UNION SQUARE PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF JENNIFER E. FALK AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

New York (November 13, 2006) The Union Square Partnership (USP) Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Jennifer E. Falk, currently First Deputy Press Secretary for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and spokeswoman for Deputy Mayor of Economic Development and Rebuilding Daniel L. Doctoroff, as Executive Director. In her new role, which will become effective January 3, 2007, Falk will work closely with the Partnership's Board of Directors and the organization's many partners in the public and private sectors, to continue enhancing the 14th Street - Union Square neighborhood as one of the most vibrant in the city.

"We are thrilled that Jennifer is bringing her extraordinary talents and energy to the Union Square Partnership as our new Executive Director" said USP Co-Chair Danny Meyer. "We are confident that under her leadership the Union Square community will flourish and achieve even greater success in the future."

"The Union Square Partnership was the first business improvement district in the city - the model of success upon which dozens more were built - and I am honored to join the Union Square Partnership team, and eager to build on that storied history to help lead the organization to the next level," said Falk.

At City Hall, Falk coordinated the communications strategy for the Administration's five-borough economic development plan, overseeing many of the City's most ambitious projects, and coordinating communications for all of the City's economic development agencies including the Department of Small Business Services and Economic Development Corporation, giving her vast experience with New York City's Local Development Corporations (LDC) and Business Improvement Districts (BID), which have seen enormous growth under the Bloomberg Administration. Prior to City Hall, Falk worked at the City's Administration for Children's Services under the leadership of then-Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, where she served as Deputy Director of Communications for several years and later as the agency's Press Secretary.

"For nearly ten years, Jennifer has served City government with passion and dedication, and our Administration has been lucky to have her in City Hall for the last five years, tirelessly shaping our approach to communications," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "I am pleased that we will continue to benefit from Jennifer's commitment to our City as she begins her work as Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership. I know she will excel in her new position, taking the organization to new heights, and I wish her every happiness and success going forward."

"The Union Square Partnership took the lead role in the economic revitalization of Union Square, and continues to provide strong leadership, creativity and commitment on a wide array of neighborhood issues," said NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Robert W. Walsh. "It will become even stronger under Jennifer's leadership, and I look forward to working closely with her and the organization."

From beautifying Union Square Park to sponsoring programs to support students at Washington Irving High School, the Union Square Partnership plays an instrumental role in the revitalization of the neighborhood. The Partnership is a private, not-for-profit organization comprised of both a local development corporation and New York City's first business improvement district, which was created in 1984 to promote the economic, residential and cultural vitality of the Union Square neighborhood. The organization works to ensure the community's continued growth as a center for business, culture and education, and to improve the quality of life for its residents and businesses, by providing supplemental public safety, sanitation, business promotion and economic development services throughout the district. The Partnership also spearheads educational, economic, and park projects, acting as a liaison between community, business and government leaders.

Contact:

Lee Silberstein or Shane Kavanagh
The Marino Organization
(212) 889-0808

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