28th Annual American Celtic Ball – 2016

Edward C. Wallace
Shareholder and New York Co-Chairman of Greenberg Traurig
Recipient of the Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

In 1981, Ed Wallace, then 30 years old, followed in the footsteps of the original Manhattan City Council Member-at-Large, Paul O’Dwyer, to become the youngest member in the history of the New York City Council. In 1986, after serving as Chief of Staff to then Council President Carol Bellamy, he left government to become a vice president at Boston Properties to work in real estate finance with founding Chairman, Mort Zuckerman. Nearly 22 years ago, Ed joined the New York office of Greenberg Traurig, now one of the world’s top 10 largest law firms. Ed serves as co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s New York office. Prior to this position, he served as the New York co-managing shareholder for three years. He serves as a trusted advisor to his clients which include major real estate clients, universities, financial institutions, and the world’s largest outdoor advertising company. Ed has played an integral role in marquee matters throughout the city – helping shape the city’s skyline, streetscape and waterfront. Clients turn to Ed because of his ability to solve complex problems involving business, government, and the public. His early experience as a community lawyer at the Legal Aid Society, his public service, and his real estate finance background have enabled him to bring major business interests into harmony with community priorities and government policy. Ed has a longstanding commitment to local and international communities. He also served as counsel to NYC 2012 Olympic bid, and serves as pro bono counsel to the Citizens Budget Commission. He sits on the board of the French American Foundation as well as several nonprofits including New Yorkers for Parks, which he chaired from 2012-2014. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America, City & State’s Power 100 list, Super Lawyers magazine, New York Metro Super Lawyers and is rated, AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5 by Martindale-Hubbell. Ed received his A.B. from Columbia College, Columbia University in the City of New York and his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

Mary Davis
Chief Executive Officer of the Special Olympics International
Recipient of Albert Schweitzer’s Leadership for Life Award

Mary Davis is the Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics International. She has been a life-long leader within the Special Olympics movement, beginning soon after college as a local program volunteer and coach with Special Olympics Ireland. Davis has served in a series of leadership roles, helping create Special Olympics’ first-ever Regional games, the 1985 Special Olympics European Games, working to build a powerful national Program as CEO of Special Olympics Ireland, and helping globalize the movement as CEO of the first Special Olympics World Summer Games held outside the US. Davis leads an international team of 250 professionals throughout the world who are addressing inactivity, injustice, intolerance and social isolation by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities to be productive citizens in their communities, which leads to a more welcoming and inclusive society for all. The Special Olympics movement currently serves nearly 5 million athletes with intellectual disabilities, holds nearly 100,000 competitions annually, and welcomes more than one million coaches and volunteers who help make grassroots operations possible. Since 2009, Davis has served as the Managing Director and Regional President of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia, overseeing the growth and development of Special Olympics across 58 countries in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She is a long-term campaigner for the rights and inclusion of children and adults with intellectual disabilities, beginning her career as a teacher at St. Michael’s House, Ireland -- a leader in the development and provision of community-based services for people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland. She became National Director of Special Olympics Ireland in 1989 and served as Events Director for the 1985 European Special Olympics Games in Dublin. Davis has been appointed to many Special Olympics International Committees throughout her career and served as Chairperson of the International Advisory Committee for four years. Mary Davis was the driving force behind the hugely successful Special Olympics World Summer Games when they were held in Ireland in 2003. She served as CEO of those Games, which were the first World Summer Games held outside the United States since Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the movement in 1968. It was the largest sporting event in the world that year. Davis was awarded Ireland’s Person of the Year in 2003 for her work on the Games, and in honor of her dedicated years of service to Special Olympics Ireland. In 2004, then-President of Ireland Mary McAleese appointed Davis to her Council of State [advisory body to the President on legislative matters], where she remained until 2011. Davis has many and varied interests, including golf, running and other outdoor pursuits such as canoeing and parachuting. She completed the Puma Marathon series, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, ran the New York Marathon, and represented the Irish Government in a 2008 summit of Mont Blanc to celebrate the start of the EU Presidency in France. She also has a keen interest in antiques. Davis is married to Julian Davis and has four children: Jonathan, Rebecca, Emma and Patrick.

Thomas P. DiNapoli
Comptroller of the State of New York
Recipient of Albert Schweitzer’s Leadership for Life Award

Thomas P. DiNapoli is the 54th Comptroller of the State of New York who’s known for his integrity, independence and steadfast leadership. Since taking office in 2007, Tom DiNapoli has aggressively fought misuse of public resources, strengthened one of the nation’s top public pension funds, and consistently spoken out against fiscal gimmicks, imprudent actions and government inefficiency. His life of public service started when he was elected as a trustee of the Mineola Board of Education, becoming the first 18-year-old in New York State to hold public office. He’s been making government more accountable and transparent to the people for more than 35 years. The New York State Comptroller manages the State’s $178.6 billion pension fund, audits the spending practices of all State agencies and local governments, oversees the New York State and Local Retirement System, critically reviews the New York State and City budgets, and approves billions in State contracts and spending. A diligent fiduciary of the State pension fund, Comptroller DiNapoli continues changing the way the fund operates to increase transparency and establish strong internal controls, ensuring the strongest investment performance and ethical operations. He instituted the most stringent reporting requirements on investments, fees and other information, he barred investment firms contributing to his campaign from doing business with the State pension fund and provided a leading voice in getting the Securities and Exchange Commission to impose tough new rules on “pay to play” to prevent improper influence on investment decisions. Under the Comptroller’s leadership, the pension fund has increased opportunities for women and minority firms throughout its portfolio of investments by expanding the pension fund’s Emerging Manager program into each of the fund’s main asset classes and accelerating capital to new programs within these asset classes. Tom DiNapoli also protects public funds from waste, fraud and abuse. Since 2007, he’s identified billions in misuse, waste and savings. He completed a five-year school accountability project that audited all 733 school districts and BOCES in the State. In 2012, he launched a series of audits that found widespread abuse of public funds by special education contractors, resulting in several criminal referrals, felony arrests and restitution. And as an Assemblyman, he helped draft and pass stronger school district accountability laws in response to the scandals that exposed the theft of millions of taxpayer dollars on Long Island. Comptroller DiNapoli examines State, city and local finances and provides an independent, credible analysis of government finances. In January 2013, he launched a Fiscal Monitoring System to rate communities on their fiscal condition, sending an early warning to those in trouble. He also sheds light on the issues that cause communities to face fiscal stress in today’s tough economy. Tom also consistently advocates for budget and debt reform to give New York State a more secure fiscal future. Prior to becoming Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli represented the 16th Assembly District in northwestern Nassau County for two decades. During his tenure, he chaired the Local Governments Committee, the Consumer Affairs Committee, the Ethics Committee, the Governmental Operations Committee and the Environmental Conservation Committee, he sponsored legislation that helped Nassau County to emerge from serious fiscal distress and restore fiscal responsibility and earned a reputation as one of the State’s leading voices on environmental issues. Prior to his election to the Assembly, he was a manager in the telecommunications industry. He holds a master’s degree from The New School University’s Graduate School of Management and Urban Professions. A lifelong resident of Nassau County, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history magna cum laude from Hofstra University in Hempstead.