Conservancy Board

Walter Cronkite (1916 - 2009), Honorary Chair SS United States Conservancy Advisory Council  Former CBS Evening News Anchor and correspondent was a passenger aboard the SS United States in 1953 on his way to cover the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Often referred to as “The Most Trusted Man in America”, Mr. Cronkite has followed the ship’s fate closely since then and was featured in the documentary film SS United States: Lady in Waiting. In the film, he expressed his admiration for the ship and his outrage at her current condition. He stated that just looking at the SS United States in her heyday “could thrill you with pride and wonder” and that she had the “perfect design.” He lamented that watching the ship each year get “rustier, dirtier, windows broken…” was a “crime against history.” According to Mr. Cronkite, saving the SS United States would be a “restoration of American pride in something it should be very proud of.”
Charles B. Anderson Interim President Charles B. Anderson comes from a family with long maritime traditions. His father, Commodore John W. Anderson, was the longest serving master of the SS United States (1952-1964), and his grandfather, Capt. Charles R. Beard, was a steamboat pilot operating on the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers in the early 1900’s. Mr. Anderson served on destroyers in the U.S. Navy and currently holds the rank of Commander in the US Naval Reserve. He was educated at Columbia College and graduated in law from Columbia Law School. He received a master’s degree from Princeton University and was a George C. Marshall fellow at the University of Copenhagen under a grant from the American Scandinavian Foundation. Since 1998 he has been head of Skuld North America, New York representatives of Assuranceforeningen Skuld, a leading marine mutual underwriting association based in Oslo, Norway. Previously he was a partner in Holland & Knight, an internationally recognized maritime and transportation law firm which he joined in 1980, and where he specialized in admiralty and environmental law. In 1998 he was elected a Titulary Member of the Comité Maritime International in recognition of his work in the area of international shipping and environmental law. He is also the co-author of Shipping and the Environment, published by Lloyd’s of London Press, now in its second edition.
Mark Byers Mark Byers is a vice president and senior relationship manager at Wilmington Trust Company responsible for managing high-net worth family relationships throughout the United States. Prior to joining Wilmington Trust in 2002, he worked in New York for the Swiss investment bank UBS Warburg. Mark’s international experience includes five years in Moscow, Russia as a business development director for a Moscow-based joint venture. As a veteran of the United States Army, Mark worked in Intelligence and served in Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War. Mark holds an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, The Garvin Graduate School of International Management, and is a magna cum laude graduate of Portland State University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Mark is a member of the Philadelphia CFA Society where he serves on the Board of Directors as a vice president and is also chairman of the Society’s Career Development Committee.
Susan Gibbs *Executive Director, SS United States Conservancy, ex officio* board member** Susan Gibbs is the granddaughter of William Francis Gibbs, the naval architect and marine engineer who designed the SS United States. Her efforts on behalf of her grandfather’s ship began when she assumed the presidency of the SS United States Foundation in 2002. Two years later, she became the SS United States Conservancy’s founding president. She has also attained 20 years of experience in the philanthropic sector, beginning as a program associate at the Pew Charitable Trusts in 1990. She also held program positions at the Pew Global Stewardship Initiative and the Summit Charitable Foundation before launching an independent consulting practice advising philanthropic donors and private foundations in program design and development, grantmaking strategy and monitoring and evaluation. Her clients have included the Wallace Global Fund, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Garfield Foundation. She has also worked for a number of international nonprofit educational and humanitarian groups in the US and overseas and she has served on the boards of several arts and environmental organizations. She holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Brown University. She and her husband Theodore Piccone live with their three children in Washington, D.C.
Susan Caccavale Susan Caccavale grew up listening to stories about the superior design of the SS United States from her mother, Elaine S. Kaplan. Her mother was responsible for the design of the propellers, a technological innovation and top military secret. An Assistant Professor at Hofstra University, Susie teaches Marketing and International Business. She has also taught at New York University and Pace University. Upon receiving her undergraduate degree from the Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, Susie assumed senior marketing roles for various major corporations, including Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream where she launched the brand on a global basis. She also produced award-winning programs working for advertising, sports marketing and promotion agencies. She attained her MBA from Hofstra University. Susie owns her own consulting business, specializing in marketing for private educational organizations and small businesses. An accomplished musician, Susie sings and plays the piano, guitar, drums and organ. She writes children's songs and does numerous musical performances for young children. Susie has worked as a choral director and church organist. She lives in Long Island, New York. Susie has one son.
Frank DeGiulio Frank DeGiulio is a Partner at Palmer Attorney at Law in Philadelphia. Mr. DeGiulio joined the firm in 1984 after obtaining his law degree and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. After completing his undergraduate degree at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, he served on numerous merchant and naval vessels and holds a Coast Guard unlimited tonnage Third Officer's license and a First Class Pilot license for the Great Lakes. Throughout his legal career Mr. DeGiulio has handled all types of maritime casualty and commercial disputes primarily on behalf of shipowners and their insurers. His litigation and arbitration practice focuses primarily on collision, charter party and commercial disputes, cargo and property damage claims, recreational boating casualties, Coast Guard violations and proceedings, marine finance and foreclosure, maritime liens, vessel arrest and attachment, general average and salvage. He is a leading member of the firm's oil pollution response team and has handled a number of major pollution incidents as well as recoveries on behalf of shipowners from the National Oil Pollution Fund. He has published articles on a variety of maritime law subjects including admiralty jurisdiction and shipowner's limitation of liability. Mr. DeGiulio currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Maritime Law Association of the United States and is a former chairman of the Association's Recreational Boating Committee. He also formerly served as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, achieving the rank of Lt. Commander.
Robert L. Forbes Robert L. Forbes is Vice President of Forbes and President of ForbesLife, launched in 1990 as Forbes magazine's dedicated lifestyle supplement, devoted to the pursuit of "civilized pleasure and fulfillment." Published five times a year, it is designed for affluent business leaders who “play as hard as they work.” Mr. Forbes has authored numerous articles on food and travel, in addition to producing various documentary films for Forbes. In September 2007, his book of poetry for children, Beastly Feasts! A Mischievous Menagerie in Rhyme (Overlook Press), was published. His new book, Let’s Have a Bite! A Beastly Banquet in Rhyme, was published by Overlook Press in September 2010. Both are illustrated by world renowned caricaturist Ronald Searle. He divides his time between Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida.
Jeff Henry Jeff Henry is an 18-year veteran of the Cheltenham Township Fire Department in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Jeff spent most of his career serving as the Chief Engineer of the Glenside Fire Company. Jeff is also employed by an independent fire equipment company that performs maintenance, pump flow & pressure testing, aerial apparatus service, and emergency 24 hour road service to fire departments in four different states. A ship lover since childhood, Jeff first read about the SS United States when he was in grade school. When the ship was towed to Philadelphia in 1996, he instantly became involved in the effort to save her. Since then, he has hosted 10 annual meetings and delivered presentations about the ship to numerous groups and organizations. In 2001, he formed the first 501(c)(3) chapter of the SS United States Foundation, and served as that organization’s President and Vice President. Jeff is a founding board member of the Conservancy. He lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and daughter.
Stephen S. Lash Stephen S. Lash is Chairman Emeritus of Christie’s Americas and Vice Chairman of Christie’s American Advisory Board. He has been with Christie’s since 1976, when he was one of the original team of eight responsible for launching the venerable auction house’s first galleries on Park Avenue in New York City. Prior to joining Christie’s, Mr. Lash worked in London with the investment-banking firm of S.G. Warburg. During his 35 years with Christie’s, he has been involved with virtually every major historic record-setting auction. Mr. Lash serves on the boards of the Museum of the City of New York, The New York Landmarks Conservancy (of which he was Chairman for several years), the Park Avenue Armory, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where he is on the Board of Overseers and Chairs the Maritime Visiting Committee. He previously served on the boards of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Preservation League of New York State. He is a newly appointed Trustee of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, as well as a newly appointed Member of the Advisory Board of Stanhope Capital in London. His passion for all things maritime inspired him to become the founder and first president of the Ocean Liner Museum, which became part of the South Street Seaport. He is an avid collector of trans-Atlantic passenger steamship memorabilia, and has loaned items from his collection to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well as to the Cooper Hewitt, Mystic Seaport, Peabody Essex, and Forbes museums. Mr. Lash enjoys lecturing on board various vessels and at other venues; a favorite speech includes The Floating Palaces of Art Deco. He has also taught a Residential College Seminar at Yale, entitled The Ocean Liner and the Golden Age of Travel. Mr. Lash received a B.A. in French Literature from Yale and an M.B.A. in International Business from Columbia.
Dan McSweeney Dan McSweeney is the Managing Director of the SS United States Redevelopment Project, a division of Atlantic Logistics Agency, Inc., ship managers for the SS United States since 2003 and key consultants to the SS United States Conservancy since its founding. In that capacity he coordinates business development efforts for the SS United States Conservancy and serves as an ex officio board member on its board. During a diverse 20-year career, Dan has contributed to a wide variety of projects in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the U.S. and abroad. His previous positions include Associate Regional Director at Business Executives for National Security, Executive Coordinator for Counterterrorism Strategy at the Fire Department of the City of New York, Ministry of Defense consultant for the Country of Georgia, and National Program Director at Third Millennium, a "Generation X think tank." He served as an Active Duty Marine officer from 1999 - 2005, deploying widely and completing a tour at the Pentagon. He completed a Master of International Affairs degree at Columbia University and undergraduate studies at Eugene Lang College of the New School. He is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and Valley Forge Military Academy. He has been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Post, Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute, Marine Corps Gazette, Columbia Journal of International Affairs, and other publications. His media appearances include CNN, MSNBC, NPR, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal. He was born in New York City to parents who immigrated from Scotland and Puerto Rico. His father came to America to work aboard the SS United States, the legendary ocean liner.
Greg Norris Greg Norris’s association with the SS United States began at a very early age. He made his first crossing on the SS United States when he was only one year old and, over the next sixteen years, an additional seven. In 1980 Greg wrote a history of the “Big U” for the Steamship Historical Society Journal, Steamboat Bill, in which he revealed numerous previously unreleased details about the ship. In 1982 Greg and a friend formed a partnership called the Maritime Preservation Group and purchased many artifacts from Richard Hadley, the vessel’s owner. These were sold at auction the following year by Sotheby’s, New York. Over the years Greg has amassed a formidable storehouse of personal, historical, and technical information about the vessel, and he is a frequent lecturer about the SS United States and ocean liners in general. He has an extensive collection of SS United States artifacts, which includes furniture, china, and ship’s hardware. Greg lives in Florida and has over thirty years experience in the financial services industry. He is currently regional vice president of Jackson National Life Distributors. He formerly served as regional vice president at Bear Stearns Asset Management and was previously affiliated with Salomon Brothers, Eaton Vance, Massachusetts Financial Services and Prudential Bache Securities. He resides with his wife Amanda in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Mark B. Perry Mark B. Perry is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning television writer-producer who lists amongst his credits such series as The Wonder Years, Picket Fences, Law & Order, Party of Five, Brothers & Sisters, and Ghost Whisperer. Most recently, Mark is now a writer-producer on ABC’s new hit prime time drama, Revenge. In 1997, Mark was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for episodic drama, and has multiple nominations for The Humanitas Prize. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Mark earned his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism at the University of Georgia. Mark has been an ocean liner fan since a chance viewing of The Last Voyage as a child introduced him to the aesthetics of 20th century nautical interior design. A moderator of the Yahoo Ocean Liner Collectibles Group, Mark’s passion for the SS United States began in the early 1990s when he started amassing a large collection of table service ware, furniture, ephemera, signage, as well as vintage home movies, photos, and slides taken aboard the ship in her heyday. In 2008, collaborating with director Robert Radler, Mark produced the award-winning documentary SS United States: Lady in Waiting which aired nationwide on American Public Television from 2008 to 2010.
Joe Rota Joe Rota was a member of the Publication Dept. of the N.Y. Herald Tribune from 1952 to 1954. He then tried for two years to become a member of the National Maritime Union. In April of 1955, he was very fortunately assigned a pier head jump, (job on a ship leaving the same day) by the NMU on the SS United States as a First Class Elevator Operator. It was not a relief job but a steady job which was extremely rare in 1955. Joe sailed in several capacities in the Stewards department. Finishing the last two years as ship’s photographer. From 1959 to 1963 he sailed on the America, Independence, Constitution, and the United States as First Class deck steward, bell captain, and several other steward department ratings. In 1964, he left the sea ( went on the beach ), and was appointed as highway patrolman on the Bergen County N.J. Police Department. He served as police academy instructor, SWAT sniper, hostage negotiator, SCUBA division training officer, and detective. He retired in 1979, as a result of an accident while on duty. During this period of time he managed two years at Rutgers University. Joe again retired in 2005 and is now serving as a member of the town’s planning board.
Mary K. Villalba Secretary Mary K. Villalba’s initially developed an interest in the SS United States in 1952 when her father was asked to participate in measuring the top secret speed of the ship during the speed trials, shortly after the ship’s launch. Mary owns AZTEC Communications, LLC, and as CEO she works with mid-sized companies to provide long-term strategic planning and business development strategies. Mary is actively involved with a number of not-for-profit corporations, including: Distinguished Governor, Rocky Mountain District Kiwanis International where she was elected for life as Chairman of her international class of Governors. Her successful leadership roles include: President, Greenwood Village Chamber of Commerce; President, Denver Ear Institute; President and Co-Founder, World Hearing Network; and various board positions on the Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, Arapahoe County Child Advocacy and Family Resource Center where she raised $250,000 to build the SUNGATE Center, and the Marion Downs Hearing Center where she provided the initial strategic planning. Mary participated in the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business, 50 for Colorado Leadership program, where she received the “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award.” Additionally, she co-founded the Colorado Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Program and served as President. She also sat on board of the world renowned Denver St. Patrick Day Parade Grandstand Committee. Mary was the Press Manager and host for national news media during the international visit of the Global Village. Mary led the professional services industry in the development of cause marketing, garnering the American Marketing Gold Peak Award for her public service campaign, “NEVER HURT A CHILD! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!” This nationally recognized public awareness campaign developed for a CPA firm was one of the first major “cause marketing” initiatives of its kind anywhere in the world.