Eli J. Segal (January 13, 1943 – February 20, 2006) was an American businessman, philanthropist, politician and social entrepreneur.

Background

Eli J. Segal was born in 1943 and was a native of

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York. Segal was both a 1964 graduate of

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

and a 1967 graduate of

University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (branded as Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparati ...

. Segal was married to his wife, Phyllis, whom he met while studying at

, until his death in 2006.

Career

Segal got his start in politics during the 1972 presidential campaign of

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...

. He organized some business ventures in the 1980s, and was CEO of Vogart Crafts Corporation before becoming Chief of Staff of President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

's campaign in 1992. After the election of

, Segal served as the first CEO of the

Corporation for National and Community Service AmeriCorps ( ; officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipended volunteer wor ...

and as a member of its board of directors. He was later tapped by President Clinton to assist in Clinton's

Welfare-to-Work The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) is a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The bill implemented major changes to S ...

initiative. In 2001, President Clinton awarded Segal the President's Citizen Medal for the contributions he made to the Clinton administration and the country. After leaving the Clinton Administration, Segal assisted in the expansion of the

City Year City Year is an American education nonprofit organization founded in 1988. The organization partners with public schools in 29 high-need communities across the US and through international affiliates in the UK and Johannesburg, South Africa. City ...

program, and was pivotal in founding the organization's South Africa and Louisiana corps. For these contributions,

offers a fellowship each year named after Segal.

Death

Segal died in 2006 at the age of 63 from

mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The area most commonly affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lini ...

Legacy

stated in 2007 that Eli J. Segal "had a quality that was relatively rare in public service, government service, at the time. He could take a vision and turn it into a reality.” Fellowships have been created in his honor at the

Americorps AmeriCorps ( ; officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in ...

, and

.Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program http://segal.brandeis.edu/segal-fellows/cyc.html

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Segal, Eli J. 1943 births 2006 deaths American chief executives American philanthropists New York (state) Democrats Brandeis University alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni Clinton administration personnel Deaths from mesothelioma CEOs of the Corporation for National and Community Service Members of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service