Patricia Goldstein, a ULI Foundation Governor and the vice-chairman and head of commercial real estate for Emigrant Bank, passed away on April 29 after sustaining injuries in a cycling accident in Highland Beach, Florida. She was 69.
Goldstein had been an active ULI member since 1985. She was a current member of the Urban Development/Mixed Use Council (Bronze Flight) and had been a past member of the Commercial & Retail Development Council. She served as a ULI Trustee from 1998 until 2004. She became a ULI Foundation Governor in 2002 and was active in ULI New York, serving on the 2014 Fall Meeting Steering Committee.
“At a time when there were so few women in the high-pressure field of real estate finance, Pat Goldstein excelled and blazed a trail for those who came after her,” said ULI Global Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. “Her mentorship of younger colleagues – both women and men – means her impact on the real estate industry will be felt for generations.”
Goldstein joined Citicorp in 1966, where she attended one of the first credit training classes to admit women. She rose through the ranks at Citicorp, eventually leaving the company for executive positions at the Olympia & York and M.J. Raynes, real estate firms in New York City.
Goldstein rejoined Citicorp in 1990, where she oversaw the company’s real estate business in North America, Europe, and Japan. She negotiated several high-stakes deals for the company, stabilizing a $23 billion real estate portfolio.
She joined Milstein Brothers Realty in 2001 and became Emigrant’s chief credit officer and head of commercial real estate in 2004. In her role at Emigrant, she oversaw creative financing for several major commercial projects in New York City.
“Pat was an iconic, larger-than-life leader in banking and real estate in New York City and the nation, a true force of nature, a pioneer in her field for women, and a mentor to many,” Howard P. Milstein, chairman of Emigrant Bank, said in a prepared statement.
One of those mentored by Goldstein was Marty Burger, chief executive officer of Silverstein Properties, a ULI Trustee, and a ULI Foundation Governor. “[Pat] understood better than anyone how to get major projects financed and built,” he said. “Most importantly, she was a dear friend and mentor to me throughout my career. She will be missed by all of us who knew and loved her.
In addition to her husband, Howard Epstein, Goldstein is survived by her daughter, Alicia Goldstein, son, Jeffrey Goldstein, and two grandsons. A memorial service will be held in her honor at 11 am on Monday, May 4, at Congregation Rodeph Shalom, located at 7 West 83rd Street, New York, NY.
