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New Rochelle Education Fund Honors Three At Annual Gala

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Rent the Runway Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Hyman, Google Director of Agency Business Development Nelson Boyce and Ken Hicks of Acura of Westchester will be honored by the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence at the 18th annual Foundation Awards Gala, on Thursday, March 31, at The Fountainhead in New Rochelle. 

Ken Hicks, left, general manager of Acura of Westchester, shown here with Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, is one of three people to be honored New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence at the 18th annual Foundation Awards Gala.
Ken Hicks, left, general manager of Acura of Westchester, shown here with Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, is one of three people to be honored New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence at the 18th annual Foundation Awards Gala. Photo Credit: Contributed

Hyman, a 1998 graduate of New Rochelle High School, co-founded Rent the Runway, which rents famous-brand and designer fashion and accessories at a fraction of the retail price. Rent the Runway has five million users and is estimated to be worth more than $500 million. 

In his role at Google, Boyce oversees the Publicis Group Holding Company of Advertising Agencies, where he is responsible for designing and implementing partnership initiatives and negotiating large-scale deals spanning media and platforms. As president of the Westchester Clubmen, the New Rochelle resident has been instrumental in implementing mentoring programs for young men of color in high school and middle school. 

Hicks has worked in the automobile industry for more than 27 years. Since 1988, he’s served as general manager of Acura of Westchester, overseeing $2 billion in sales. He is a partner in Rivera Toyota of Mt. Kisco and an investor in Patsy’s Pizzeria in New Rochelle. Six outstanding student leaders also will be recognized at the Foundation Awards Gala. 

“We are very excited to honor these tremendous people — leaders in our community and beyond,” said Gala Co-Chair Lauren Pekats. “They are role models for our students.” 

The Gala is the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence’s primary fundraising event of the year, according to Matthew Costa, Gala co-chair . “It’s a great community event and allows us to continue to serve the evolving needs of our students as they progress through their educational journeys.” 

The Fund, created in 1998, provides enrichment programming and helps level the college-access playing field for the students in New Rochelle’s public schools.

In 2015, thousands of students benefited from Fund programming, including an SAT prep class, a performance by the New Rochelle High School music program at world famous Carnegie Hall, Poetry Out Loud, Civics Week and Arts Out Loud.

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