MAS proudly congratulates board members Ronay Menschel, Elizabeth H. Berger and Julie Menin for their appointment to the Trust for Governors Island. Now that Governors Island ownership has officially been turned over to New York City, the Trust will be responsible for guiding the future development of the island, including a new 40 acre park. The Trust will ensure Governors island retains its historic character while making it a destination for all New Yorkers.

“Ronay, Julie, and Liz have been invaluable members of MAS’ board over the years,” said MAS President Vin Cipolla. “I know they will lend the same level of insight and commitment they have given MAS to the future of Governors Island.”

Ms. Menschel, who will chair the Trust, is is Chairman of Phipps Houses, and has been a MAS board member since 1992. Ms. Berger is president of the Alliance for Downtown New York; she has been a member of MAS’ board since 2002. Ms. Menin is chair of Community Board 1, host of Julie Menin’s Give and Take, and a MAS board member since 2008.

To learn more about Governors Island, click here.

The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) is noted for its awards and prizes recognizing the excellence and achievements of individuals and organizations in the fields of urban design, historic preservation, architecture, and other cultural and artistic contributions that help make New York City more livable. But next week, MAS will itself receive some much-deserved recognition when three separate cultural groups in the city honor MAS leaders for their philanthropic and visionary work.

In an extraordinary coincidence, all three will be feted at separate charitable events on the evening of Monday, April 19. Continue Reading>>

The Municipal Art Society is pleased to welcome fashion designer Yeohlee Teng to its board of directors. Ms. Teng established her own design house, YEOHLEE, in New York City in 1981, and her work is now known worldwide.

As General Secretary of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Teng is an active leader in the campaign to keep fashion manufacturing in New York City’s Garment District, an advocacy effort MAS strongly supports.

For more information about the MAS Board of Directors, visit MAS.org/directors.

Wade with daughter Amanda at the 2007 MAS gala when he received the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal for his work to save the Park Avenue Armory.

Wade F. B. Thompson, MAS’ dedicated colleague and irreplaceable board member, passed away peacefully last week, after a long battle with cancer.

Wade joined the board of MAS in 1991 and immediately became active on a committee to save the Seventh Regiment Armory, now the Park Avenue Armory.

“Wade was a visionary who cared deeply about his adopted city and contributed enormously to its well-being,” said MAS President Vin Cipolla. “MAS is indebted to him for his dedication to our work and his personal commitment to the Park Avenue Armory restoration. We were privileged to have Wade serve as an active Board Member for the past 16 years and will miss him greatly. Our thoughts go out to his wife Angela and his family.” Continue Reading>>

The Municipal Art Society of New York’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Enid L. Beal and Vicki Been have joined the board this summer.

“I am delighted to welcome Enid and Vicki to the board. Their experience in the fields of business and philanthropy, and urban policy, respectively, make them valuable assets to MAS, and I look forward to their contributions to the organization.” said MAS Chairman David M. Childs.

Enid L. Beal brings an outstanding set of credentials, entrepreneurial know-how, and creativity to MAS. With a track record of excellence in real estate development and financial management, Ms. Beal is also a prominent philanthropist serving as a member of the board of directors of the Island Alliance and the Boston Center for Jewish Heritage, and on the Investment Committees of the Appalachian Mountain Club, New England Conservatory, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and public television station WGBH. She was featured speaker at the National Park Foundation Leadership Summit on Partnership and Philanthropy in 2007, and is president and founder of Beal Consulting Group, Inc., a Boston-based financial planning firm. Continue Reading>>