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Albert B. Ratner Co-Chairman of the Board, Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
Albert B. Ratner
is co-chairman of the board of Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
He has been in
the commercial and residential real estate industry with Forest City since
1951. Ratner is well known as a long time community booster for Cleveland and a
leader in its Jewish community. He is a life trustee of the Cleveland
Jewish Community Federation and a member of the International Council of the
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
In the company's
hometown of Cleveland, Ratner was the driving force behind Forest City's
dramatic redevelopment of the Terminal Tower and the former Union Terminal into
Tower City Center, a mixed-use complex with a multi-floor mall, office space and
hotel. That project, which was completed in 1990, is widely regarded as the
catalyst for the rebirth of downtown Cleveland throughout the 1990s.
Ratner has always
been involved in local activities. He is currently an honorary trustee of
Shoes & Clothes for Kids and is on the advisory committee of the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame and Foundation. In the past, Ratner has served as a board
member for civic groups, including the Cleveland Initiative for
Education, the Greater Cleveland Partnership and the United Way. He has
also served on corporate boards for American Greetings and RPM, Inc.
Nationally, he is
on the board of governors of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation and is an honorary
trustee of the Enterprise Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Trustees
for the United Jewish Communities.
Ratner is a
graduate of Michigan State University, with a degree in forestry. He also holds
an honorary doctor of laws degree from Long Island University and an honorary
doctor of engineering degree from Polytechnic University, both in Brooklyn,
N.Y. He is an adjunct visiting professor for the Michigan State University Land
Policy Institute.
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