HARLEM, NY.- As the Studio Museum in Harlem approaches the first anniversary of the opening of its new home, it has entered a new era of Board leadership under longtime Trustee Kathryn C. Chenault. Ms. Chenault, who was appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees upon the Museum’s inauguration, today announced the election to the Board of Sherrese Clarke, founder and CEO of HarbourView Equity Partners, and Jamila Justine Willis, a partner at DLA Piper. Other leadership changes include the appointment of Dr. Anita Blanchard as Vice-Chair, joining the sitting Vice-Chairs Damien R. Dwin and Carol Sutton Lewis. Former Board Chair Raymond J. McGuire continues to serve the Museum as Chair of the Executive Committee.
Kathryn C. Chenault, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said, "It was a wonderful honor to step into an expanded leadership role at the Studio Museum in Harlem as it navigated this transformational moment in its history. I am delighted to be able to continue serving alongside our dedicated team of Trustees as we embrace the many opportunities this era brings. I speak for us all in thanking Dr. Anita Blanchard for taking on a new role as Vice-Chair, building on the passion for the Museum that has been crucial to our growth. I am also thrilled to welcome two extraordinarily accomplished new Trustees, Sherrese Clarke and Jamila Justine Willis, mission-driven leaders whose strong skills will help shape this institution as we continue to move forward."
Kathryn C. Chenault maintains a long-standing commitment to art, education, health care organizations, and cultural institutions. She serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Studio Museum in Harlem and is a trustee at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City Police Foundation, New York University School of Law, and Pratt Institute. She received an Honorary Degree of Humane Letters from Pratt Institute, the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Bradley Award for Leadership, and the Gilder Lehrman award for leadership and philanthropy. She has been honored at the Children’s Museum, Gordon Parks Foundation, and WNET. In 2015-16, she served on the Design Advisory Team to select the architect for the Obama Presidential Center. She was also on the committee to select the architect for the new Studio Museum in Harlem, and serves on Pratt Institute’s selection committee for architects for ongoing projects.
Ms. Chenault has also expanded educational opportunities for young people through the Chenault Scholarship for Minorities at Tufts University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science. She furthered that commitment by establishing a similar scholarship at her alma mater, New York University School of Law, helping to support future generations of students.
Anita Blanchard, MD, is a retired Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UChicago Medicine and former Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the Pritzker School of Medicine. During her career in medicine, she enhanced Chicago’s South Side community by increasing the diversity of physicians and building programs to fulfill community needs. She created innovative community programs including seminars highlighting maternal and adolescent health. She also founded the Graduate Medical Education Resilience Initiative focused on physician wellbeing. Together with the Urban Health Initiative team, her Graduate Medical Education team launched Community Champions, a program facilitating resident and fellow participation in community engagement. She gained national recognition as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and served on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education OB-GYN review committee.
Dr. Blanchard has served on the boards of several cultural organizations including the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, Renaissance Society, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commission and the Chicago Landmarks Commission. She currently serves on the board of trustees for Art Institute of Chicago, Studio Museum in Harlem, and Smithsonian National Museum of African Art Advisory Board. Dr. Blanchard earned a bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology and Physiology from Northwestern University and completed medical school and her OB-GYN residency at University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine.
Sherrese Clarke is the founder and CEO of HarbourView Equity Partners and of Tempo Music, where she also serves as the Board Director. At Tempo, Ms. Clarke formed a strategic partnership with Warner Music Group, brought on Providence Equity Partners to back the venture, and delivered an above-average IRR for the investment class. Previously, she served as Managing Director at Morgan Stanley. She spent close to fifteen years at the firm in several roles, most recently leading the Entertainment, Media, and Sports Structured Solutions Platform, devising a cross-asset strategy focused on capital solutions for intellectual property. During her tenure, she managed the origination and execution of more than $85 billion in loan commitments for the firm and served as Deputy Chair of the Capital Commitment Committee.
Jamila Justine Willis is a partner at DLA Piper with a focus on financial and corporate restructuring, and has extensive experience in complex restructurings across industries. At DLA Piper, Ms. Willis holds a leadership role as US Co-Chair of Restructuring Practice and Global Co-Chair of the Consumer Goods and Retail sector, in addition to being a member of DLA Piper’s Policy Committee. Ms. Willis has also worked as an attorney for International Bridges to Justice, where she focused on developing legal aid systems to strengthen the rule of law and end criminal investigatory torture in Rwanda, Burundi, and Zimbabwe. Her international experience also includes work toward starting and strengthening legal aid programs in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
