Eric Blair-Joannou is a graduate of Cornell and Columbia Universities, and studied at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. A successful real estate and business development professional, Eric Blair-Joannou is an active philanthropist who regularly engages with organizations including the New York Botanical Garden, of which he is a part of the Young Garden Circle.The New York Botanical Garden hosts several special and annual events, including its yearly Holiday Train Show. Every year, a number of meticulously crafted, G-scale model trains on a half-mile of track pass through an elaborate display consisting of nearly 200 distinct New York landmarks. Maintaining the natural beauty and feel of the garden, every landmark, including the Brooklyn Bridge and Rockefeller Center, has been made from bark, leaves, and other natural materials. The show, located in in the festive Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, is one of the New York Botanical Garden’s most popular and well-attended events.The 2018 Holiday Train Show, the garden’s 27th edition of the exhibit, will conclude Jan. 21, 2019. Interested parties are advised to schedule plans ahead of time, as tickets generally sell out.
The recipient of a master's degree in urban planning and an MBA from Columbia University, Eric Blair-Joannou is an experienced real estate management and business professional in New York. Away from the office, Eric Blair-Joannou is a trustee of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. In June 2018, the Bronx Museum of the Arts named Deborah Cullen as its new director. A resident of the Bronx herself, Cullen previously served as director of Columbia University's Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery and oversaw the opening of a gallery in West Harlem, gaining a reputation for championing art from the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa. Cullen also founded the Uptown contemporary art show that highlighted the work of artists living in northern Manhattan.The new director position opened up in 2017 after the passing of previous director Holly Block, who lost a battle with breast cancer. Block had served 11 years in the post, overseeing a considerable increase in museum attendance. Cullen, meanwhile, officially took over with the goal of completing its $25 million capital campaign while also balancing communal and global aims of the museum’s board.
With a master's of urban planning and an MBA from Columbia University, Eric Blair-Joannou gives back to the New York City community through his work as a volunteer, trustee, and council member for numerous nonprofit groups and cultural institutions. Among other organizations, Eric Blair-Joannou serves as the founding co-chair of the Junior Business Council of the Corporate Fund of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.Originally built in the 1960s, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts offers world-class performing-arts programming at 30 indoor and outdoor spaces. Over the decades, major figures from nearly every discipline in the field have appeared at the Lincoln Center, and today leading arts organizations such as The Juilliard School and the School of American Ballet make the center their home. In addition to jazz, theater, dance, and other activities, the Lincoln Center maintains a robust youth program, LC Kids. Designed to stimulate the imagination and encourage collaboration through the arts, the LC Kids presents reimagined classic works and original performances throughout the year for children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. Exciting productions scheduled for the LC Kids’ 2019 season include the New York premiere of Mouth Open, Story Jump Out by British spoken word artist and storyteller Polarbear. The interactive performances are geared for children from 8 to 11 years of age and will take place January 26 and 27, 2019.
Eric Blair-Joannou is a senior project manager in New York City and Miami, and beyond his professional pursuits, he supports St. Thomas Episcopal Church Fifth Avenue and is a Co-chair of the church’s 18-30’s Ministry. The 18-30’s Ministry provides outreach services for new and established church members between the ages of 18 and 39 and offers a meeting place for fellowship and community. Formerly known as the Young Adults Group, the group enables members to participate in an array of activities that balance outreach services with spiritual formation. Activities also emphasize social interaction and foster friendships, while presenting participants with the chance to increase their involvement in the parish. Part of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, St. Thomas Episcopal Church Fifth Avenue leverages the Anglican tradition and its unique choral heritage to serve, love, and worship Jesus Christ. St. Thomas Church’s history in New York dates back nearly 200 years, although the current building, which is the parish’s fourth church since its founding, was constructed in 1913.
