Mark L. Claster Elected Chair of North Shore-LIJ Health System

GREAT NECK, N.Y., June 23, 2014 – The North Shore-LIJ Health System today announced the election of Mark L. Claster as the new chair of its Board of Trustees. Mr. Claster, a resident of Roslyn, NY, succeeds Richard D. Goldstein, who held the position since 2010.

Mr. Claster has been a trustee for more than 20 years, serving as chair of the board’s Quality Committee from 2000 to 2012. He also serves on the Executive Committee of North Shore-LIJ’s Lenox Hill Hospital and Staten Island University Hospital, and as member of the Joint Board of Overseers at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and North Shore-LIJ’s Long Island Home in Amityville, NY, which includes South Oaks Hospital and Broadlawn Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Mr. Claster is president of Carl Marks & Co. in Manhattan, a multi-faceted, middle-market merchant bank that provides principle investing and advisory services. He also serves as partner of Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC, Carl Marks Healthcare Partners LLC and Carl Marks Merchant Partners. He started his career as an attorney specializing in corporate and individual tax law and estate planning, after earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ohio University, his Juris Doctorate degree from Hofstra University School of Law and Master of Laws degree in taxation from New York University School of Law.

“Mark fully understands the role of the chairperson in a complex organization like North Shore-LIJ,” said Michael J. Dowling, president and chief executive officer of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. “He has been an instrumental member of the board for many years. I am certain his business acumen, financial knowledge and, most importantly, his compassion will be invaluable in the upcoming years as we continue to improve North Shore-LIJ’s national reputation for delivering high-quality healthcare.”

Mr. Claster’s wife, Susan, is also actively involved in the North Shore-LIJ Health System, following in the footsteps of her late father, Robert Boas. She is a board member of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine.

Mr. Claster has also held numerous executive management roles across a wide range of industries, serving as a financial advisor to many companies. Mr. Claster has also overseen numerous aspects of commercial real estate management and development, and is the co-founder of the Carl Marks Real Estate Group.

The North Shore-LIJ Board of Trustees includes more than 120 active members, as well as 17 life trustee and 24 honorary trustees.