NEW YORK - May 2, 2017 – National nonprofit Step Up has announced its 2017 New York chapter board of directors. Marnie Kain of Grey Group will continue to serve as chair of the board.
In New York City, Step Up provides after-school and mentoring programs for nearly 300 high school girls from five New York City high schools.
With the goal of empowering girls from under-resourced communities to realize their potential, the organization leverages the time, talents and resources of its professional women members. Step Up board members connect with the teens as mentors and professional role models and help the organization connect to resources on a local and national level.
"Step Up is growing, and we are thrilled to have such accomplished, passionate, and caring professional women involved," Managing Director Judith Powell said.
The expanded board is already taking the nonprofit's local efforts to new levels, including procuring Step Up's "Pathways to Professions" corporate field trips for teen girls to visit workplaces like Refinery29, NBCUniversal and the United Nations headquarters.
"I was so smitten by the girls from my speaking role last year, I was compelled to 'step up' to the Step Up board," Katrina Craigwell, vice president of global market innovation at GE, said.
Similarly, after hosting the Step Up teens at the Refinery29 office, Executive Creative Director Piera Gelardi joined the board to deepen her commitment to the organization's support of mentorship.
"This board wants to continue to bring inspiring women and corporate partners together to support our teens, much like the Coach Foundation did with a recent visit by Selena Gomez to two Step Up classrooms in Los Angeles," Kain said.
Among other projects, the board has already begun work on its signature fundraiser, Power Hour presented by Coach, set for October 26, 2017. The evening event will honor Linda Yaccarino, chairman of NBCUniversal advertising sales and corporate partnerships.
Returning New York chapter board members:
Marnie Kain, EVP, Grey Group (chair)
Susan Aminoff, executive director,change leadership, WPP (Power Hour chair)
Marietta Daniel, communications and political consultant, NYC Mayor's Office
Kris Maccini, director of social business care & intelligence, MetLife
Marta Martinez, chief revenue officer, Intersection
Cathy Mayone, EVP, general manager WW strategies, Publicis Health
Alisa Norris, chief marketing officer, Juvenile Diabetes Research Assn.
New New York chapter board members:
Katrina Craigwell, VP global market innovation, GE
Vicky Edgecomb, principal, Edgecomb Consulting
Jennifer Frommer, SVP partnerships & licensing, Columbia Records
Piera Gelardi, executive creative director, Refinery29
Alethea Hanneman, chief operating officer, In God's Love We Deliver
Deborah Marquardt, chief marketing officer, Diamond Producers
Hilary Smith, SVP corporate communications, NBCUniversal (Power Hour co-chair)
ABOUT STEP UP
Step Up believes all girls should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Through after-school and weekend mentorship programs, the nonprofit works with girls from under-resourced communities on becoming confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women. Connect at suwn.org.
