Business executives, a bank chairman, a professor and physician, Shore Protection Board vice chairman, former Town Council president and nursing director, and a museum CEO are among the Palm Beach Civic Association’s 2026 slate of new directors.
Civic Association Chairman Michael Pucillio announced the seven new directors and one new liaison director at the non-profit organization’s April 13 annual meeting at the Flagler Museum after its members approved them by a proxy vote.
The directors are Steven W. Barnes, Dr. Ken Franklin, Cathy Brienza Ingram, Lawrence Kaplan, Peter W. May, Marc Stefanski, and Margaret “Maggie” Zeidman. The liaison director is Amanda Skier, director and CEO of the Flagler Museum.
This brings the number of Civic Association directors to 145 and the number of liaison directors to two.
“We are pleased to welcome new directors to the Civic Association board of directors,” Pucillo said. “This year we have an exceptional group of new directors, all of whom have a long history with our organization, who will be a great addition to the board.”
During recent interviews for this article, each director shared his or her perspective about the Civic Association and what the opportunity to serve as a director of the non-profit organization means to them.
Steven W. Barnes
Barnes is a senior advisor at Bain Capital. He has been affiliated since 1988 with Bain, which is a leading global private investment firm with more than $200 billion of assets under management.
Barnes serves on the boards of directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach, The Park at West Palm Beach, the Boston Celtics, MV Youth, and his alma mater Syracuse University, where he previously served as Chairman.
“Palm Beach is a wonderful place and the Civic Association plays a big role in that,” Barnes said. “It’s an opportunity for us to be engaged with the town and to keep making sure it’s the special place that it is.”
Barnes said he looks forward to serving on one of the Civic Association’s 15 standing committees.
Dr. Ken Franklin
Franklin is a clinical professor in the Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical School in New York City.
He practiced cardiology as an attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center for 30 years.
Franklin has been a Palm Beach resident since 2014. He is a director of the Coudert Institute.
“I think the Civic Association is a positive force in town for helping Palm Beach to be as good as it can be and for communicating with the residents,” Franklin said.
He said he would like to continue serving on the Civic Association’s Health Care Committee under the leadership of Chairwoman Judy Goodman. Franklin and Margaret Zeidman co-chair a subcommittee that works with the Civic Association’s communications team to produce a health care video series tailored toward town residents and sponsored by Goodman.
Cathy Brienza Ingram
After starting her business career on Wall Street, Ingram co-founded Sutton Capital Associates, a cable television investment and management company that, through its affiliated partnerships, owned and operated cable television and cellular telephone systems across the United States.
Ingram has served on the boards of several public and private companies in the media and communications industry. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Boston College.
Ingram and her husband Bill moved to Palm Beach in 2016. She is a member of the Allocation Committee of the Town of Palm Beach United Way and recently joined the Civic Association’s Speakers/Programs Committee.
Ingram said the Civic Association excels at communicating with residents about the issues, challenges and opportunities facing Palm Beach.
She described how she intends to approach her new role as a Civic Association director.
“I will give my input and perspective on the needs of the town and will also be an ambassador for the Civic Association and for Palm Beach,” she said. “I will try to use my skills to help solve some of the issues before us.”
Lawrence Kaplan
Kaplan has managed media organizations and start-ups for more than 25 years. He held senior roles at Channel One Television Network, AOL/Time Warner, Forbes, and LTB Media.
He is vice chairman of the Palm Beach Shore Protection Board and a member of the Civic Association’s Water Committee.
Kaplan lives in Palm Beach with his family.
Kaplan said the Civic Association is an important resident advocacy group and its public forums are an effective means of educating and engaging residents.
“Palm Beach is a rare mix of natural beauty, privacy, civic order, architectural character, and small-town atmosphere,” Kaplan said. “We are a quiet, highly livable coastal town with strong local identity and the [Civic] Association has a great opportunity to preserve quality of life through its long-term stewardship.”
Peter W. May
May has been president and a founding partner of Trian Partners since its inception in 2005.
He is chairman emeritus of the Board of Trustees of The Mount Sinai Health System in New York.
From 2002 to 2019, he led that major health center to become one of the most profitable and fastest growing academic medical centers in the United States.
May is co-chairman of the New York Philharmonic, a director of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and a trustee of the New York Historical Society.
“The Civic Association is a really strong advocate for the town of Palm Beach and for the lifestyle we have all come to love over the years that we’ve been part of this community,” May said. “It is an excellent organization, well-managed with good representation.”
A Palm Beach resident since the late 1980s, May owns a home facing the Intracoastal waterway, and said he is interested in issues that face waterfront communities. He expressed interest in serving on Civic Association committees.
“I was involved in the non-profit world for a long time and have expertise in that area and in investment,” he said.
Marc Stefanski
Marc Stefanski joined Third Federal Savings & Loan in 1982 and succeeded his father, founder Ben Stefanski, as chairman and CEO in 1987.
Since Stefanski became chairman, the Cleveland-based bank has grown from $1.8 billion to more than $17 billion in assets with retail branches in Ohio and Florida.
Stefanski directed the creation of the Third Federal Foundation from the company’s IPO, resulting in more than $60 million in donations to communities served by Third Federal.
Stefanski said he is most impressed by the Civic Association’s commitment to people and by the synergy created by its staff, starting with CEO Mary Robosson.
“First impressions are huge,” he said. “The first time I visited the Civic Association office, the people there were very helpful and proud of what they were doing. I thought that was a terrific compliment to the leadership and to all the folks involved.”
Margaret “Maggie” Zeidman
Margaret Zeidman served on the Palm Beach Town Council from 2016 until 2024, including four years as council president.
During her tenure, she helped lead the town through the Coronavirus Pandemic, advocated for stronger public safety, and led a compensation study that reduced employee turnover.
Zeidman is a retired registered nurse and was director of nursing at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City from 1990 to 1997.
She is a member of the Civic Association’s Health Care Committee and Vice Chair of the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews.
Zeidman and her husband Mark, who is a member of the Civic Association’s Executive Committee and who has been a director since 2020, moved to Palm Beach in 1997.
Zeidman said becoming a Civic Association director is an honor.
“This organization has so many smart, dedicated individuals who are committed to this community,” she said. “To be part of that is very meaningful to me.”
Amanda Skier
Amanda Skier joined the Flagler Museum in February 2025 as Director & CEO.
Skier began her career at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach as the Director of Education in April 2012. She was named president and CEO of the Preservation Foundation in June 2016 – a post she held until joining the Flagler Museum.
While at the Preservation Foundation, Skier spearheaded two capital campaigns to revitalize historic parks in Palm Beach and championed local educational initiatives focusing on resiliency and landscape stewardship.
Skier said she welcomes her new role as a Civic Association liaison director.
“Palm Beach has a unique sense of community and civic responsibility, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help foster collaboration and engagement through this new role with the Palm Beach Civic Association,” she said.
CEO welcomes 2026 directors
Civic Association CEO Mary Robosson said each new director brings expertise that adds depth to an already impressive roster.
“We welcome and congratulate the seven new directors and new liaison director and look forward to their meaningful engagement and bandwidth of expertise in serving our mission during our 83rd year of service to the town,” Robosson said.
The Palm Beach Civic Association was established by a group of residents in 1944 for the purpose of protecting and enhancing the quality of life in Palm Beach by taking proactive stands on civic affairs; informing, educating and engaging residents on key town issues; working with local government; and encouraging citizen involvement in the community.
To receive Palm Beach TV, Our Town News, The Civic and more in your inbox sign up HERE.
To sign up for text notifications from Palm Beach Civic Association go HERE.
Our Town sponsored by:
