New York City Real Estate

Andrew H. Tisch ’71 is Co-Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Loews Corporation, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of CNA Financial Corporation. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Center for U.S. Global Leadership and is a trustee of the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a B.S. from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and an MBA from Harvard University. At Cornell, Mr. Tisch serves as Chair of the College Leadership Council of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Overseers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Tech. A former Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University, he also serves on the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Harvard Business School and on the Dean’s Council NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Mr. Tisch is the author of “Journeys: An American Story,“ a 2018 book on immigration and America.

Deborah Friedland (SHA 1988, MS 1995) is a Managing Director in EisnerAmper’s Financial Advisory Services and Real Estate Groups, where she specializes in operational strategy analysis, asset management, valuation, internal control review and assessments, market studies, and transactional due diligence for investors and lenders, advising clients in connection with the acquisition, finance, conversion, or operation of hospitality, gaming, restaurant, industrial, commercial, mixed-use, and other properties. Prior to joining EisnerAmper, Ms. Friedland was Managing Director at FTI Consulting. She served as Vice President and Principal REIT analyst at ABN AMRO, and as REIT and gaming analyst at Smith Barney. She began her career as a real estate consultant at Arthur Andersen. Ms. Friedland frequently presents to professional groups and has contributed to articles for real estate and hospitality publications. In 2018, Crain’s New York Business named her among Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting. 

Kenneth A. Himmel (SHA ’70) is President and Chief Executive Officer of Related Urban, a leading developer of large-scale mixed-use properties. He is also co-managing partner of Gulf Related, a joint venture of Related Companies and Gulf Capital, which pursues development opportunities in Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Himmel focuses on combining architectural design and urban planning with dynamic shopping, entertainment, residences, offices, and restaurants, with resonance on local lifestyle and culture. Under his leadership, Related Urban has opened the Time Warner Center at NYC’s Columbus Circle and CityPlace in West Palm Beach, as well as recent signature developments at Hudson Yards in midtown Manhattan, Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, and a waterfront project in Santa Clara. Past developments include Copley Place in Boston, Reston Town Center in Reston, and Pacific Place in Seattle. Mr. Himmel received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of William and Mary. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Real Estate and Finance. 

Michael Samuelian is an urban planner, real estate developer, and professor, as well as the founding director of Cornell Tech’s Urban Tech Hub, which promotes innovative collaborations between tech leaders and academic thought leaders. Mr. Samuelian has been at the forefront of some of New York City’s most transformational projects, including community development in Lower Manhattan and the creation of a new neighborhood in Hudson Yards. He’s an experienced executive, accomplished leader, advocate for open space, and strategic planner who led public meetings in the dark days after 9/11, rezoned a vast swath of Manhattan’s West Side, and elevated Governors Island into a successful and diverse public space.