Patricia Francy Honored with First-Ever JA Legacy of Leadership Award

October 22, 2021

This week, at a ceremony in New York City, JA Worldwide honored Global Council member Patricia L. Francy for her 30 years of service to JA.

A corporate, mutual-fund, foundation, and not-for-profit director, Patty served as a board member for JA USA, chaired the Audit Committee, and later served as a member of the board of JA Worldwide. She has also been an active JA volunteer in the New York area, teaching JA Economics to sixth-graders at PS 125, as well as working with the JA Job Shadow program. In recent years, Patty has been a dedicated member of the Global Council, also serving as a member of the jury for the Global Business Hall of Fame and the 2019 Centennial Gala Committee.

Among her many accomplishments, Patty was the first woman to assume the post of Treasurer at Columbia University, from which she retired in 2005 as Special Advisor for Alumni Relations and Treasurer & Controller. Patty is a director of Old Westbury Funds, Inc., chairing the Nominating and Audit committees; the Matheson Foundation; the Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation; and the Muriel F. Siebert Foundation. Patty also served on the Boards of Directors of Priceline.com, the Siebert Financial Corporation (until its sale), the Children's Tumor Foundation, the Women's Economic Round Table, and the Guttman Breast Diagnostic Institute.

Patty is an active supporter of Outward Bound USA and has previously served on its President’s Council and as Chair of the Audit Committee. She is a member of the International Women's Forum, the Economic Club of New York, the Princeton Club, the Penn Club, and the Columbia Club. Recognized by NOW as a Woman of Vision in Finance, she has received numerous honors and recognitions, including ones from Outward Bound, Respect for Law Alliance, and Lewis & Clark College, her alma mater.

JA Worldwide Board of Governors Chair Jonas Prising remarked, “Patty is a munificent donor to the organization, supporting us not only personally but also by leveraging the organizations she is a part of. Perhaps more importantly, she shares both her wisdom and time whenever called upon. She is also a constant support to the JA team, always providing encouragement, kind words, and buoying spirits.”

JA Worldwide created the JA Legacy of Leadership Award in Patricia Francy’s honor, and we are thrilled to name her the inaugural recipient of this award.