of Education
Molloy College, NY

Josh Lockwood
Division VP, Northeast
American Red Cross of Greater NY

Lauren McGowan
Director of Development
North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center

Jud Newborn, PhD
Curator/Producer, Cinema Arts Centre
Author, Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
Founding Historian, NY Museum of Jewish Heritage

Joysetta Pearse
Director, African American Museum of Nassau County

Jonathan E. Rothschild
President & CEO, Arterio, Inc.
Roslyn, NY

Ivy Schamis
2018 SAFA Teacher of the Year
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Parkland, FL

Siddhartha V. Shah, PhD
Curator of Indian & South Asian Art
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

Barton Shallat
Rabbi Emeritus
Temple Beth El, Huntington, NY

William Shulman, PhD
Professor Emeritus, CUNY
President, Association of Holocaust Organizations

Wilma Tootle, LHD
President, W. H. Tootle Consulting Services
Retired educator

Gerhard van der Poel
Managing Director, The Transportation Group
Are you interested in joining our Advisory Council?
Please contact us at welcome@annefrank.com for more information on this opportunity.