Andrew M. Manshel’s first-hand account of the transformation of New York’s Bryant Park contains relevant lessons for parks and public spaces in every community—including (and especially!) Charleston. As such, we are THRILLED to welcome Mr. Manshel to share his insights with us during an evening of discussion and learning on Thursday, May 11.
A conversation led by David Rawle, the catalyst for Charleston’s Theodora Park, hailed as “a model for the future,” this event is a can’t-miss occasion for everyone from garden/park organizations to civic-minded groups to urban planners to activists and individuals invested in the sustainable growth of our city.
Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for guests.
Box office closes at 3pm-day of, but please call if interested in getting one at the door.
Click here, or call 843-579-9922, to secure your seat(s) today.
About Andrew M. Manshel:
Mr. Manshel currently serves as Senior Advisor to Hollis Public Affairs, providing a full range of services to the private sector in dealing with all levels of government. He was Assistant Commissioner for Franchise Administration at the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, managing the equitable delivery of telecommunications services in public space. For 11 years he served as Executive Vice President of Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and President of its Jamaica Capital Corporation and Jamaica First Parking affiliates, working to improve public space and the quality of life in a vibrant, but disinvested, African-American, Caribbean, Central American and South Asian neighborhood.
Mr. Manshel is the author of Learning from Bryant Park: Revitalizing Cities, Towns and Public Spaces, published in 2020 by Rutgers University Press. For 10 years Mr. Manshel was Associate Director and Counsel at the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation (conceptualizing and successfully implementing many of its most noted programs including its performances, the film series and the construction and leasing of the Bryant Park Grill) and General Counsel and Director of Public Amenities to the Grand Central and 34th Street Partnerships (where he structured the first tax exempt BID bond issues, developed and leased the Pershing Square Café, negotiated site control for Herald and Greeley Squares, and created the horticulture, street vendor, newsrack and public toilet programs).
Prior to that he was a partner in the Real Estate Department of law firm Kalkines Arky Zall & Bernstein LLP (now Manatt Phelps & Phillips). He also served as Vice President of Finance and Administration at Barnard College. Mr. Manshel often assists organizations in revitalizing, planning and managing public spaces, works to strengthen not-for-profits’ governance and finances and blogs about downtown and public space revitalization. He holds Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees (with distinction) from New York University and a BA in Government (with honors) from Oberlin College.
Mr. Manshel plays the renaissance lute and the theorbo.
About David Rawle:
David Rawle is the retired founder of a Charleston-based marketing and communications firm representing national and international companies. He contributed significantly to the creation and success of several major Charleston institutions, including Kiawah Island, Daniel Island, Spoleto Festival USA, and the South Carolina Aquarium. David was the catalyst to creating Theodora Park, an acclaimed ‘pocket park’ in downtown Charleston, called “a beautifully tranquil public garden” by the New York Times and “a model for the future” by the Post and Courier. CLS members and friends may recall David’s standing-room-only presentation of his book, “What Matters.”
