Breakthrough New York will celebrate 19 years of helping students to navigate “The Road Ahead” and succeed in their schools, careers, and lives at its sixth annual Gala on Tuesday, May 8. The evening’s honorees are: Andrew Marks, Area Senior Executive Vice President – New York City, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and Rory Post, TBD of Dreamweb. Award-winning CBS 2 News Anchor Cindy Hsu will emcee the event.

“At Breakthrough New York, we believe that every student deserves an on opportunity to succeed on the road of life, which is why we this year’s theme is ‘The Road Ahead’,” said Beth Onofry, Executive Director of Breakthrough New York. “For 19 years, we have paved this path with smart intentions, steering our students throughout the academic pipeline and into successful careers.”

The Gala will be held at 583 Park Avenue at 63rd Street in Manhattan, starting with cocktails at 6:00 PM followed by dinner and a program at 7:00 PM. Attendees will be pitted against students in an engaging trivia competition, “Are You Smarter Than a Breakthrough New York Student?”

This year’s Gala Co-Chairs are Catherine Aquila, Terrell Marks, and Lauren Post, and Presenting Sponsor is the Post Family/Dealerweb, Inc. Tickets are available here or at www.BTNY.org. Email events@btny.org for further information.

Breakthrough New York will celebrate the work of individuals who have shown a commitment and enthusiasm to support student success:

• Andrew Marks – Andy has served as a member of Breakthrough New York’s Board of Directors since its founding 19 years ago. A lifetime New Yorker, Mr. Marks has worked in the Insurance Brokerage arena for more than 50 years, starting out with Schiff Terhune, a regional broker, and advancing to become CEO of Reed Stenhouse New York, a global firm which purchased Schiff in 1982 and operated in 32 countries. Andy then launched his own firm, MLW Services, Inc., which became part of Bollinger, Inc. and then was purchased by Gallagher, the third largest Risk Management/Insurance Broker firm in the country and fourth largest in the world. He currently serves as Area Senior Executive Vice President for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.He joined Breakthrough New York when the nonprofit launched at The Town School, where he was serving on the Board when his son and daughter attended the school. During his tenure on the board, he has served on several committees, most recently on the nonprofit’s Finance Committee. He also has served on the Board of Directors of The Harmonie Club and Lighthouse Guild International, Inc. In 2012, he received the “Make a Difference Award” from OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services.
• Rory Post  – Rory serves as Director of MBS at Dealerweb, where he supervises a team of 11 overseeing a suite of mortgage-backed securities initiatives. Previously, he had worked at Hilliard Farber since 2002 until it was acquired by Tradeweb Markets, the parent company of Dealerweb and a world leader in building and operating electronic over-the-counter marketplaces. Throughout his career, Rory has been engaged with a number of philanthropic causes, including the Lupus Foundation of America, For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation, and Student Sponsor Partners, a New York City-based nonprofit which provides city low-income high school students with support. A native of Poughkeepsie, Rory graduated from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002. He currently lives with his wife, Lauren, who is a special education teacher, and his three children in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Out of the office, he devotes much of his time with his children, often spending time accompanying them at hockey, ballet, and equestrian activities.

The evening’s emcee is Cindy Hsu, an Emmy Award-winning anchor and reporter who has been at CBS 2 News in New York City since 1993. Hsu’s work at CBS 2 has been recognized with numerous awards. Recently, Hsu was awarded “Reporter of the Year” from the NY &NJ Asian-American Law Enforcement Organization. Her personal adoption story, “Bringing Rosie Home,” was nominated for an Emmy Award and won the New York AP Broadcasters Award for Best Feature. She received Emmy Awards for Outstanding Single Hard News Story for “Smuggled from China,” which exposed the horrific plights of Chinese refugees from the Golden Venture ship, and for her live coverage of the snowstorm of 1994. American Women in Radio and Television honored her with the Golden Apple Award, and she also received the Friends of Adoption Award from the Adoptive Parents Committee. Hsu spends much of her off-duty time performing community work and is strongly involved with the Asian-American community.

About Breakthrough New York

Breakthrough New York transforms the lives of talented kids from low-income backgrounds by providing educational support from middle school through college and into careers. We also inspire talented young people to enter careers in education through our students-teaching-students model. Our goal is to create leaders who break the cycle of poverty in their families and affect positive change in their communities. Learn more at www.btny.org.

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