Museum Of The City Of New York Adds Mignon Espy Edwards, Julee Wilson And More To The Board

Museum of the City of New York-the City's storyteller for 100 years-today announces the appointment of new Trustees to the Board: Mignon Espy Edwards; Jennifer K. Marrus; Neel Shah; Nicole Washington; and Julee Wilson. The five leaders join the board as the museum moves towards the future and its 100th year celebrations in 2023.

"As we enter the Museum's centennial year, these talented new trustees will be part of shaping the vision for the Museum," said William C. Vrattos, Chair of the Board of Trustees. "I'm confident that with their leadership experience and guidance, this beloved institution will be well-positioned to lead within the city's rapidly evolving cultural landscape."

"We are entering our centennial year with a continued emphasis on reflecting our city and its people, their needs, and their stories," said Whitney Donhauser, President & Ronay Menschel Director of the Museum of the City of New York. "Our board of trustees have shown steadfast leadership as we navigated through the pandemic, and I'm thrilled to have new energy and an infusion of diverse talent with our newest trustee appointments as we embark on the next chapter for the Museum."

New trustee appointees include:

• Mignon Espy Edwards is a seasoned brand strategist with over 25 years of experience and is widely recognized as a leading executive known for driving transformative brand growth. Prior to her current role, Espy Edwards was Head of Digital Content Marketing at Viacom CBS, where she led sales and marketing initiatives, EVP of Partnership Marketing and Strategic Planning at Warner Music Group, and began her career in sales at Island Def Jam Music Group, launching branded entertainment revenue streams for superstar talent. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics & Marketing from Spelman College. She currently serves as a board member of the New York Women's Foundation and Member of the Greater New York Links, Inc. and Metropolitan Jack & Jill Chapter, New York. Passionate about empowerment for women and girls, Mignon is an active philanthropist, donating her time and talent as a marketing and relationship advisor to many charitable organizations, including the Universal Hip Hop Museum, ABT (American Ballet Theatre), The Studio Museum of Harlem, and Healthcorps.

• Jennifer K. Marrus is a former marketing executive and philanthropist with a wealth of experience in marketing and strategic problem solving in the for-profit and social impact arenas. She is a former Vice President of Marketing at American Express, was Operations Manager for a manufacturing company, and worked in Economic Development for the City of New York. Jennifer has been a long-time champion for Jumpstart, an educational nonprofit focused on providing underserved children pre-kindergarten with educational resources. She is a founding member of Jumpstart's Tri-State Local Advisory Board over 20 years ago, and its former national board chair. In addition to her work with Jumpstart, she co-founded a mentorship and networking community for Dartmouth graduates in the social impact sector and she regularly serves as a strategic advisor for growing social impact organizations. Jennifer holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Psychology from Dartmouth. She is married with two boys and lives in New York City.

• Neel Shah is the founder and co-CEO of Vivid+Co, a brand strategy, communications, and technology company. Shah previously spent 15 years in investment management, including stints at Oaktree Capital Management and BlueMountain Capital Management, where he focused on opportunistic investing across the capital structure. He has advised and invested in the seed rounds of several tech companies, including Compass. Shah earned a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has a master's degree from the London School of Economics, where he graduated first in his class. He resides in New York City with his partner Caitlin and their two children.

• Nicole Washington is a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she is a member of the Investment Funds Group. She represents domestic and international sponsors in forming, marketing and operating private investment funds, as well as on secondary market transactions, succession planning and co-investment arrangements. Nicole holds a BA from Columbia University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

• Julee Wilson is the Executive Director of BeautyUnited, a nonprofit with a mission to provide community, education and access to support the next generation of beauty and wellness leaders. Separately, she is the Beauty Editor-at-Large at Cosmopolitan, leading the brand's robust beauty coverage across all platforms (print, digital & social) and creating new ways to reach readers. Wilson was previously the Global Beauty Director as ESSENCE and she also served as ESSENCE's Fashion & Beauty Director for three years. Before her tenure at ESSENCE, Wilson was the Senior Fashion & Beauty Editor at The Huffington Post. She started her career at Real Simple magazine where she worked her way up from assistant to the Editor-in-Chief to Staff Fashion Editor. Her writing has appeared in InStyle, Conde Nast Traveler, The Business of Fashion, and The International Journal of Fashion Studies - just to name a few. Wilson has also appeared on CNN, The Today Show, and the CBS Early Show. She is an award-winning journalist, which includes hosting a Webby Award-honored podcast. Wilson received her B.A. in Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond and is an alum of Stanford University's former Professional Publishing Course. Wilson sits on the Black in Fashion Council's executive board, the advisory board for Harlem's Fashion Row, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She resides in Harlem NYC with her brilliant husband, two dope sons, and a massive shoe collection.

The Museum of the City of New York fosters understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world's most influential metropolis. Winner of "Best Museum" in Time Out New York's "Best of the City 2021" and multiple American Alliance of Museums (AAM) awards, MCNY engages visitors by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting the city's past, present, and future. To connect with the Museum's award-winning digital content, visit www.mcny.org.