Fanfare: American Ireland Fund Gala honors PNC executive Sy Holzer
Dedicated. Humble. Tireless. Extraordinary.
It didn't take much prompting for VIPs attending the American Ireland Fund Gala to start tossing out the adjectives to describe honoree and PNC Executive Vice President Sy Holzer.
“Without question, Sy's most important trait is his fierce loyalty to friends, family and clients and his remarkable ability to be happy when others around him succeed,” said gala chair David Malone with his wife, Nancy.
Plenty of good reason to laud Holzer with the 2017 Chairman's Award, right?
“Well, there was actually nobody left in Pittsburgh to honor. It was either him or we'd have to go to Cleveland,” Malone joked.
More than 600 guests came out for the event at Heinz Field on March 17 including Huffington Post Global Editorial Director Howard Fineman, who flew in from DC to tip his hat to a friend he's known since their days at Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill.
“I met him in 1962,” he said. “I remember when he got a job at People's National. My dad said, ‘Make sure you stay in touch with Sy Holzer. He's going to run that bank someday.'”
Following a special Q&A with Fineman that was hosted by Michael Bartley, bold names were led to the main event in the East Club Lounge, where the party was in full swing thanks to the Pittsburgh Steeline and Burke Conroy Irish Dancers. The evening raised $735K.
On the list: President and CEO of the world-wide Ireland Funds Kieran McLoughlin, Jim and Stephanie Rooney, Greta Rooney, Lou and Millie Cestello, Bob Nutting, Dr. Stanley Marks, David and Vanessa Morehouse, Andrea Carelli and Michael Toretti, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Charles Bogosta, Mike Denove, Ryan Huzjak, Tom Miller, Michael Mullen, Tony Quatrini, David Soltesz, Brian Tarquinio.
