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Former President of Manhattanville College
Throughout his life and career, Richard Berman has devoted his time to philanthropic efforts. To that end, has served as Chairman of the Board for Seeds of Peace since 2008. In this role, Richard Berman supports an organization that strives to turn young leaders from regions of conflict into key players who will advance coexistence and reconciliation in these areas. In addition, he acted as an Official Consultant for the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID), an organization that lends humanitarian assistance and protects citizens involved in the politically charged situation along the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic. Mr. Berman also received an appointment from Governor Hugh Carey to two key cabinet positions in the areas of housing and health for New York State.
From 1995 to 2009, Richard Berman served as the 10th President of Manhattanville College, located in Purchase, New York. He significantly boosted enrollment at Manhattanville College and expanded graduate programs in the areas of business, education, and the arts. At Manhattanville College, he helped student Juan Salas to start a program to help those serving abroad called My Soldier. At Manhattanville College, Mr. Berman also raised funds for a 24-hour student center, which was completed in 2008 and named The Richard A. Berman Student Center.
Prior to serving at Manhattanville College, Richard Berman gained experience in a number of different positions, including roles as Executive Vice President of NYU Medical Center (now NYU Langone Medical Center) and Management Consultant for McKinsey & Company. He also worked in the field of executive search for Howe-Lewis International and Korn/Ferry International. Currently, Mr. Berman concentrates on his business, LICAS. He serves as President and CEO of the consultant firm, which helps health care facilitates, K-12 schools, and colleges and universities to improve their operations and achieve maximum levels of efficiency.
Richard Berman's Publications
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An Overview of UNAMID’s Critical Mission in Sudan’s Darfur Region
September, 2011
by Richard Berman
[Source: Sudan Envoy. Posted at Wikimedia Commons]
Richard Berman formerly served as President of Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. Today, he works on numerous international health, education, and humanitarian issues. Richard Berman proudly served as an Official Consultant with the African Union Mission/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID). consulting with the Joint Special Representative.
UNAMID’s roots go back to 2003, when civil war broke out between the government of Sudan and its militia allies, largely comprised of Arab and non-Arab Muslims and rebel groups. The situation quickly escalated into a major humanitarian crisis in the southern region of Darfur, with thousands of unarmed civilians killed and over a million villagers displaced. Political and diplomatic efforts to broker peace deals over the next few years were extensive but difficult, with small African Union peacekeeping troops insufficient in putting a stop to the violence. By 2005, the African Union Mission in Sudan’s troop presence had increased to 7,000, but renewed fighting and attacks on relief workers in the following year led many international aid agencies to consider leaving the conflict zone altogether. Against this backdrop, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1706 in late August, authorizing a new force of over 17,000 peacekeepers to the region. The resolution brought violent opposition from the Sudanese government, which immediately launched a renewed offensive in Darfur. The UN was forced to postpone peacekeeping plans, with the international organization resorting to sanctions that were only partially successful. Despite this setback, international resolve to send peacekeeping forces never wavered and in late 2007 the unprecedented UNAMID mission launched. With an initial troop strength of nearly 26,000 deployed troops, which merged with 9,000 AMIS peacekeepers on the ground, UNAMID represented the largest peacekeeping mission in the world.
Over the past three years, UNAMID has enjoyed significant success in fulfilling its core mandate of protecting civilians. The effort has been augmented by initiatives to verify implementation agreements, provide security for humanitarian assistance providers, and monitor situations along the borders of the Central African Republic and Chad. By September 2011, UNAMID’s Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari was in a position to publicly state that the mission had succeeded in stabilizing the Darfur region and that its future focus would be on a comprehensive peace agreement. The announcement was welcome news for a region that has been troubled over the past decade.
About the Author: A former Management Consultant for McKinsey & Company, Richard Berman most recently served as Manhattanville College’s 10th President. At Manhattanville College, he worked to create sustained relationships between the institution and organizations around the world.
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