NET WORTH: Unknown
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Alpine Woods Capital
FUNDING AREAS: Mental Health, Community
OVERVIEW: Stephen Lieber is chairman of the board of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and director of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. His late wife Constance was president of the Essel Foundation, which was established in the 1960s. Lieber's son Samuel is currently president of the foundation. According to available tax filings, the Essel Foundation dispersed close to $2.3 million in grants in 2017.
BACKGROUND: Stephen Leiber graduated from Williams College and attended Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He is a founding partner of Alpine Woods Capital Investors, LLC. In 1969, Lieber was a founding partner of Lieber & Co. (the parent firm of Evergreen Asset Management Corp., the investment adviser to the Evergreen Funds). He served as senior partner until its 1994 acquisition by First Union Corp., continuing as chairman, co-chief executive and portfolio manager until 1999.
ISSUES:
MENTAL HEALTH: The late Constance Lieber served as president of NARSAD (now the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation) from 1989 to 2007. In 1987, the Liebers established an annual award for outstanding achievements in schizophrenia research. Columbia University is home to the Lieber Recovery and Rehabilitation Clinic for Psychotic Disorders and the Lieber Schizophrenic Clinic. At Williams College, they founded the undergraduate neuroscience program. In 2011, the family created the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University, to integrate new discoveries in developmental neurobiology and genetics to achieve clinical advances that can change lives.
The Liebers continue to support mental health via the Essel Foundation. Grantees include Lieber Institute, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, Stamford Education 4 Autism, NY Presbyterian, and Hereditary Disease Foundation.
OTHER: The Liebers have supported UJA Federation New York and educational institutions Brooklyn College, University of Southern Florida, and Rockefeller University. Constance graduated from Brooklyn College.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the family to remain focused on mental health.
CONTACT:
The Essel Foundation does not provide a clear avenue for getting in touch with the family but below is an address
Essel Foundation
2500 Westchester Avenue
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 698-7133