Schulte partner Andi Mandell appointed to Gary Sinise Foundation Board of Directors

The Gary Sinise Foundation, which was established in 2011 under the philanthropic direction of award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise who has been a committed supporter of veterans, first responders and defenders for more than 40 years, announced today the appointment of Andrea (Andi) Mandell, a tax partner at the NYC-based law firm Schulte Roth & Zabel, to the Board of Directors.

Ms. Mandell, who was introduced to the Foundation in 2012 and began working as a pro bono counsel for Mr. Sinise and the Foundation, has over 30 years of experience providing skilled tax advice to the securitization industry and focuses her practice on the tax aspects relating to structured finance, securitization and fund formation.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Structured Finance Association (SFA).

Ms. Mandell’s passion for giving back to veterans and first responders who serve our country and communities shines through her work as a proud member of Schulte's Pro Bono Committee where she provides tax advice to many of the firm's pro bono clients, ranging from 501(c)(3) formation and qualification to continued compliance.  

For the last ten years, Ms. Mandell has provided pro bono counsel to GSF on a variety of initiatives, ranging from the custom smart homes built for our Nation’s most severely wounded heroes to the overall structure of GSF.  Her passion and commitment to the Foundation helped grow the position to de facto outside General Counsel for GSF.

“I have known Andi Mandell for over ten years as she has supported our mission at the Gary Sinise Foundation with a passionate servant’s heart. I am thrilled and grateful that she has accepted our invitation to join our board of directors and look forward to the great things ahead that Andi and our board, our staff, our volunteers, and our generous donors will do together in the coming years to serve the mission at the Gary Sinise Foundation,” said Actor and Humanitarian Gary Sinise.

“Having been a part of the Gary Sinise Foundation for more than a decade, I have seen the Foundation’s essential work make a profound impact in the lives of so many of our military heroes, first responders and their families. With each passing year, our expanding outreach continues to support, strengthen and honor the nation’s defenders, veterans and first responders. As a civilian, I am deeply honored and humbled to be able to help give back in this way to the people who have so selflessly served our country,” said Andi Mandell.

Ms. Mandell is also the Vice Chair of the board of directors for Friends of Firefighters, a New York City-based non-profit formed after the tragic events of September 11, that provides free, independent and confidential mental health and wellness checks for New York City firefighters, both active and retired, and their families.

Ms. Mandell has received many industry distinctions, having been named as one of the “Notable Women in Law” by Crain’s New York Business and is currently ranked Band 1 in “Capital Markets: Securitization: Tax – USA - Nationwide” by Chambers USA. Ms. Mandell earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, her J.D. from Boston University and her LLM in Taxation from New York University’s School of Law.

Since being founded in 2011, the Gary Sinise Foundation has built dozens of specially adapted, custom smart homes for our Nation’s most severely wounded heroes, uplifted millions of veterans and first responders, donated more than 14,000 pieces of equipment to first responders around the country to help them perform their jobs and protect their communities and so much more.  For more information on the Gary Sinise Foundation, visit www.garysinisefoundation.org.