Haitian President Michel Martelly has appointed James P. Stuckey, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate divisional dean, Klara and Larry Silverstein chair, and clinical professor of real estate, to the Presidential Advisory Council on Economic Growth and Investment.

NYU Schack Institute's Dean Stuckey Appointed to Haitian Presidential Council
James P. Stuckey

-NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate Dean Tapped for Expertise on Post-Catastrophe Reconstruction-

Haitian President Michel Martelly has appointed James P. Stuckey, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate divisional dean, Klara and Larry Silverstein chair, and clinical professor of real estate, to the Presidential Advisory Council on Economic Growth and Investment. 

The 32-member council will be co-chaired by former President Bill Clinton, the U.N. special envoy to Haiti, and Laurent Lamothe, a telecommunications entrepreneur who is a senior adviser to Martelly.

The council will be made up of political and business leaders from around the world, with expertise in real estate, finance, energy, media, and travel, among other disciplines. With its first meeting scheduled for September 21 in New York City, the council is charged promote a brand called “Haiti”; advising the Office of the Presidency on policy and strategic initiatives to improve Haiti’s competitiveness; enhancing its economic outlook and attracting investments that will create sustainable jobs; and soliciting investment sources to spur economic growth.

“Our commitment is to transform our nation towards a place to conduct business, create sustainable jobs and establish an enduring foundation upon which Haiti may rise to economic prosperity,” said President Martelly. “The Advisory Council will play a critical role in achieving this vision.”


Both Stuckey and former President Clinton have played vital roles in Haiti’s reconstruction efforts since shortly after an earthquake devastated the island nation’s capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas in January of 2010.

“I’m honored and humbled to serve with a group of the world’s foremost leaders in so many different fields and disciplines,” said Stuckey.  “Even though I have made numerous trips to Haiti since last year’s earthquake, it is still hard to believe the amount of devastation this catastrophe has caused.  I praise President Martelly for bringing together this prestigious panel of experts that I am sure will accelerate the rebuilding of Haiti.”

Prior to the earthquake, Stuckey was working to develop a course on post-catastrophe reconstruction.  Following his first visit there after the quake, the course took on a new urgency and was launched in the fall semester of 2010.  Stuckey made several trips to Haiti, some with students from the class, which was filled up shortly after registration began. He became involved with the Clinton Global Initiative, Architects for Humanity, and other groups in several rebuilding projects there.

The Post-Catastrophe Reconstruction course examines the complexities of rebuilding after a natural disaster or man-made catastrophic event. Beginning with an overview of the process and players involved in emergency response situations, and a critical analysis of previous reconstruction efforts, the course compares and contrasts the unique characteristics of different types of disasters (natural disaster vs. terrorism, urban vs. rural, developing vs. developed nations). The class discusses issues surrounding immediate rapid response and intermediate and long-term reconstruction; and evaluates pre-event preparedness plans and development aimed at reducing the chances of occurrence and the effects of these events.

By the end of the course, participants have a comprehensive understanding of the various forms and characteristics of disasters; players and response options; and how to use best practices to develop preparedness, emergency, transitional, and long-term response plans.

Stuckey has over 30 years of public and private development experience and has completed many of the most complicated real estate projects in the United States with total values exceeding more than $25 billion. He served until 2007 as president of the Atlantic Yards Development Group, part of Forest City Ratner Companies. In that role, he led the development of Atlantic Yards, the proposed home of the New Jersey Nets and a commercial development in the heart of Brooklyn. This $4 billion dollar development will create affordable and middle-income housing, eight acres of open space, and thousands of new construction and permanent jobs. During his tenure at Forest City, Stuckey also oversaw the development of 15 MetroTech Center South, the first Class “A” office building to commence construction in the nation after the September 11th tragedy. Stuckey also was a managing director at Gronich & Company, served under Mayor Edward I. Koch as president of the New York City Public Development Corporation (currently known as the Economic Development Corporation), and was appointed commissioner to the NYC Design Commission.

About the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate

The NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate (www.scps.nyu.edu/schack) was founded in 1967, at the initiative of prominent real estate leaders who encouraged NYU to establish an academic center that provided an educational foundation for professionals within their industry. Today, NYU Schack is home to graduate degree and related graduate certificate programs—notably the M.S. in Real Estate,  the M.S. in Construction Management and the new MS in Real Estate Development—which enroll some 700 full- and part-time students from more than 30 countries and have nearly 2,500 alumni degree-holders around the globe.  In addition, each year approximately 7,200 working professionals enroll in the Institute's professional certificate programs, noncredit courses, and licensure-related offerings in such areas as real estate finance, sales and brokerage, sustainable design, facilities management, and architecture and civil engineering.  The Institute also houses the NYU REIT Center and the Center for the Sustainable Built Environment and hosts key industry events, including annual conferences on Real Estate Capital Markets and REITs. NYU Schack is one of several comprehensive academic divisions within the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS), the NYU home for study and applied research related to key knowledge-based industries where the New York region leads globally.


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