Courtney J. Boddie, Vice President, Education & School Engagement at New 42, is a New York City-based executive leader, consultant, creative artist, facilitator, professor, advisor and mentor. Ms. Boddie oversees all the New Victory School programs serving nearly 200 NYC schools, after schools and summer programs. Under her leadership, recent arts access initiatives include New Victory Arts Education Resource Library and Speak Up Act Out: Celebrating Student Voices. Notable Recognition: New 42: Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre (2025); amNY Metro & PoliticsNY Power Players in Education (2024), Crain’s New York Notable Black Leader and Executive (2021) and TYA/USA’s Community Impact Award (2019). She is a co-chair for the Arts Advisory Committee of the Mayor’s Panel for Educational Policy. Courtney is adjunct faculty in the Educational Theatre Graduate Program at New York University and is the Creator/Host of Teaching Artistry podcast, featuring conversations with artists and arts education leaders. She is an alumni Artist Fellow of and sits on the Curatorial Committee for the Hermitage Artist Retreat. In her 25+ year career, she has sat on several boards and presented at numerous local, national and international conferences. As a theater maker and improv performer, she is a founding member of a space between and an ensemble member of NYC Queer Playback Theater.

Eric Dinowitz is the current Council Member for New York City Council District 11. Since 2021, he has represented the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Norwood, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, and Woodlawn.

Dinowitz serves as the Chair of the Committee on Higher Education. He is a member of the Committees on Civil Service and Labor, Education, Housing and Buildings, and Standards and Ethics, as well as the Subcommittee on Senior Centers and Food Insecurity. He also serves as the Chair of the Jewish Caucus. In the Council, Dinowitz has focused on expanding 311 services, improving community-based services for individuals with disabilities and seniors, and increasing reporting requirements for education officials.

Prior to his election to the Council, Dinowitz spent the past thirteen years as a special education teacher in the community — teaching and counseling the students who need the most support. He first worked at Bronx Theatre High School in the John F. Kennedy campus, and at Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music in the Walton Campus. Dinowitz also served as a Democratic District Leader and chapter leader for the United Federation of Teachers.

Russell Granet is President & CEO of New 42, the cultural nonprofit and 2025 Tony Honoree with a mission to make extraordinary performing arts a vital part of everyone’s life from the earliest years onward through its signature projects, New 42 Studios and New Victory Theater. Under his leadership, New 42 expanded its virtual presentations and educator resources, earning the nonprofit a WNET Arts Hero Award. Recent projects include fully subsidized arts education for NYC public schools; publication of “Spark Change: The Intrinsic Impact of Performing Arts on Kids,” a longitudinal research study; “Let’s Get This Show on the Street,” a once-in-a-lifetime outdoor celebration (Emmy nomination) in Times Square featuring performances from Sara Bareilles, Freestyle Love Supreme Academy, Bill Irwin and Dance Theatre of Harlem, among others; and New Victory Arts Break, a highly successful online curriculum series for teachers and caregivers to integrate performing arts into remote learning. New Victory Arts Break reached more than one million views and was broadcast nationwide on PBS as part of WNET’s Let’s Learn and WNET’s Camp TV (Emmy nomination).

Granet was formerly at Lincoln Center where he served as Executive Vice President of Lincoln Center Education, Community Engagement, and International, and as Acting President prior to New 42, continuing his long standing efforts to bring the best of the performing arts to the broadest possible audience. While at Lincoln Center he produced and commissioned the critically acclaimed Up and Away, a show for young people on the autism spectrum.

Granet founded the consulting group Arts Education Resource and held leadership positions at The Center for Arts Education – The NYC Annenberg Challenge, American Place Theatre, and was a senior teaching artist in NYC public schools. He served on the faculty of the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University for 20 years, where he developed and taught the course Drama with Special Populations. Among numerous honors, Granet was recognized in the inaugural Crain’s New York Notable LGBTQ Executive List, cited as a visionary leader by the Bloomberg administration and was included in the Politics NY 2024 NYC Power Brokers of Arts & Culture. He is a trustee of Times Square Alliance, Bank Street College and the Sherman Fairchild Foundation.

Granet is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Emerson College, and received his master’s degree from the Steinhardt School of Education, New York University.

New York City Council Member Rita C. Joseph, elected in 2021 to represent Brooklyn’s
40th District, is a visionary leader and lifelong advocate for education, justice, equity,
and opportunity. A former public school teacher, proud union member, and community
organizer, her journey began at just 19 years old when she led a historic 150,000-person rally that successfully challenged the FDA’s discriminatory “Bad Blood” rule against Haitians.

A once-teen mother who defied the odds to earn a full college scholarship, Council Member Joseph’s life reflects resilience, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting others. Today, she serves as Chair of the New York City Council’s Higher Education Committee, where she is driving a forward-looking agenda to expand access, affordability, and pathways to success for all New Yorkers. She also continues to champion educational equity, drawing on over two decades of experience in the classroom.

Council Member Joseph is an active member of several key committees within the New York City Council, including: Immigration, Education, Disabilities, Children and Youth, Housing and Buildings, and the Sub-Committee on Early Childhood Education. Within the New York City Council, she is Co-Chair of the Brooklyn Delegation, Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus, Second Vice Chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus, and a proud member of the Progressive Caucus. She is also a distinguished member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, embodying a legacy of service, scholarship, and sisterhood. Council Member Rita Joseph remains committed to public service by centering equity and innovation, grounding herself in her community, guided by a vision for a more just and inclusive city.

Hassiem Muhammad, a graduate of The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, is a New York City based actor and teaching artist. Hassiem can be seen on CBS’s Blue Bloods, FBI, and Madam Secretary, and has also appeared in regional theater productions around the country, including a production of The Tempest at Round House Theater for which he received the Helen Hayes Award for Best Supporting Performer. When not performing, Hassiem can be found in classrooms around New York facilitating workshops for The New Victory, and Lincoln Center Theater. If that wasn’t enough, he also has his own podcast, The Actor’s Instrument (streaming on all major platforms and YouTube). Hassiem is represented by HCKR Agency.

Kimberly Olsen is an arts educator and advocate based in Long Island City, Queens. As Executive Director of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, Kim works with a large network of cultural organizations and arts educators to provide strategic field-wide leadership, create community-led learning spaces, and advocate for arts education in New York City and New York State. Kim serves on NYC Public Schools’ Arts Advisory Committee and was a Committee Member on Mayor Eric Adams’ Transition Committee on Arts, Parks, and Culture. She received special recognition for her advocacy and service to the arts education community by the Bronx Arts Ensemble (50th Anniversary Gala Honoree), MuseumHue (2025 Advocate Award), and the City College of NY (Spotlight Alumni Award). Kim oversaw the creation and administration of the largest COVID-19 teaching artist emergency relief fund in the country, bridging public and private support to regrant over $1M to NYC teaching artists. In 2024, she was acknowledged as part of City & State’s inaugural Arts & Culture Power 100 list.

Prior to joining the Roundtable in 2017, Kim had a prolific career as a teaching artist working with students Pre-K to adult in over 50 schools across the tristate area with a focus on teaching theatre in District 75 schools. She teaches in the Graduate Program in Educational Theatre at the City College of NY and has worked with ArtsConnection, NY City Center, Queens Theatre, and McCarter Theatre Center. She holds a MS in Educational Theatre from the City College of NY and a BS in Childhood & Special Education from SUNY Geneseo where she also received her NY State Teaching Certification.

Vincent Pilato serves as Chief Operating Officer of the AFT National AI Academy, a first of its kind initiative training American Federation of Teachers members nationwide to use AI as a thought partner that helps them meet their students’ needs ethically and safely. The UFT is an anchor partner of the Academy, grounding its work in the perspective and priorities of NYC educators.

A NYC public school teacher for 28 years, Vincent previously served as Director of the UFT Teacher Center and, before that, as an Instructional Technology Coach and Mentor within the Teacher Center network. His work centers on critical thinking, media literacy, and putting teacher-facing AI tools directly in educators’ hands so they lead how AI shows up in their classrooms.

Superintendent Celeste Terry is a distinguished educator with a 24-year career at the New York City Department of Education. Throughout her tenure, she has held various leadership roles, including Teacher, Principal, Model Principal, and Deputy Superintendent.

Superintendent Terry has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to improving student outcomes and fostering a supportive learning environment. As a principal, she successfully removed her middle school from the list of Schools under Registration Review in just two years by implementing innovative strategies and creating an award-winning arts program.

As a Deputy Superintendent, she played a pivotal role in shaping the district’s educational policies and practices. She supported school leaders, developed data-driven decision-making frameworks, and secured additional funding and professional development opportunities. Superintendent Terry’s initiatives included starting the first city-wide district assessment program, refining the District/Charter Partnership, and introducing Weekly Data Meetings to her school communities.

Superintendent Terry’s dedication to education extends beyond her administrative roles. She has served on Mayor DeBlasio’s Leadership Team for School Culture and Discipline, where she helped to revise the discipline code and secure funding for mental health initiatives. Her efforts have contributed to a more equitable and supportive learning environment for all students.

Superintendent Terry has led transformative improvements in student achievement, marked by double-digit gains in both math and literacy proficiency. Her strategic implementation of research-based literacy intervention programs and her commitment to strengthening partnerships with parents and communities have been key drivers of this success. Her impactful leadership has earned recognition from several esteemed organizations. The Robin Hood Foundation selected her as a keynote speaker for its gala, and she was honored as a 2024 Woman of Distinction by Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. Additionally, Council Member Farah Louis named her one of her 2024 Champions and Change Makers. Most recently, the Middle School Principal Association recognized her as their 2025 Distinguished Superintendent.

Superintendent Terry’s commitment to education and leadership has profoundly impacted the New York City Public Schools. She has been a driving force behind positive change, inspiring others to strive for excellence and equity in education.

Henry Tisch is a producer and co-founder of Key to the City Productions, where he leads development and manages projects across the company’s full theater, film, and television slates. He is also a co-producer of the Museum of Broadway, an experiential museum that celebrates Broadway located in the heart of Times Square. Before founding Key to the City, Henry was a Creative Development professional at the Disney Theatrical Group. At Disney, he was involved in the development of new works for the Broadway, international, and licensing markets, as well as maintenance of long-running shows.

Through Key to the City, Henry is a lead producer of the new musical Galileo (Broadway 2026) and the 2025 Broadway production of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook, in addition to the company’s full slate of projects across theater, film, television, and live events. Past productions include the Broadway production of The Picture of Dorian Gray starring Sarah Snook, the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along and Shabbat on Broadway.

Henry has also spearheaded philanthropic and fundraising efforts for several leading organizations. He is the Chairman of New 42, which serves young people, artists and educators through its signature projects, the New Victory Theater and New 42 Studios. He also serves on the board of The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), which provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals. In 2021, he produced I’m Still Here, a hybrid virtual/in-person benefit celebrating the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, where he serves on the Theatre Committee. He has also led fundraising efforts for Broadway for Biden and Robin Hood.

Henry is a native New Yorker. He holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Yale University.

Diya Vij was appointed as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani in February 2026. In this role, she oversees cultural funding for more than 1,000 non-profit arts and culture organizations across the five boroughs and directs cultural policy for the City of New York.

Previously, Vij served as Vice President of Curatorial and Arts Programs at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, NY where she was brought on to increase access to affordable art making facilities to New York City artists, expand educational efforts, and launch a contemporary arts program that centers the process of making art and the ecosystem of labor that surrounds the process.

Over the past decade, she has held programming, curatorial, and communications positions at major New York City Institutions. She served as the Curator at Creative Time where she commissioned and stewarded large-scale public artwork, launched the public programming space CTHQ, re-launched the Creative Time Summit, and initiated the R&D Fellowship for socially engaged artists. As the Associate Curator of Public Programs at the High Line, she organized dozens of live events, community programs, and performances with artists working across disciplines.

Vij also previously worked at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs from 2014-2018, during which time launched and co-directed the Public Artists in Residence (PAIR) program. Additionally, she helped lead the Agency’s citywide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative, and played an active role in public monument efforts, as well as CreateNYC—New York City’s first strategic long-term plan for culture. She was a curatorial fellow and the communications manager at the Queens Museum from 2010–2014, during the opening of the museum’s major capital renovation. She also previously served on the boards of directors of The Laundromat Project, A Blade of Grass 2022-2026, and The Poetry Project.

Nantasha WIlliams is the Council Member for District 27 representing Jamaica, South Jamaica, Springfield Gardens (North)-Rochdale Village, St. Albans, Hollis, Queens Village, Cambria Heights, and Laurelton. First elected in 2021, Williams has since risen to leadership in the council, serving as Deputy Speaker.

Prior to her election to the City Council, Williams built an extensive career in state government, advocacy, and academia. Deputy Speaker Williams began working in the New York State Assembly in 2012 as a Communications and Programs Director, later serving as a Legislative Director and Caucus Liaison and later rising to become Chief of Staff to Assemblymember Diana Richardson from 2012 through 2016.

Deputy Speaker Williams was also appointed Executive Director of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus. She also served as Manager of External Affairs and Community Outreach for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s JFK Redevelopment Project and held advisory roles with the Women’s March, including participation in national organizing.

Deputy Speaker Williams has also been active in nonprofit and civic leadership, founding the New York City Black Women’s Political Club and serving on the board of Life Camp, Inc., a Queens-based nonprofit focused on violence prevention and youth development. Earlier in her Council tenure, she served as Chair of the Committee on Civil and Human Rights.

Earlier in her career, Williams held communications, operations, and public affairs roles with organizations including the National Urban League from 2008 to 2011, the National Harm Reduction Coalition, MZA Events, Inc., and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Deputy Speaker Williams holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Public Administration from SUNY Albany’s Rockefeller College, and a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the CUNY Graduate Center.

Lester W. Young, Jr. has made creating opportunities “where every student can be successful” the guiding principle of his more than 50 years of public service. Dr. Young currently serves as Chancellor, Board of Regents, University of the State of New York. His unanimous election on January 11, 2021, made him the first African American Chancellor in the 237-year history of the Board of Regents.

He began his career with the New York City (NYC) Department of Education, holding positions as a Teacher, Guidance Counselor, Supervisor of Special Education and Principal. During his tenure as Principal, PS 183 Brooklyn (Ocean-Hill Brownsville) was recognized as a School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education (USDOE) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

Full bio available here.