William J. vanden Heuvel

Acting Chairman AAF

William J. vanden Heuvel is an international lawyer and investment banker who has served as United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and as Ambassador to the European office of the United Nations in Geneva.

Ambassador vanden Heuvel has been Senior Partner (and is now counsel) to the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, engaged in general practice with extensive international, corporate and litigation experience. He is a senior advisor to the investment banking firm of Allen & Company, primarily involved with mergers and acquisitions and international projects. He is Chairman of the IRC Group, a Washington based group of consultants who have served as Ambassadors of the United States. He is also Administrator (Chairman) of the North Aegean Petroleum Company.

In addition to being a director of the American Austrian Foundation, he is Co-chairman of the Council of American Ambassadors. Ambassador vanden Heuvel is Chairman of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Ambassador vanden Heuvel is a Gouvernor and former Chairman of the United Nations Association, and has written extensively on questions relating to the United Nations and American foreign policy. He is also Chairman of the American Friends of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of the Netherlands.

Ambassador vanden Heuvel began his public career as Executive Assistant to William J. (Wild Bill) Donovan during General Donovan's tenure as United States Ambassador of Thailand. He served as Special Counsel to Averell Harriman, then Governor of New York, and as Special Assistant to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. He has been Vice President of the New York State Constitutional Convention; Chairman of the New York City Board of Correction; and Chairman of the New York City Commission on State/City Relations.

He is a graduate of Cornell University and Cornell Law School where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Law Review. He has Honorary Degrees from Hofstra University and Roosevelt University, and is a frequent lecturer and commentator on public affairs and American history. He is married to the former Melinda Fuller of Boston. He has been decorated by the governments of Austria, the Netherlands and Thailand.

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