An international executive, educator and nonprofit leader
Resume:
Peter A. Gross
** **** ***** ****, ***** Salem, NY 10590
************@*****.*** Mobile: 973-***-****
September 25, 2024
Yale University
By Internet
Re: International Community Engagement Specialist Position As you’ll note from my resume, I have been engaged in international relations and working with diverse communities and cultures throughout my life. I am also an experienced educator and a leader in the expansion, administration and organization of nonprofits and businesses. Adding a dimension not on my resume, I have a special concern for and connection to foreign students, partly because my mother was a refugee from Nazi Germany, who arrived in the United States without family as a young teenager and managed to complete here high school and then university education.
I also have an abiding love for Yale, my undergraduate college. My experience includes: supervising large ($750 million) and small ($120,000) nonprofit budgets; designing and implementing program initiatives (such as Project Head Start, the expansion of an INGO’s board to include representatives from “third-world” nations); the structuring of HBO as a national pay-television network), coordinating programs among a number of business units; advocacy and communications; applying for and managing grants
(especially at Plan International) and managing business units. I’m a self-starter and love challenges and hard work, I suppose you might see an issue with my age. I turned 81 this spring. I hope it’s not a problem for you; it certainly isn’t for me. Retirement isn’t in my plans or DNA. I’m in good shape physically and mentally and ready to do the job enthusiastically, and because of my experience, effectively and dynamically. I’d love to work with you and hope you decide it’s worth following up with my application. Sincerely,
Peter A. Gross
RESUME – PETER A. GROSS
Summary
An executive, educator and nonprofit leader with considerable international and educational experience
International Experience
Former Board Chair of Plan USA (an international nonprofit that works to improve the lives of children and women in the world’s most disadvantaged communities in over 50 countries); and Former Members Assembly and International Board Member, Executive Committee Member and Treasurer of Plan International, the parent organization headquartered in UK and governed by an international members committee with representatives from twenty nations
In these capacities, I worked with people from all around the world to govern a major INGNO, visited numerous countries and experienced a rich range of local cultures. Co-Founder and Former CEO of Stone Bridge International (a television-program creation and production company headquartered in Beijing that produced weekly programs aired on Chinese television) Founder and Former CEO of Eagle Rock International (a concert creation and production company, whose concerts included programs of performers from Haiti, the Caribbean, Mexico, Italy, the Andes, Native-American communities and Ireland)
Consultant, La Bourse, Paris, France
Advised Paris Stock Exchange on creating a network of information kiosks International Consultant, Comedy Central
Represented the network in its dealings with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Communications and advised its general counsel on various matters and transactions International Consultant, Time, Inc. Magazine Group (Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, People, Southern Living, Discover)
Advised and represented the group on international postal rates and arrangements, on intellectual property and in NAFTA negotiations
U.S. Counsel to Perley-Robinson, Hill & McDougall, an Ottawa, Canada, law firm (three years) Represented Canadian clients (including NHL’s Ottawa Senators) in their U.S. legal matters Extensive travel (for business, for nonprofit activities and for pleasure) to over 60 countries in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia
Exchange Student Experience
Kalmar, Sweden (summer, during high school), with the Experiment in International Living St-Malo, France (summer during college), as an enrolled student at University of Rennes Member of Host family (as a teenager) for foreign United Nations staff I grew up in a family heavily committed to promoting international understanding and experiencing cultures of other nations.
Experience Hosting and Working with Foreign Students Host family during school vacations for Chinese students studying in the United States (three times) Online tutor for Chinese students, in courses such as American Law and Government, Short Stories and composition
Other Teaching Experience
Adjunct Professor at The New School University, New York City, Communications Department, teaching a course on the future of television (three years)
Speaker, teacher and panelist in numerous Practicing Law Institute and Continuing Legal Education programs, seminars and other professional conferences in the U.S, and overseas (over entire career) Educator of high-school students at Education without Walls, an alternative high school in New Milford, CT, and at Learning Space, an alternative high school in Bethel, CT, teaching Law and Government, Constitutional Law, International Political Science, Nonprofit Organizations, Ethics, World Religions, History of Art and Mock Trial Online educator of high-school students and adults, leading courses in Discussions of Racial and Ethnic Prejudice and Violence, Law and Government, Poetry, Short Stories, History and Impact of Photography, World Religions, History of Art and Mock Trial
Guest speaker and lecturer at NYU Law School, Hunter College, New York Law School, Seton Hall Law School, Rutgers Law School and the Wharton School
Other Non-profit Involvement
Former Coordinator and Program Developer for Community Progress, Inc., a nonprofit in New Haven involved in initial development of Head Start, Neighborhood Youth Corps and education programs (one year, after graduating from college)
Former President of the Board of two professional theater companies and Board Chair of a nonprofit opposing book bans and discrimination against LGBTQ+ students
Former Executive Director of Clearwater (an environmental advocacy and education organization) Former Board Member of The Center to Prevent Youth Violence, Court-Appointed Special Advocates (an Essex County organization that helps represent the interests of children facing foster-care placement), The Adoption Institute; and The New Philharmonic of New Jersey
Other Business Background
Founder and CEO, Eagle Rock International
Established and headed a company that created and produced live concerts in concert halls, parks and other venues
(including Lincoln Cetner) in New York City and in Bangkok, Thailand Legal Practice History
Associate Attorney at Dewey, Ballantine (now Dewey & LeBouef) (four years) Worked in the corporate area of this premiere New York law firm on public offerings, M&A, public and private financings, corporate organization and governance
Corporate Counsel at Teleprompter Corporation (two years) Handled matters for this large cable-television company relating to M&A, public offerings and trading of securities and local-government franchises
General Counsel and Vice President of HBO (Home Box Office, Inc.) (six years) As part of the senior management team and the first General Counsel of HBO, responsible for all HBO’s wide-ranging legal matters (including intellectual-property protection, cable-system affiliation contracts, program-production and acquisition agreements, labor agreements, licensing agreements, government relations and regulations, antitrust matters and satellite-transmission agreements
General Counsel of Time, Inc. Film and Video Division (two years) Responsible for overseeing Legal Departments of HBO, ATC (cable-television systems), Time-Life Films, Time-Life Video and Time Video Information Services, with direct supervision of the legal departments. Legal and Strategic Advisor to Time, Inc. Magazine Group (two years) Advised on both domestic and international legal matters, including international trade negotiations relating to Time, Life, Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated, Discover and Southern Living Partner at Cowan, Gold, DeBaets, Abrahams & Gross (now Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard) (four years) Advised clients and did transactional work on a variety of entertainment, intellectual-property, licensing and M&A matters
Attorney in private practice (twelve years)
Represented and did transactional legal work for a range of clients, especially on business launches and expansion, with clients that included Wine Spectator, International Cablecasting Technologies, Comedy Central, Cigar Aficionado and C- Net
Other Legal Activities and Credentials
Trustee of Copyright Society of the U.S.A. (four years) Judge in national mock-trial tournaments (current – five years) Chair of New York State Bar Association Committee on Cable and Broadcast Television (three years) My Education
Yale University, B.A., Cum Laude, 1965
English Literature Honors Program major; Dean’s List, Scholar of the House, advanced placement in English, History, Math and French. Minors in religion, political science and history of art, President of Davenport College Council, member of Yale Alley Cats (a cappella singing group), Editor of Moderator Magazine University of Pennsylvania, Carey Law School, J.D., Magna Cum Laude, 1969 Law Review Associate Editor, named to Order of the Coif National Legal Honor Society, winner of numerous academic awards including American Jurisprudence prizes for best work in four course areas, class Vice President and Moot Court Judge
Personal and Miscellaneous
Born March 30, 1943; resident of South Salem, New York Married to Elizabeth Meyer-Gross, an occupational therapist, children’s book author and tutor for home-schooled children; four adult children
Author of an unpublished autobiographical manuscript, Rewoven: An Adoptee’s Search Interests include sports (especially hiking, cross-country skiing, kayaking and canoeing), music, travel, wilderness/nature, cinema, art, technology and literature
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