Speaker

PJ Berg

Director of Real Estate and Planning, Trust for Governors Island

PJ Berg is the Director of Real Estate and Planning for the Trust for Governors Island, the nonprofit organization created by the City of New York that is charged with the planning, redevelopment, and ongoing operations of 150 acres of Governors Island. In this role, PJ manages the Trust’s portfolio of approximately 1.5M square feet of historic buildings and leads the planning effort to attract innovative uses to the island. Prior to coming to Governors Island, PJ worked on public-private development projects around New York City, including Brooklyn Bridge Park and the World Trade Center. He holds a Masters in Public Policy and Urban Planning from Princeton and serves as co-chair of P/PREP (Public-Private Real Estate Professionals).

Speaker

Merritt Birnbaum

Executive Director, The Friends of Governors Island

Merritt Birnbaum is Executive Director of the Friends of Governors Island. Working in partnership with the Trust for Governors Island and the National Park Service, the Friends’ goal is to ensure the Island’s continued transformation from an abandoned military base to an accessible oasis of culture and recreation. Merritt has over 15 years of experience in fundraising, marketing and administration at New York City nonprofits. Before joining the Friends in November 2015, she was Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Development Officer at the New York Legal Assistance Group, a major provider of civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers, where she oversaw the organization’s large-scale response to SuperStorm Sandy. She has held leadership roles in development and communications at nonprofits dedicated to education, basic science research, social justice, health and the arts. Merritt holds a BA in Studio Art from Vassar College and serves on the Board of Global Empowerment Theatre.