Institutional Investor's Alpha Magazine - October 2007 - (Page 22)

The Good Guys Autism Advocate Kevin Murray helps guide other parents through the unique challenges of autism. By Danielle Beurteaux K evin Murray’s son Owen, born in 1993, was a typical baby. By his ﬁrst birthday he was starting to talk, but within a few months something changed. Owen stopped responding to his name, became withdrawn, avoided eye contact and was easily agitated. Murray, then a partner at brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald in New York, and his wife, Susan, visited a battery of doctors before a neurologist diagnosed Owen, at 18 months, with autism. The doctor tried to explain the disease by asking the Murrays if they had seen the Dustin Hoffman movie Rain Man. “We asked what we should do, but there were no answers,” says Murray, 48, now chief operating officer of though many theories about the cause of the disease exist, there is no deﬁnitive explanation. In their search for guidance, the Murrays encountered a dedicated autism advocacy community, albeit one fractured by differing opinions on treatment and the wide range of needs of those suffering from the disease. Murray saw many inefﬁciencies he knew could be eliminated by a single organization acting as a unifying voice that could attract good board members, funding and media attention. In 1997 he and his wife, along with a small group of parents of autistic children, founded the Autism Coalition for Research and Education in Port Chester, New York. In 2004, when Robert Wright, then chairman and CEO of NBC Universal and grandparent of an autistic child, was establishing a similar group, Autism Speaks, a mutual acquaintance suggested that he talk to Murray. A year later, Murray merged ACRE with Autism Speaks to create a more powerful group; he serves on the combined organization’s board and executive committee. “Every autistic child is different,” says Autism Speaks board member Kevin Murray, with son Owen. Greenwich, Connecticut–based Rock Ridge Advisors, a $300 million multistrategy hedge fund ﬁrm he co-founded in 2005. “There was a dearth of information, and to ﬁnd help you had to dig really hard.” Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that affects development in young children. The behaviors associated with autism — called the autistic spectrum — range from mild social difficulties to severe mental impairment. Al- “Kevin raised his hand to be part of Autism Speaks,” says Wright. “He has a very open mind and a remarkable sense of balance.” Autism Speaks is now the largest autism advocacy organization in the U.S., with operations in 40 states and plans to expand internationally. The group intends to continue funding research and to increase autism awareness, while improving its ability to connect families with services, set up local chapters and develop a medical insurance program to ensure continuing coverage for those with autism. Murray himself is an active fundraiser. In 1999, he established an annual golf tournament at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York. In June the event raised $1.2 million. This month he is cohosting a charitable event called “Autism Speaks to Wall Street: A Celebrity Chef Gala,” at the Capitale Ballroom in New York, featuring 25 of the best chefs in the U.S. Owen, now 14 and considered a highly functioning autistic child, attends both a local public school and a special-needs school in Westchester County, New York. He has a talent for mathematics and science but is beset by problems, particularly severe anxiety. Murray hopes that Autism Speaks will be the premier source for those who are searching for answers to the complexities of autism. “Every autistic child is different,” says Murray. “There is no magic silver bullet.” For more information, visit www.autismspeaks.org. Photo by Rayon Richards for Alpha 22 • INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR’S ALPHA • OCTOBER 2007 http://www.autismspeaks.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Institutional Investor's Alpha Magazine - October 2007

Institutional Investor's Alpha Magazine - October 2007 Contents Letter from the Editor Longs & Shorts Pension Corner: Applied Knowledge The Good Guys: Autism Advocate Interview: Nerves of Steel Cover Story: Ivy League Education Alpha Awards: Top Service Providers: Trying Times Strategies: Passage to India Profile: The Oracle of Irvine Alpha Bytes: Futurama Research Center: Funds of Funds 50 Unhedged: Commentary: Crisis? What Crisis?

Institutional Investor's Alpha Magazine - October 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.