For immediate release: July 7, 2022

ASPHALT GREEN ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE JORDAN BRACKETT
(NEW YORK, NY) – The Board of Directors of Asphalt Green is pleased to announce that, following a full search process, which began in February of 2022, the Board has unanimously elected Mr. Jordan Brackett to serve as the next Chief Executive Officer of Asphalt Green, effective September 6, 2022.

Mr. Brackett has a long and distinguished career. Most recently, he has been the Executive Director of the Educational Alliance’s 14th Street Y, a Jewish community center located across three sites with a pre-Covid budget of $14 million and 400+ employees. In this role, he oversaw fundraising, strategic and capital planning, and programs including fitness and aquatics for youth and adults, as well as camp. Prior to joining the 14th Street Y, Mr. Brackett worked in several capacities in City government. Most recently, he was the Special Assistant to the Deputy Chancellor, helping oversee operations for nearly 2,000 schools. He also served in City Hall, advising Mayor Bloomberg on health and human services policies and. Prior to joining City government, he was an attorney focused on financial restructuring.

“Asphalt Green is a tremendous New York City institution, and I am humbled and honored to be able to lead its next great chapter,” said Mr. Brackett. “The future of fitness lies in community settings like Asphalt Green, and I look forward to working with the staff and the Board to help every New Yorker reach their wellness potential.”
 
In recent years, Asphalt Green has continued to expand its reach across New York, now providing programs to underserved children and adults in four boroughs. Waterproofing, an Asphalt Green signature community service program, has provided free swim lessons to over 30,000 children. During the pandemic, Asphalt Green took another free program - the Recess Enhancement Program - online, providing socially distanced games to over one million children worldwide. Asphalt Green’s competitive teams have also grown into nationally-recognized elite teams – Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics (AGUA), the age-group swim team, has been recognized as a gold level team by USA Swimming and sent five swimmers to compete at Olympic Trials in 2021; Asphalt Green Soccer Club (AGSC), the competitive soccer team, has won over 60 league championships and over 100 tournament championships.
 
The search for the new CEO was led by a committee of the Board, with the assistance of the Aspen Leadership Group, a well-known search firm that specializes in placing nonprofit leaders. “We were thrilled to meet many excellent candidates during the search, from such different sectors and backgrounds,” said Barrie Zesiger, Board Co-Chair. “Jordan’s understanding of serving New Yorkers of all ages, along with his ability to drive growth while staying true to an organization’s mission, made him a standout candidate,” said Caroline Hribar, Board Co-Chair, “With Jordan’s leadership and the strength of our Asphalt Green team, we believe that we can bring our programs to more communities in need while maintaining our standards of excellence. Jordan will bring his characteristic thoughtfulness, rigor, and vision to our organization, and we look forward to work with him at this pivotal moment of growth for Asphalt Green. The Board thanks our entire Asphalt Green team and especially Marcus Farny, Pedro Raicovich, and Dean Somer, for managing Asphalt Green through this transition period. We are excited about what Jordan and our outstanding team will accomplish together.”
 
About Asphalt Green
 
Asphalt Green is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve health through a lifetime of sports and fitness. Community service is at the core of the organization’s origin and the heart of its mission. A city-wide institution, Asphalt Green has two first-class campuses: a beautiful, 5 ½ acre Upper East Side campus and a 52,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in Battery Park City. Asphalt Green will help more than 20,000 public school children be fit this year through free programs in schoolyards, gymnasiums, and pools across New York City. www.asphaltgreen.org