Featured August 26, 2020 A letter from the Partnership’s chair: Perseverance through adversity Back to Blog Honoring Ronnie F. Heyman: Co-Founder of the Partnership for Public Service Date November 12, 2020 | Updated on July 14, 2021 Authors Libby Dickinson Tags Partnership Insights In photo above: Ronnie Heyman, left, speaking at the 2018 Service to America Medals gala with Dr. Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, right, the 2018 Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement winner. Photo by Lawrence Jackson. On Oct. 29, the New York Landmarks Conservancy honored Ronnie F. Heyman, co-founder of the Partnership for Public Service, at the 2020 Living Landmarks Celebration. The event recognizes extraordinary New Yorkers who make vital contributions to the city. Mrs. Heyman is a passionate supporter of the arts, both in New York and around the world. She currently serves as the president of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and as a trustee of both the Norton Museum of Art and the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Florida. She previously served on the International Director’s Council at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City where she helped expand the museum’s contemporary collection and on the Collector’s Committee at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. In 2001, Mrs. Heyman and her late husband, Samuel, founded the Partnership for Public Service to encourage the best and brightest to pursue public service and help government more effectively address our nation’s most pressing challenges. Mrs. Heyman is an honorary board member for the organization. Her son, Larry, previously served on the board. And her daughter, Jennifer Millstone, is a current board member. Each year, the Partnership hosts the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, or the “Sammies,” to honor Sam’s legacy. Known as the “Oscars” of government service, the Sammies are the premier awards program recognizing innovation and leadership in the federal government. Mrs. Heyman has long been a vital contributor to the Sammies. Along with her late husband, Mrs. Heyman has also established several initiatives that promote public service and good governance. For example, she has endowed fellowship programs at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Seton Hall School of Law, to encourage and provide financial support to law students who pursue work in government. The Heymans also established The Samuel & Ronnie Heyman Center on Corporate Governance at Yeshiva University, focusing on the studies of corporate and securities law, and The Samuel & Ronnie Heyman Center for Ethics, Public Policy and the Professions at Duke University, which researches and teaches ethical issues in public policy, campaigns, governmental entities and charitable organizations. Mrs. Heyman also serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a leading foreign policy think tank, and was the first recipient of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Evelyn Lauder Humanitarian Award. Currently, she is chairman of GAF Corporation, the country’s largest manufacturer of residential roofing and commercial building materials, and an attorney and managing partner of Heyman Properties, which owns and manages commercial real estate. Given Mrs. Heyman’s many accomplishments, it’s easy to see why the New York Landmarks Conservancy recognizes her as a “living landmark.” The Partnership would like to congratulate our esteemed honorary board member on this prestigious—and well-deserved—award. Read more about Mrs. Heyman on the Partnership website. Libby Dickinson is a former intern on the Partnership’s Development team.
