Philip Silverman

Phil founded Blue Sky Real Estate to bring new ideas and create value for and on behalf of mission-driven organizations by changing the way they develop, lease, and own physical assets.

Prior to founding Blue Sky, Phil served as Senior Vice President and Chief Physical Assets Officer for Northwell Health, one of the 20 largest not-for-profit health systems in the United States and the largest private employer in New York State. At Northwell, Phil was responsible for over $500 million in real estate transactions to achieve below market rate occupancy costs and secure strategic sites for the system’s future. He also had oversight for 1 billion dollars of capital construction and the management of over 500 off-campus facilities.

Previously, Phil served as Vice President for Real Estate at Columbia University, where he was responsible for positioning the real estate portfolio to meet the educational, research, administrative and housing needs of the University and Medical Center. In this role, he created strategies, formulated budgets, identified opportunities, targeted acquisitions, oversaw consultants and stewarded negotiations to facilitate the acquisition, disposition, development, leasing and management of all real estate assets belonging to Columbia University. Over his 12 year tenure, Phil negotiated the business terms for real estate transactions valued in excess of $1 billion, including the assemblage of 60 separately owned properties comprising 17 acres (including the relocation and construction of new facilities for businesses, residential occupants, houses of worship, city agencies, and public utilities) necessary for the development of the new $7 billion, 6.8 million square foot campus in Manhattanville. Other accomplishments at Columbia include implementation of strategies resulting in development opportunities and improved institutional collaboration on the combined campus of Columbia University Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital and repositioning of flagship Faculty Practice facilities in midtown Manhattan, and development of financial controls and systems for the management of Columbia’s owned and leased space within and outside New York City.

Phil is a member of the board of Breaking Ground, a not-for profit developer of supportive and affordable housing for vulnerable New Yorkers and is Co-Chair Emeritus of DOROT, an Upper West Side social service organization providing services to the frail elderly. Phil is also Assistant Chair Emeritus of Urban Land Institute’s Health Care and Life Sciences Council.

Phil has a BA in Accounting from Syracuse University and JD from Touro College and is a member of the New York State Bar.