Serving as president and chief operating officer of Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc. since 1997, Emanuel Stern oversees numerous and diverse development projects throughout the New York/New Jersey area and manages one of the largest privately held commercial real estate portfolios in the country. Totaling 38 million sq. ft., the Hartz portfolio includes over 200 office, industrial, hotel and retail buildings.

Mr. Stern leads the company with a combination of keen business judgement and respect for the organization's family tradition. Recent initiatives he has directed include the speculative development of 70 & 90 Hudson Street at Colgate Center, a major catalyst in the renaissance of the Jersey City waterfront. In downtown Manhattan, Mr. Stern created a market for posh hotels where none had previously existed by developing the SoHo Grand and Tribeca Grand hotels. Mr. Stern also recently embarked on a cutting-edge redevelopment project at the former Ford Motor Company Plant in Edison, NJ that will become a model for converting aging industrial facilities to higher and better uses. While moving forward with new projects, Mr. Stern has remained equally committed to continually improving existing properties within the Hartz portfolio, as demonstrated by the repositioning of the company's Harmon Meadow mixed-use development and by recent renovations of SoHo and Tribeca Grand.

Mr. Stern runs the company with a rare combination of sharp business sense and family tradition, while actively pursuing interests in New York public affairs and culture. Among many community affairs positions, he was recently named Director of the New York Historical Society. Mr. Stern also is a Trustee of the esteemed Citizens Budget Commission of New York City as well as a Board member of the Jewish Community of Manhattan.