b"A torch is passed:Loretta BrennanGlucksman, Chairman Emeritus andJohn Fitzpatrick, ChairmanAt the Corrymeela Reconciliation Its that heritage and the memory of my parents, who Centre in Northern Irelandgave back in their own way, that have inspired my close involvement with The American Ireland Fund.John recently described his leadership style as teamJohnfiguresprominentlyintheIrishAmericanfocused in an interview with Business& Leadership community as the CEO of the Fitzpatrick Hotel Group in magazine. Its not you whos successful; its the teamNew York. He owns The Fitzpatrick Manhattan Hotel and around you, said John. I wouldnt be able to take on ThetheFitzpatrickGrandCentralHotel,bothlongtimeIrelandFundortheAmericanHotelandLodging favorites with those visiting from Ireland as well as with the Association if I didnt have the team around me. If youre aUStouristmarket.Herecentlytookoveraschairofdishwasher or a general manager, everyones treated thetheAmericanHotelandLodgingAssociation,whichsame. The reason you bring good people around you isrepresents 54,000 hotels and 3.4 million hotel rooms youre hoping theyve got better experience than you have. acrosstheUnitedStates.JohnwasalsonamedIrishJohn Fitzpatricks new position as Chairman of TheAmerican of the Year and received an OBE in 2008 for his American Ireland Fund comes at a pivotal time in the work in advancing reconciliation in Northern Ireland. He organizationshistory.Nowoneofthelargestprivatehas been a member of The American Ireland Fund board sourcesofsupportfortheIrishnonprofitsector, since 2002 and is one of its most significant donors. TheAmericanIrelandFundisassistinghundredsof Johns involvement with The American Ireland Fund organizations as Ireland continues to recover and growthhas had far-reaching impact for many charities acrossbegins to take hold.Ireland and Northern Ireland, particularly those with a On the future, John is optimistic as always: Thanks focus on children as well as those that focus on the peace totheeffortsofsomany,theFundhasalreadywell process.TheCorrymeelaReconciliationCentre,theestablished itself as a major source of support for culturalBarretstown Gang Camp, the Integrated Education Fund, and educational programs throughout Ireland. Its our jobCo-Operation Ireland and Templemore Avenue School to further the Fund's reach and impact in 2014 to positivelyhaveallbenefitedgreatlyfromJohnsphilanthropicaffect more lives, and, as Chairman, thats going to be myinterests as demonstrated through The Eithne and Paddy focus. As always, its the donors and members who driveFitzpatrick Memorial Fund he established in memory of what we do so I look forward to strengthening relationshipshis parents. For every Irish person I know whos achieved with our many stakeholders to ensure that this will be a verya level of success in America, the question is not: Will you good year indeed.help out back at home? The question is: How much willyou help back at home? John said. In that way, we have a wonderful heritage of philanthropy that is epitomized bythe Fund and traces back long before I set foot in the U.S.connect2014 | 12"