Remembering Michael Seltzer

Life is too short for short-term contracts. That’s what Michael Seltzer taught me. With his passing I lost a mentor, a dear friend, and someone who changed the direction of my life.

When we met in 1998, Michael was running the Nonprofit Management Program at the Milano School of The New School in New York. I was a 24-year-old student from Vladivostok, Russia, starting my grad studies and finding my way in a new world.

Michael had already done so much — he helped raise millions to fight AIDS — but he was also dreaming up what came next. He was building a project on sustainable development called BEST, short for Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel. This was back in the late 1990s when CSR was still a new idea. He offered me a job as his research assistant.

Michael was a visionary, but what I remember most is how kind he was. He helped me settle in Paris after my studies. He and his husband, Ralph Tachuk, became close friends. Michael didn’t believe in short-term contracts. People like him open doors. They help you grow and become your best self. I feel lucky and grateful to have known him. I’ll miss him deeply.

Adieu, Michael

The New York Times obituary