A UJA-Federation dinner honoring Mitchell Klipper, chief operating officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc., raised a record-breaking $1.6 million in donations to help those in need. The event, hosted by UJA-Federation of New York's Publishing Division at The Grand Hyatt New York on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, also broke all attendance records, as an overflow gathering of 1,200 professionals from the publishing community joined together to honor Mitchell. Those participating in this special tribute included Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble, Inc., who served as dinner chair and award presenter, and author and entertainer Steve Martin, who made a special appearance.
For more than two decades, Mitchell has played a fundamental role in the growth of Barnes & Noble. He has held the position of chief operating officer since February 2002. He also serves as president of Barnes & Noble Development, the group responsible for identifying, selecting, designing, and constructing new store locations.
Mitchell joined the company in 1986 as vice president and chief financial officer of Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, following a seven-year career in public accounting with the firm of KMG Main Hurdman. In 1988, he was elected chief financial officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. In 1993, Mitchell became president of Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Over a two-year period, Barnes & Noble opened new superstores at an astonishing pace, accelerating one of the most ambitious retail expansions in history. Mitchell's expertise and energy have been critical to the company's unprecedented growth.
Those saluting Mitchell's illustrious career as a leader in the publishing industry included Honorary Dinner Committee members David Deason of Barnes & Noble, Inc.; Al Ferrara of BDO Seidman; Jane Friedman of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide; Charles Nurnberg of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.; Peter Olson of Random House, Inc.; Jack Romanos of Simon & Schuster, Inc.; Michael Rosen of Bryan Cave; John Sargent of Holtzbrinck Publishers; David Shanks of Penguin Group USA, Inc.; Herb Simon of Simon Property Group; and David Young of Hachette Book Group, USA.
About UJA-Federation of New York
The world's largest local philanthropy, UJA-Federation of New York strengthens community and helps 1.4 million people in New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island, as well as 3 million in Israel and 60 other countries. Funds raised by UJA-Federation sustain the activities of 100 health, human-service, educational, and community agencies. Every day, these community-based organizations provide a multitude of services that improve and enhance people's lives. For more information, visit UJA-Federation's website at www.ujafedny.org.
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 793 bookstores in 50 states. For the fifth year in a row, the company is the nation's top retail brand for quality, according to the EquiTrend® Brand Study by Harris Interactive®. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites and the number one online bookseller for quality among e-commerce companies, according to the latest EquiTrend survey.
General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the company's corporate website at http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com.