PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jewish National Fund (JNF) will honor David L. Cohen for his numerous contributions to the Jewish and greater Philadelphia communities at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at 6:30 p.m. on March 29, 2012 at VIE in Philadelphia. Cohen is the Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation.
The Tree of Life™ Award is a humanitarian distinction presented by JNF to individuals for their outstanding community involvement, their dedication to the cause of American-Israeli friendship, and their devotion to peace and the security of human life. The award recognizes leaders for their achievements and innovations in industry, government and education.
David L. Cohen is a well-known and widely-respected executive at Comcast Corporation, one of the world’s leading media, entertainment and communication companies, and now the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal. Cohen has a broad portfolio of responsibilities, including corporate communications, government affairs, public affairs, corporate administration, and serves as senior counselor to the CEO. Before assuming this position in July of 2002, Cohen served as a partner in and Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the country.
Additionally, Cohen is heavily involved in the community and in charitable organizations. He serves as Chairman of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee; serves on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, which he formerly chaired; and is a member of the CEO Council for Growth. Cohen serves as a national trustee of City Year and is Chair of the Governance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee. He is also a former Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and has received numerous awards for his civic and charitable activities.
“I am truly humbled and honored by the receipt of this recognition from JNF,” he said. “I was raised in a family where the safety and sound economic development of Israel was always a top priority – and in a time where both were often in doubt. JNF’s great work and investments in Israel have helped to stabilize the country as well as create and nurture connections between the U.S. and Israel. It’s a privilege to try to help further that critical work.”
This year’s TOL dinner has a group of dedicated co-chairs: William R. Sasso, Chairman of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, Fred A. Shabel, Vice-Chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, Kenneth M. Jarin, Partner of Ballard Spahr LLP, Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens Bank, David B. Pudlin, Shareholder of Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, and David Dinenberg, Chief Operating Officer of Grasso Holdings.
“It is a great honor for JNF to recognize David Cohen as one of the most outstanding leaders in the Philadelphia community,” said Marina Furman, Regional Director of JNF in Eastern Pennsylvania. “He personifies commitment to tikkun olam [repairing the world].”
For more than a century, JNF has evolved into a global environmental leader by planting 250 million trees, building over 210 reservoirs and dams, developing over 250,000 acres of land, creating more than 1,000 parks, providing the infrastructure for over 1,000 communities, bringing life to the Negev Desert and educating students around the world about Israel and the environment.
For more information, contact PA Regional Director, Marina Furman at 215-832-0690 or mfurman@jnf.org.
Jewish National Fund (JNF) began in 1901 collecting coins in blue boxes to purchase land and return the Jewish people to their homeland. In over 109 years, JNF has evolved into a global environmental leader and become the central address for partnering with the land and people of Israel. JNF has planted 250 million trees; built over 1,000 parks and recreational areas; constructed security roads; educated students around the world about Israel; created new communities so that Jews from around the world would have a place to call home; discovered new means of growing plants under arid conditions, bringing green to the desert; and built over 205 reservoirs and water recycling centers, increasing Israel’s water supply by 12%. Today, JNF is supporting Israel’s newest generation of pioneers by bringing life to the Negev Desert, Israel’s last frontier.
A United Nations NGO, JNF sponsors international conferences on desertification, shares afforestation techniques, and funds research on arid land management. JNF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and continuously earns top ratings from charity overseers. For more information on JNF, call 888-JNF-0099 or visit http://www.jnf.org.
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