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Michael Adlerstein is Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Capital Master Plan, a five-year program to restore and renovate the historic United Nations Headquarters in New York, NY. [1] He was appointed to the position by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July 2007. [2]

Adlerstein obtained his architectural degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. [3]

He has experience in restoration of historical sites. Before joining the United Nations, he was the Vice-President and Chief Architect at the New York Botanical Garden, [3] where he headed a multi-year restoration and design initiative. He previously served in positions throughout the National Park Service. [3] In this capacity, he was in charge of the planning, design and construction program for the north-east region, including partnership projects at Gettysburg, Valley Forge, Acadia and Jamestown. [3]

In the 1980', he served as Project Director for the restoration of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, [3] the United States Department of the Interior's most ambitious historic restoration project. [3][ better source needed] In this position, he managed and led the team of architects and engineers to plan, design, and construct the Ellis Island. [3] The success of the project led to his promotion as Chief Historical Architect. [3] He was recognized as the national expert in the field of historic preservation. [3]

He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia, and has worked as a State Department consultant on preservation issues on projects, including the preservation of the Taj Mahal. [3]

He has won awards for his achievements and was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. [3]

Since 2017, he has been teaching architecture classes as an adjunct professor at Columbia University, specializing in historic preservation.

References

  1. ^ Neil MacFarquhar (22 November 2008). "Renovating the U.N., With Hints of Green". New York Times. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  2. ^ Official announcement of appointment as Executive Director
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS MICHAEL ADLERSTEIN OF UNITED STATES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL MASTER PLAN". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 2008-03-04.