Debra joined Student Sponsor Partners as Executive Director in March 2018. She has a personal connection to the organization: Debra attended Cathedral High School as one of the first students to receive a scholarship from Founder Peter Flanigan. Debra has since dedicated her life and work to helping those in need. Prior to joining Student Sponsor Partners, she was President and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the largest anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization in the state. Debra is a thought leader on the topics of child welfare, education, and poverty. She received the 2015 New Jersey Humanitarian Award from CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Monmouth County) and a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the State University College at Buffalo, and she was a finalist for the 2015 Smart CEO: Deals of Distinction Award. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and received her Master of Social Work from Rutgers University and her bachelor’s degree from the State University College at Buffalo. She is completing her doctoral studies in Social Work at the University of Southern California.
| Christopher J. Niehaus Chairman of the Board BentallGreenOak Kevin J. Conway James P. Healy Robert H. Niehaus William D. Anderson Jr. Robert P. Brennan Edward F. Cox Susan Dunne Megan Flanigan Brian Hoffmann Andrew Horrocks Linda Hsu Robert H. Huntington Alfred F. Hurley, Jr. |
Drin Kukaj Mark Levitt Peter J. Lyon Denis Manelski Aloysius (Ish) McLaughlin Thomas R. Mercein Christopher Miles Henry Mulholland Lora Robertson Valerie Rowe, Ph.D. Stephen M. Schiller Robert Spencer John Stossel Ricardo A. Watson |
The Chairman’s Council is comprised of Student Sponsor Partners’ greatest supporters and advocates who are leaders in their industries.
| Russell L. Carson Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe Kevin J. Conway Brady W. Dougan James P. Healy |
Bill Janetschek
Colm Kelleher Robert H. Niehaus Adebayo Ogunlesi |
The Leadership Council is Student Sponsor Partners’ junior board.
| Marie Dulev Co-Chair Swiss Re Henry Flores Jared Ailstock Jason Aronson Tyler Drayton Seamus Dunne Mark Filenbaum John Fox |
Tim Huestis Jessica Jacobs Mike Kaicher Aron Khurana Allison Lucchese Amir Mohammed Hanna Richheimer Nick Sophinos |
The Flanigan Society, named for Student Sponsor Partners’ late founder Peter Flanigan, honors and recognizes organizations and individuals who have donated more than $1 million over the course of our history.
Peter Flanigan’s Children
Kimberley and William D. Anderson, Jr.
Carson Family Charitable Trust
Lisa and Richard Cashin
The Clark Foundation
Dee and Kevin Conway
Credit Suisse Americas Foundation
Credit Suisse Fixed Income Division
Diocese of Brooklyn
David J. and Marilyn B. Dunn
Susan and Jimmy Dunne
Peter M. Flanigan
Futures in Education
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Amy and James Healy
The Heckscher Foundation for Children
Inner-City Scholarship Fund
William Janetschek
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Colm Kelleher
Kovner Foundation
Katherine and Peter Lyon
Morgan Stanley
Chris and Lori Niehaus
Kate and Robert Niehaus
Amelia and Adebayo Ogunlesi
The Partnership for Inner-City Education
Valerie and Jack Rowe
Peter Jay Sharp Foundation
William E. Simon Foundation
John Stossel
Tiger Foundation
In 2019, Dee and Kevin Conway established the Conway Scholars Fund to support student scholarships for years to come.
“We have a deep belief in the power of education, not only due to the obvious lifelong impact an individual will experience, but also due to the positive effects education can have on society as a whole. Student Sponsor Partners offers the most under-served students and families in New York City a chance that can change the trajectory of their lives by providing scholarships and mentorship to students who might otherwise face insurmountable hurdles to their academic success. The results for SSP students are measurable and dramatic, and the rewards for the sponsors and mentors can be very meaningful. We have been supporters of SSP for over 30 years and are thrilled to see our children involved as sponsors and mentors. This year we were fortunate to be able to help SSP by creating a scholarship fund to ensure that even more students can benefit from the incredible SSP opportunity.”
– Dee and Kevin Conway
Please reach out to Student Sponsor Partners at giving@sspnyc.org if you would like to get involved with the Leadership Council or support the Conway Scholars Fund.
