0% found this document useful (0 votes)
25 views2 pages

Thefranklininstitute Trusteerelease June 2016 Final

The Franklin Institute has announced the election of five new members to its Board of Trustees: Annie Duke, Yvette D. Bright, Andrea Anania Stewart, Elaine C. Levitt, and Luiz G. Vieira. The new trustees will help guide the Institute as it experiences significant growth over the next several years through their diverse backgrounds and experience.

Uploaded by

Albier Christian
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
25 views2 pages

Thefranklininstitute Trusteerelease June 2016 Final

The Franklin Institute has announced the election of five new members to its Board of Trustees: Annie Duke, Yvette D. Bright, Andrea Anania Stewart, Elaine C. Levitt, and Luiz G. Vieira. The new trustees will help guide the Institute as it experiences significant growth over the next several years through their diverse backgrounds and experience.

Uploaded by

Albier Christian
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

222 NORTH 20TH STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 P 215.448.1200 F 215.448.1235 www.fi.

edu

PUBLIC RELATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Stefanie Santo 215.448.1152 | [email protected]

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE APPOINTS FIVE


MEMBERS TO ITS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Philadelphia, PA June 23, 2016 – The Franklin Institute has announced the election of five members to
its Board of Trustees: Annie Duke, Yvette D. Bright, Andrea Anania Stewart, Elaine C. Levitt, and
Luiz G. Vieira. The new trustees are an integral part of a 45-member board that is considered to be one
of the strongest non-profit boards in the region, both for its depth and diversity of talent and resources.

“It is a distinct pleasure to welcome this group of talented individuals to our board,” stated The Franklin
Institute President & CEO, Larry Dubinski. “The Franklin Institute is poised to experience significant
growth over the next several years. We are indebted to these individuals for committing their broad
experience and diversity of perspectives as we carry out our ambitious plans for the Institute.”

Annie Duke is a best-selling author, public speaker, decision strategist, and for two decades, she was one
of the top poker players in the world. Prior to her poker career, she was awarded a National Science
Foundation Fellowship to study Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania after graduating
with a double major in English and Psychology from Columbia University. Duke combined her
background in cognitive psychology with decision making lessons gained through her poker experience
and developed a series of inspirational and educational talks. Her passion for making a difference has
helped to raise more than $18 million for charities for causes as diverse as international refugees, victims
of the conflicts in Sudan, improving education, and numerous children’s hospitals. In 2009, she appeared
on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, through which she helped raise $730,000 for Refugees International. She
serves on the National Board of After School All-Stars, a non-profit that benefits more than 90,000 inner
city youth across the country. In 2014, Duke helped launch How I Decide, a local nonprofit with the goal
of helping young people develop the essential life skills of critical thinking and decision making.

Yvette D. Bright is executive vice president and chief operating officer at Independence Blue Cross
(IBC) in Philadelphia. Bright served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer
responsible for strategic and operational planning, new business development, and portfolio management
for strategic initiatives and prior served as senior vice president, e-Business and Operations for
Independence Blue Cross. Prior to joining IBC, a strong corporate supporter of The Franklin Institute for
more than 30 years, Bright held several positions in marketing, training, and consulting services in the
United States and United Kingdom. Bright has served on the board of the Walnut Street Theater as well
as the senior vice president at the Philadelphia's Children's Theater. The National Multiple Sclerosis
Society recognized Bright for local business leadership, and she received the Candace Award for Women
of Achievement from the South Jersey chapter of the National Coalition of Black Women. Bright has also
received the Philadelphia Business Journal Women of Distinction Award. Bright graduated from Tulane
University School of Engineering, completed post-graduate course work at the London Business School,
and received her MBA in health care management from Saint Joseph's University.

Andrea Anania Stewart held the position of executive vice president and chief information officer of
CIGNA Corporation from 1998 until 2004. Prior to that, she spent 20 years at Unisys Corporation in
areas of technical support, sales, and product management. She currently serves on the Board of the
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, is a member of the CIO Advisory Council
of the Fox School of Business of Temple University, and is on the Board of Family Support Services.
She is also a founding member of Women for Social Innovation. She holds an MBA from the Wharton
School at the University of Pennsylvania. Stewart has generously supported The Franklin Institute for the
past 30 years, along with her late husband, Jim Stewart.

Elaine C. Levitt has been actively involved in The Franklin Institute since 1984, serving on the Franklin
Institute Awards Friends Committee since 1999 and as a trustee from 1996-2004. Levitt is a longtime
member of Philadelphia’s philanthropic community—together with her late husband Joel Gershman they
established the Joel and Elaine Levitt Gershman Foundation in 1998. She is an advisory member of the
Friends of Rittenhouse Square and has served on several area boards including: Israel America
Foundation, Inc., Friends of Rittenhouse Square, The University of the Arts, The National Liberty
Museum, and The Gershman Y. Levitt has a strong background in science, graduating from Cornell
University with a B.S. in Science and holds a master’s degree in psychiatric art therapy.

Luiz G.Vieira is president and managing director of the EMD Performance Materials Corp., a business of
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany a global science and technology company based in Germany. Vieira
began his career with the company in 1990 and since then has held several positions within its many
divisions— from business development manager to vice president of the performance materials division
and currently as president and managing director. Vieira joined The Franklin Institute’s Executive
Corporate Board in 2015 where he has been an active and valued participant. Under Vieria’s direction,
EMD is now an Associate Sponsor of Community Night at The Franklin Institute, a monthly event that
provides free general museum admission to the widespread community. Vieira is a member of the
Personal Care Products Council, Color Pigments Manufacturers Association, Commercial Development
and Marketing Association, and the Greater Philadelphia Senior Executive Group. He holds a BS in
Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati, a BA in Marketing from the IHK-Darmstadt Germany, and
a MS from Polytechnic Institute of NYU, the nation's second oldest private engineering institute.

The Franklin Institute


Located in the heart of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in the field of
science and technology learning, as well as a dynamic center of activity. Pennsylvania’s most visited museum, it is
dedicated to creating a passion for learning about science by offering access to informal hands-on science education.
For more information, visit www.fi.edu.

You might also like