Steve Orr

Managing Director

Steve Orr joined Friends of Hudson River Park as Managing Director in March 2013 to direct the organization and lead a team to fundraise for the Park.  Steve has also been working with the Friends of Hudson River Park to manage and produce the 2013 Gala.

Steve is also the Managing Partner and co-founder of Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI), a national leader in fundraising and development consulting, with a focus on campaign strategy, planning, and implementation.  In 1994, Steve founded Youth, I.N.C. (Improving Non-profits for Children) in New York City and currently serves as the Executive Director.  Through Steve’s leadership, the organization has helped nearly 600,000 children and youth through partnerships with more than 100 youth programs and raised more than $45 million for these youth programs.  Prior to founding OAI and Youth, I.N.C., Steve spent 12 years on Wall Street.  As an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, he helped establish the National Mentoring Partnership as the Managing Director and helped raise a cumulative $30 million for the organization over the next decade.

Blake Beatty

Development Director

Blake joined Friends of Hudson River Park as Director of Development in December 2011, leading the organization’s efforts to secure private funding for the ongoing revitalization and future sustainability of Hudson River Park. Prior to joining Friends, she served as the Senior Development Officer for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum for five years. Selected by Chairman Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s chief fundraiser, she spearheaded the development and implementation of a $350 million dollar capital campaign. Previously, she served as an associate at Cathy Blaney & Associates, the nationally-recognized fundraising firm for the political and non-profit worlds. She holds a B.S. from St. Lawrence University.

Steven Oppedal

Institutional Giving Manager 

Steven joined Friends of Hudson River Park in 2012, and has quickly begun utilizing his wide range of experience in foundation, corporate, individual, and government fundraising to help support the maintenance, programming, and improvement of Hudson River Park.  Steven has successfully solicited diverse funding for a wide variety of programs, several major capital campaigns, and special projects; maintained donor relations and reporting; worked with a wide variety of program staff to keep information up-to-date; researched and approached new leads; and maintained the database, income, and deadline calendars.  

Paul Dranginis

Development Associate 

Paul joined the Friends of Hudson River Park in 2012.  Even prior to working for the Friends, Paul was a regular Park visitor who developed a fondness for the Park during his early morning runs during his first few months living in Manhattan.   Paul has worked various positions at several nonprofits in New York and abroad.  His interest in philanthropic work began during a college trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he worked in cooperation with Thai University students to produce a neighborhood event with the purpose of educating the community about autism. He followed this interest to China where he taught English in the Southern city of Guangzhou.  Upon his return he began working in the Massachusetts State House to get a taste of State Governance.  Upon moving to New York, he found he had a distinct attachment to the city’s parks. Paul is excited to be a part of the future of Hudson River Park and is looking forward to making sure the Park is as beautiful and welcoming as New Yorkers deserve.

Bartholomew Johnson

Development Assistant 

Bartholomew joined Friends of Hudson River Park in January 2012, and enjoys using his organizational, logistical, and communicative skills to contribute to Friends of Hudson River Park’s unprecedented success in Park fundraising. Together with the rest of the Friends’ Development Team, Bartholomew looks forward to cultivating new relationships and coordinating innovative fundraising projects for Hudson River Park.