The University of Vermont Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources welcomes Andrew Rubenstein, benefactor to the Rubenstein School, and Thomas Berry, advisor to Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, as two of the newest members of the Rubenstein School Board of Advisors.

“We are pleased to welcome both Andy Rubenstein and Tom Berry to the Rubenstein School Board of Advisors,” says Dean Nancy Mathews. “Andy and his family have helped transform the School into a leading school of the environment through their vision and support. I am delighted to have him join the board. Tom contributes a local, state, and national viewpoint garnered from his many years of service to Vermont’s U.S. Senators and to the State of Vermont. He will bring a valuable perspective and dimension to ensure that we are aware of the emerging environmental priorities and policy discussions in Washington, D.C. This federal connection is never more important than now.”

Andrew Rubenstein, of Rubenstein Properties LLC in Little Falls, New Jersey, is a longtime friend and benefactor of the School and son of the late Steven Rubenstein and current board member Beverly Rubenstein. In 2003, the Rubenstein family gave the largest single gift in UVM history at the time – a $15 million commitment to support environmental education and research. With this gift, the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources became the first named school or college at UVM. The family had previously contributed $1 million toward the construction of the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory on Burlington’s Lake Champlain waterfront. 

In 1991, Andy joined Rubenstein Properties as part of the management team. The family business, started by Steven in 1961, renovates older properties and makes significant improvements that add value and reduce the buildings’ environmental footprints by using environmentally sensitive design and construction. With Steven’s passing in 2008, Andy and his uncle have continued to grow and manage the business. As a member of the New York Metropolitan Region board of directors for the American Technion Society, which supports the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Andy has helped to create endowed fellowships for the Technion in the areas of renewable energy and cancer research. 

Thomas Berry, policy advisor and field representative for Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, joins the Rubenstein School Board as an ex-officio member. Tom advises Senator Leahy on agriculture, conservation, energy, and natural resource issues in the Senator’s Burlington, Vermont office. Tom previously served for ten years in a similar role on staff for the late Vermont U.S. Senator James Jeffords. Tom worked at the Rubenstein School, as an associate faculty member, from 2007 to 2009 while on staff with The Nature Conservancy in Vermont.