A letter from Max Stier, Partnership president and CEO, in memory of Joel Fleishman, founding member of the Partnership board of directors

With the recent passing of one of our founding and long-serving board members, Joel Fleishman, I am both deeply saddened and profoundly grateful for having known him as a dear friend, mentor and colleague. 

It’s simple: Without Joel, I would not be here as the Partnership’s founding president and CEO, and I would have missed out on the opportunity to lead the remarkable work and impact of this organization.

When I left government, I was still dedicated to public service and in search of a role where I could continue to make a difference. I set out to talk with as many people as possible, and a good friend steered me to Joel Fleishman. Joel was then on leave from Duke University to lead Atlantic Philanthropies, an influential foundation that went on to deliver more than $8 billion to causes aimed at providing opportunities and creating fairness and equity for all.

I met with Joel, and we formed an immediate connection. And, in the world of “timing is everything,” he informed me that he was assisting a friend, Sam Heyman, who was interested in starting an effort to promote public service. He noted that Sam was looking for someone to lead this effort and described him as passionate and tough-minded. He was not sure I would fit the bill, but he took a chance on me by introducing me to Sam, who came around to see me as the person he would entrust to establish and lead what is now the Partnership for Public Service.

Early on, Joel was instrumental in helping me learn the ropes as a new nonprofit CEO. He also helped us forge relationships with prominent foundations and individuals, leading many of them to better understand and support our work, and he brought other institutions and individuals to the table as supporters, thought partners and collaborators.

But his contributions did not end there.

As an expert on philanthropy and a reputation as a public policy innovator, Joel’s steady guidance was critical in shaping the Partnership’s mission and programs, enabling our growth over the past two decades. He hosted convenings and meaningful conversations with leading foundation presidents, and he showed up dutifully to each board meeting, cup of hot tea in hand and clad in his Partnership baseball cap and signature Duke blue jacket, to contribute to important conversations about our work and to help thoughtfully guide us through many challenges.

Joel was the consummate connector of great talent, and he did the Partnership the greatest of services by enlisting Tom Bernstein to join our board, where he became chair after Sam’s passing. Since then, Tom’s leadership has been central to establishing the Partnership as a well-known national nonprofit through a dramatic expansion of our programming, network and impact.

Joel always made himself available to others, and it is no surprise that his network of friends and admirers spans from coast to coast, and around the globe. He inspired others with his kindness, compassion and love in everything he did. As a colleague once noted, “If you go to an airport and yell, ‘Joel Fleishman,’ two out of every three people will turn around to look for him.” This is so true.

A quintessential Renaissance man, Joel led the creation of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and served as a professor and director of its Heyman Center on Ethics, Public Policy and the Professions. He contributed significantly to Jewish life for countless students at Duke, where the Fleishman House, named for him in 2021, will remain a place for students to come together. Joel was a special human being who inspired many people up to and beyond his 90^th birthday, which occurred this past spring. The Partnership would not be where it is today without his support, and I strive to carry forward the lessons he imparted to me during our years of friendship and collaboration. I will miss him dearly. 

Max Stier is the founding president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. At the Partnership, he oversees efforts to provide data, insights and recommendations to the executive and legislative branches, create and deliver programs for federal leaders at all levels, strengthen and support the federal workforce, and build connections among the public, private and charitable sectors.