2008 Urban Visionaries Honorees URBAN CITIZENSHIP Richard Ravitch, widely known for creating affordable housing with an understanding of the impact of architecture on quality of life, is a principle partner in Ravitch, Rice & Company LLC. He began his career at HRH Construction Corporation and, as chairman, was responsible for supervising the development, financing and construction of over 45,000 units of affordable housing in New York City. He served as chairman of the New York State Urban Development Board and chaired the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York. He was the first Chairman of the Corporation for Supportive Housing and served as Co-Chair of the Millenial Housing Commission. Mr. Ravitch's professional and pro bono activities currently include service as Chairman of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, Trustee of the Century Foundation, Trustee of Mount Sinai Medical Center, and he sits on the Board of Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. VISUAL ART Annie Leibovitz began her career as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone in 1970. Her pictures have appeared regularly on magazine covers ever since, and her large and distinguished body of work encompasses some of the most well known portraits of our time. In addition to her editorial work, Leibovitz has created influential advertising campaigns, including her award-winning work for American Express and the Gap. She has also collaborated with many arts organizations. The French government decorated her as a Commandeur in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and she was designated a Living Legend by the Library of Congress. ARCHITECTURE David Childs, whose works continue to shape the New York City skyline, began his career in the Washington, DC office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, after serving as Design Director of the Pennsylvania Avenue Commission. In 1984, Mr. Childs relocated to SOM's New York office, where he became the office's Senior Design Partner, as well as the firm's first Chairman. In New York, Mr. Childs has completed projects such as the new 7 World Trade Center, the new International Arrivals Building at John F. Kennedy International Airport and the Time Warner Center. Currently, he is the creating designs for One World Trade Center and the new Moynihan Station. Mr. Childs has served as Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts in Washington, both Presidential appointments. His current civic involvements include the Chairmanship of the American Academy in Rome, and memberships on the boards of the Museum of Modern Art and the Municipal Art Society. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. ENGINEERING Lloyd G. Trotter, recognized for his exceptional commitment to management excellence and educational opportunity, is a partner in GenNx360 Capital Partners. GenNx360 is a new firm that invests in companies focusing on areas such as commercial security, industrial water treatment, infrastructure, and aerospace. Prior to founding GenNx360, Mr. Trotter served as vice chairman and chief executive of the $28 billion General Electric Industrial unit. Previously, he served as executive vice president of Operations at GE where he led efforts to improve operational excellence across all of its businesses. He began his GE career in 1970 as a field service engineer and went on to hold production and technology positions in several areas, including vice president and general manager of Manufacturing for Electrical Distribution and Control. Mr. Trotter is a founding member of GE's African-American Forum and is actively involved in professional and community organizations, including America's Promise, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering and the GE Foundation. EMERGING TALENT Wangechi Mutu, best known for her luscious yet unsettling pictures of female figures, is a Kenyan-born artist based in New York who graduated from The Cooper Union's School of Art in 1997 and went on to earn a MFA in sculpture from Yale University. Her painted and collaged works function as potent social critique while simultaneously exploring more poetic strains of mythology and the sensuousness of form, color and pattern. Her award-winning work has been featured in major exhibitions at several galleries and museums around the world including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Miami Art Museum, Tate Modern in London, the Studio Museum in Harlem, Kunstpalast Dusseldorf in Germany, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the New Museum of Contemporary Art and the Barbican in London and at The Royal Academy in London, among many others. She participated in the 2004 Gwangju Biennale in South Korea.