Chelsea Pines Inn ~ New York City

A native New Yorker, Jay has worn many hats during his adult life: employee benefits manager, choral singer and fundraiser (13 years with the NYC Gay Men's Chorus), concert and theatrical producer, and most significantly, proud owner of Chelsea Pines Inn for nearly 25 years.   He has served on the Board of Directors as Vice President and then President of SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders), a New York-based agency that provides social services, education and advocacy for our elderly community.  During 2008 Jay has been thrilled to work with the New York City LGBT Community Services Center, where he helped produce and chair "Broadway Backwards 3," a sold-out benefit for The Center at the American Airlines Roundabout Theatre.

An inveterate theatregoer and world traveler, Jay has shared his passion for film posters by decorating the entire building with vintage posters. Nearly 300 posters grace the hallways and guest rooms. In recent years, Jay had his first-ever poster show at a nearby university, which featured over 100 of his most significant (and favorite) posters, and was profiled in the New York Times.

Jay would like to pay tribute to several important people: his late lover and founder of Chelsea Pines, Sheldon Post, whose dream became a reality; his beloved partner, Tom Klebba, who worked long and hard to help build the business, and who became Jay’s spouse when they married in Massachusetts in 2004; and his good friend and longtime manager, Al Ridolfo, for his help and support and for redesigning this really cool website.