J. Ira Harris
Retired Chairman
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In Palm Beach, part of South Florida, Harris served as a director of the Palm Beach Civic Association, contributing to community leadership and civic initiatives. He was a life member of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts board and executive committee, supporting arts and culture in the region. His philanthropy through the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Foundation, based in West Palm Beach, extended his impact locally.
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Born in 1938 in the Bronx, New York, J. Ira Harris began working young, selling newspapers door-to-door, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a business administration degree in 1959. He built a stellar career in finance, starting at Blair & Co., turning around its Midwest operations, then becoming a general partner at Salomon Brothers in 1969, later joining Lazard Frères as a senior partner, and founding J.I. Harris & Associates in 1999 while serving as vice chairman of the Pritzker Organization. A longtime Palm Beach resident, he was deeply connected to South Florida through civic roles. Harris passed away on February 21, 2022, at age 83 in Palm Beach. Prior to retirement, he chaired J.I. Harris & Associates.