Aspen Institute Celebrates 27th Annual Awards Dinner at Plaza Hotel

Institute Honors Leonard Lauder and Vartan Gregorian, John Danner Receives John P. McNulty Prize

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aspen Institute held its 27th Annual Awards Dinner at the Plaza Hotel in New York on November 4, 2010. The Institute presented Leonard Lauder, chairman emeritus of The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., with its Corporate Leadership Award. Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation, was the recipient of the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Leadership Award. Institute Trustee Anne Welsh McNulty awarded the third annual John P. McNulty Prize to John Danner, founder of Rocketship Education. Christiane Amanpour, anchor of ABC News' This Week, led a lively discussion on leadership with Mr. Lauder and Dr. Gregorian.

Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson said, "Our annual dinner is a time to celebrate the Aspen Institute and the important work it accomplishes throughout the year. The Institute is committed to toning down the harsh rhetoric characterizing our polarized, public arena and to fostering civil exchange and values-based leadership. There's no better way to demonstrate this mission than by honoring two exceptional leaders –– Leonard Lauder and Vartan Gregorian –– exemplars of integrity, vision, public-spiritedness and philanthropy. Both men have left indelible marks on the institutions they've led and the people they've touched. In their own unique ways, they've made the world a better place and we are proud to have recognized them with our leadership awards."

Leonard Lauder stated, "The Aspen Institute has been the most influential and thought - provoking center of my life, from my first seminar in 1978, until now. I am honored to have received the Corporate Leadership Award, and I am even more honored to be a continued student of the Aspen Institute and all that is has to offer."

Commenting on his selection as the 2010 recipient of the Henry Crown Award, Vartan Gregorian said, "Henry Crown was a paragon of integrity, dignity, and leadership. It is a great honor for me to receive this award because it gives me the occasion to celebrate the life of this extraordinary man whose legendary career was built on a foundation of trust and respect. In business as in life, his word was his bond and his promises were always kept. He believed that success in business must be matched by generosity and public service. Through his philanthropy and dedication to advancing his community and society, he set a lasting example for us all."

Upon learning that he was to be awarded the McNulty Prize, John Danner said, "On behalf of all my Rocketship colleagues, I'm delighted and honored to accept the McNulty Prize. This award further supports our commitment to address our nation's education crisis by building a scalable network of K-5 charter schools dedicated to serving the needs of each and every student via individualized learning. By enhancing great classroom teaching with our hybrid learning model, we can eliminate the income achievement gap with schools that demonstrate both academic and operational excellence."

Rocketship Education is a national network of high-performing elementary charter schools whose mission is to eliminate the income achievement gap.

The Corporate Leadership Award is presented to an individual whose exemplary leadership and dedication to the betterment of society represent those values and traditions fostered by the Aspen Institute in all of its endeavors. The recipient of this award has exhibited vision and a commitment to the public good, and has practiced highly principled leadership. Representing the highest standards of corporate citizenship, this individual has helped to redefine the private sector of the 21st century. Previous awardees include Peter G. Peterson (2008), Richard Branson (2007), Goldman, Sachs & Co. (2006), Jeffrey R. Immelt (2005), Felix G. Rohatyn (2004), Robert E. Rubin (2003), John C. Whitehead (2002), and Yotaro Kobayashi (2000).

The Henry Crown Leadership Award honors an outstanding leader whose achievements reflect the high standard of honor, integrity, industry, and philanthropy that characterize the life of Henry Crown. The award is presented by Trustees of the Henry and Gladys Crown Charitable Trust Fund in cooperation with the Henry Crown Fellowship Program of the Aspen Institute. Past recipients of this award include Jeff Bezos (2009), William E. Mayer (2008), Condoleezza Rice (2006), William D. Budinger (2005), Michael K. Powell (2004), Patty Stonesifer (2003), Jimmy Carter (2002), William J. Perry (2001), and George J. Mitchell (2000).

The John P. McNulty Prize celebrates the spirit and memory of Institute trustee John P. McNulty. The $100,000 prize recognizes an extraordinary young leader making creative, effective, and lasting contributions to his or her community. The prize is given annually to an Aspen Global Leadership Fellow. Past recipients of the McNulty Prize include Jordan Kassalow of VisionSpring (2008) and Patrick Awuah of Ashesi University (2009).

For more information, and video from the Aspen Institute's 27th Annual Awards Dinner, visit http://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/2010/11/04/27th-annual-awards-dinner.

Photos from the evening can be found at http://www.patrickmcmullan.com/site/event_detail.aspx?eid=34993&home=1.

Further information on the McNulty Prize winner and his project can be found at http://www.aspeninstitute.org/news/2010/11/05/winner-third-annual-john-p-mcnulty-prize-announced.

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has an international network of partners.

SOURCE The Aspen Institute