Board of Directors

“I have taken on a second career!” said Lang Lang at the Foundation launch event!”

If one word applies to Lang Lang, to the musician, to the man, to his worldview, to those who come into contact with him, it is “inspiration”. It resounds like a musical motif through his life and career. He inspires millions with his open-hearted, emotive playing, whether it be in intimate recitals or on the grandest of stages – such as the 2014 World Cup concert in Rio, with Placido Domingo, to celebrate the final game; the 56th GRAMMY Award, where he performed with Metallica; the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where more than four billion people around the world viewed his performance; the Last Night of the Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall, or the Liszt 200th birthday concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Charles Dutoit which was broadcast live in more than 300 movie theaters around the United States and 200 cinemas across Europe (the first classical music cinemacast to be headlined by a solo artist).

He forms enduring musical partnerships with the world’s greatest artists, from conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Gustavo Dudamel and Sir Simon Rattle, to artists from outside of classical music – among them dubstep dancer Marquese “nonstop” Scott, king of the crooners Julio Inglesias and jazz titan Herbie Hancock.

He even builds relationships with corporations who will help him get classical music to ever-more people – thanks to his Sony ambassadorship, for instance, he brought Prokofiev’s 7th Piano Sonata to the soundtrack of the multi-million- selling computer game Gran Turismo 5and 6! And he builds cultural bridges between East and West, frequently introducing Chinese music to Western audiences, and vice versa.

David W Hsieh
CEO, Kaptivo / GM Advanced Collaboration, Lifesize

David Hsieh is a high tech executive based in Silicon Valley who has served in executive roles at a mix of large public companies such as Cisco, Sybase, Webex and Ubiquiti and startups including FaceTime Communications, Qubole, Instart Logic and Kaptivo. He has had a lifelong passion for the arts.

Hsieh was a two term trustee at the Montalvo Arts Center including 2 years as President of the Board where he guided the 5 year strategic planning process, founded the technology committee and increased revenue to record levels.

He is currently a board member of the US-China Cultural Institute. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Northwestern University.

Judith is a very active volunteer particularly within in the education and music communities. Having graduated from Princeton University as one of the nine women in the ground-breaking co-educational Class of 1970 with an A.B. in Near Eastern Studies, Judith completed a master’s degree in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures at New York University.

She subsequently spent a Fulbright Scholar year in Istanbul and at St. Anthony’s College at Oxford University while enrolled in a doctoral program in Near Eastern History at Harvard.

Judith is Board Chair of the Oliver Scholars Program, a New York not-for-profit that helps place and counsels under-served African-American and Latino children in independent college preparatory schools. She is serving her fourteenth year as a trustee of The Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, N.J.), where she sits on the executive committee, chairs the Global committee, and co-chairs the development committee. She has been on the Board of Trustees of the National Association of Independent Schools, where she worked on the Governance and Equity and Justice Committees (Washington, D.C); the President of the Board of Far Hills Country Day School (Far Hills, NJ); and served as a trustee of the Delbarton School (Morristown, NJ) and Rutgers Preparatory School (New Brunswick, NJ).

As for music, Judith is currently a Managing Director and Board Secretary of The Metropolitan Opera (New York, NY), and a trustee of the American Friends of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (New York, NY). She has been a trustee of Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (New York, NY) and is a former board chair of the Philharmonic Orchestra of New Jersey.

A trustee of The Central Park Conservancy (New York, NY), Judith was the 2011 recipient of The Central Park Conservancy Women’s Committee’s prestigious Frederick Law Olmsted Award.

She and her husband Willem Kooyker live in New York.

Christy Cressey studied French and Editorial Journalism at the University of Washington, earning her a Bachelor of Arts in 1977.

While at the UW she belonged to the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and also lived in “French House,” a section of McMahon Hall dormitory devoted to speaking the language with other Francophiles. She was chairman of sports activities at her sorority while swimming on the UW’s synchronised swimming team and helping with choreography. She completed her B.S.B.A. in Communications in 1978.

Christy’s journalistic career involved weekly newspapers, aside from short stints in advertising and public relations. Her work involved reporting, photojournalism and proofreading for The Winchester Star in Winchester, Massachusetts. In Illinois she wrote as a staff writer for the Pioneer Press newspapers. Her responsibilities were primarily with the Elm Leaves, the Forest Leaves and the Oak Leaves, serving the communities of Elmwood Park, River Forest and Oak Park respectively. She also worked as a stringer for the Lerner Newspapers in Chicago.

In addition to spending two and a half years renovating a Chicago 1894 Victorian single family cottage, located 525 feet from Wrigley Field’s home plate; Christy chaired the No Lights in Wrigley Field Campaign, euphemistically named C.U.B.S. (Citizens United for Baseball in the Sunshine). As part of that civic effort, she was also actively involved in East Lake View Neighbors and Lake View Citizens Council.

After moving to the Barrington Hills countryside to raise their three daughters, Monique, Charlotte, Alicia, and assorted critters, Christy took up land conservation. She currently resides at Cresswood Farm and manage two ranches. Wolf Run Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado not only provides the family a place for a winter holiday, but is equally beautiful during the summer when the Indian Paint Brush is in bloom. The other escape, Camp Creek Ranch, located near the Illinois Mississippi Palisades western most border is primarily set up for seventy-five miles of horseback riding trails affording the opportunity to enjoy nature chasing coyotes. Christy is a joint master of foxhounds for Massbach Hounds, the hunt providing such sport.

Through the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Christy has served as a trustee for Episcopal Charities and has played an active role with Cathedral Shelter, an agency on Chicago’s near west side providing housing and other support to those wishing help with addictions.

Christy has been a member of the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago since 2001. In 2012, Christy was the co-chair of the Evergreen Invitational Equestrian event which raises funds for grants through the Woman’s Board of Nothwestern Memorial Hopsital.

In 2001, she served as Co-chair of the Parents Council at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where Christy’s daughter, Monique, graduated with an Economics Degree.

In January 2008, Christy accompanied Care International on a trip to Mali.

In June of 2008, Christy joined the Barrington Choir on a trip to China to sing during the Beijing Olympics.

March 2014, Christy traveled with the Barrington Choir to sing at several locations in Prague, Czech Republic, Budapest, Hungary and Munich, Germany including participation in an International Competition.

In 2015, Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center Christy was an integral part of development. Above and Beyond provides free addiction recovery and counseling on Chicago’s west side. Christy serves as treasurer and is currently developing a work out room for participants.

Christy also quenches her thespian inklings with a group of friends that periodically act and produce plays. With the play reading group Second Set, some of Christy’s past roles have included such leads as Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz; Sylvia, a golden retriever, in the play of the same name; and the female deaf mute in Children of a Lesser God. Christy also had an extra part in Anchorman 2 and the television show, Empire, Season 1 Episode 3 was filmed at Cresswood Farm. Recently has been part of a pilot shoot for “The Genius”.

Some of her other interests include antiquing, decorating, landscaping, tennis, boating and scuba diving.

Jessie has been a steadfast friend and financial supporter of our Foundation for many years, demonstrating her commitment to our cause.

Her deep understanding of the finance industry, cultivated over more than a decade, provides her with the expertise needed to navigate the complex financial landscapes we encounter. Jessie has held positions at various investment firms, including her time at The Capital Group and as a vice president at T Rowe Price, where she invested in companies within the consumer sector. Prior to her role at T Rowe Price, she distinguished herself as an investment associate at TPG Capital and as an analyst at Morgan Stanley.

Her extensive experience and proven track record in investment banking, private equity, and investment management make her uniquely qualified to guide our organization strategically. Jessie holds a B.S. in Economics and Finance from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Jessie is actively involved in several non-profit organizations, particularly those focused on the arts and education. She currently serves on the boards of the Park Avenue Armory and Springboard Collaborative, where she contributes her expertise and passion to support their missions. Her commitment to community service aligns perfectly with the values our Foundation upholds.

Jessie and her husband reside in New York, where they are raising their two daughters. They prioritize education and engagement in arts and cultural activities, fostering a nurturing environment that reflects the ethos of our Foundation.

David M. Hryck is head of International Business and Structuring for Duane Morris LLP.

He advises clients on the tax and business aspects of structuring their investments for maximum profitability and has in-depth experience with cross-border investments and various licensing structures. He has represented and continues to represent celebrities, entertainers, designers, global companies, individuals, and international families. David has international proficiency with corporations as well as with individuals across the globe, and he is recognized for his long track record of structuring transactions. David is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and French and has a working knowledge of Mandarin.

David is a valued and trusted advisor, board member, and mentor to several trusts and global charities. Currently, he serves as a trustee on various trusts of his clients. He serves on the board of directors of the Amy Winehouse Foundation, and was a board member and Chairman of the Happy Hearts Fund, founded by fashion model Petra Nĕmcová.

He is a World Fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for Excellence Fund, founded by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and travels regularly to royal occasions around the world, advising on international interaction in Third World countries. David also served as a U.S. member of the Duke’s Business Advisory Group, headed by HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. He is also a board member of the Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, founded by TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia.

David is a board member of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development, which was founded by Vuk Jeremić, President of the United Nations General Assembly for the 67th Session. David also serves as co-chair of the Board of Directors of Lang Lang International Music Foundation, founded by world-renowned concert pianist, Lang Lang. David is also a board member of Pencils for Promise (POPs), founded by Adam Braun, and he serves as vice chair of the Asia Practice at the Asian American Bar of New York. David joined the honorary board of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, founded by HRH Prince Philip and chaired by HRH Prince Edward. He recently joined the Board of Directors of the Mariano Rivera Foundation.

David was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Elizabeth Segerstrom was born in Olsztyn, Poland. Her family had fled from the Soviet Regime to Lithuania after World War II. When Elizabeth was fifteen, her family moved first to Warsaw and later to St. Petersburg, where her father served as the Polish cultural attaché. On her departure from Warsaw, she was unaware that her flight would be the last; Soviet Marshall Law closed Poland’s borders. Her father was arrested for his support of the Polish Solidarity Movement and died in prison.

After earning degrees in psychology from Warsaw University and the University of Geneva, academic research led Elizabeth to Yale University, followed by a Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship to study at New York University. After receiving her doctorate, she established the first clinic in New York City to serve the mental health needs of eastern European immigrants in their native languages (Elizabeth speaks Polish, Russian, French, and English).

In 1991, Elizabeth co-authored a “self-help” book with Susan Israelson, Lovesick–The Marilyn Syndrome, a New York Times bestseller, translated into Polish and Russian. The authors postulate that childhood emotional deprivation handicaps women in romantic relationships. The life of Marilyn Monroe is used as a case study. For several years in the 1990s, Elizabeth wrote a weekly psychology column for a Polish newspaper.

In 2000, Elizabeth met and married Henry Segerstrom. Soon after, she became involved with the design of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. In 2003, she chaired its six-week opening celebration including a spectacular opening night, coordinating the Performing Arts Center’s arts partners’ participation. In 2006, she chaired the opening of their Samueli Theater. That year, Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom orchestrated a three-week Mariinsky Festival that featured the first Southern California presentation of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. In 2007, they launched the new Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom Select Series, a collaboration with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County that continues to bring the highest quality international performances to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. More recently, she supervised the production of a PBS documentary on her late husband and his impact on the life and arts of Southern California. In 2018, she produced a concert with the Mariinsky Orchestra in her late husband’s memory.

Elizabeth Segerstrom is a major donor to Carnegie Hall, The American Ballet Theater, The Orange County Museum of Art, as well as The Hammer Museum, The Colburn School, and many other institutions supporting classical music, ballet, and contemporary art. The Guilds of the Center, a support group for the Orange County Performing Arts Center, honored Elizabeth Segerstrom in 2007. She received the Golden Baton Award from the Philharmonic Society of Orange County in 2011.