Peter C. Goldmark Jr.

Goldmark was selected for responsible positions in government at a young age, starting with heading the Massachusetts Department of Human Services at age 30. He next was the budget director of the State of New York under Governor Hugh L. Carey from 1975 to 1977[3] where he was credited with being the architect of the rescue of both the state and New York City from a budget crisis.[4] Next, he headed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as executive director for eight years,[3] where he was credited with "having transformed a sluggish bistate agency into an energetic vehicle for regional economic improvement." He also worked for several other New York politicians, including New York City mayor, John Lindsay, in 1970[3] as chief of staff[2][5] and by 1975 as budget director[6] and governor, Eliot Spitzer, as co-chair of his transition team.[7]

In 1988, the Rockefeller Foundation chose Goldmark to become its eleventh president and direct the deployment of the foundation's reported $1.7 billions in assets at the time. During his tenure, he reportedly grew the foundation's assets by $1 billion and directed programs towards school reforms, the education of women and poor Americans. He left the organization in 1997.[3][8] Goldmark served on the boards of directors of several other philanthropic or civic organizations, including the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and the National Commission on Civic Renewal.[9]

In 1985, he became senior vice president of the Times Mirror Company's Newsday for two years.[2][3] Following his service with the Rockefeller Foundation, he was the publisher of the International Herald Tribune from 1998 to 2003.[3] As of 2012, Goldmark continued to write weekly columns for Newsday on a variety of topics.[10]

After leaving the International Herald Tribune, Goldmark became program director for climate and air at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where he worked on projects in India, Mexico, Brazil, China, and United States. He was a strong advocate for sustainable development, noting the interplay of global climate change, financing, technologies and the institutions, including foundations, that can address these factors.[11] Upon retiring from the EDF in 2010, he expressed disappointment that his generation had failed to solve the world's environmental issues. He was especially concerned about the lack of action within the U.S. government and held hope that other governments of populous countries might realize the need for action before effects like global warming become irreversible.[12]