The Board of Trustees of the Whitney Museum of American Art have elected Neil G. Bluhm and Laurie M. Tisch as Co-Chairmen, and Richard M. DeMartini as President, effective July 1, 2015. In the role of President, Mr. DeMartini, the Board’s former treasurer, succeeds Mr. Bluhm. As Co-Chairmen, Mr. Bluhm and Ms. Tisch succeed Robert J. Hurst and Brooke Garber Neidich, who led the Board for the past seven years through the Whitney’s transition from its longtime Upper East Side building to its new home in the Meatpacking District, and will continue to serve as trustees. The Museum’s widely acclaimed, light-filled building, designed by Renzo Piano, opened to the public on May 1. Mr. Hurst chaired the Whitney’s capital campaign, which exceeded its $760 million goal ($422 million was for the new building); he will serve as Chairman of the executive committee of the Board.

“During this time of extraordinary change and growth for the Whitney, with the relocation of the Museum from its former home on the Upper East Side to our new building downtown, we have been profoundly fortunate to have the stable and visionary leadership of Bob Hurst and Brooke Garber Neidich as Co-Chairmen of our wonderful Board of Trustees,” said Adam D. Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Director of the Whitney. “I am grateful for the immense contributions of these devoted individuals and thank them with all my heart for ushering the Whitney into a new era, particularly Bob Hurst who chaired the capital campaign, which made the new building possible. I am thrilled that Neil Bluhm will remain in a leadership role, now as Co-Chairman alongside longtime Whitney Trustee Laurie Tisch, and to have Rich DeMartini as our new President. They are generous, dedicated, and socially conscious trustees who will lead the Museum forward into its next chapter.”

Neil G. Bluhm
Co-Chairman

In addition to serving on the Whitney’s Board of Trustees since 2003 (as President since 2008), Neil Bluhm is a Trustee at Northwestern University, a member of the Board of Directors of Northwestern Memorial Foundation of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a member of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association. The Neil Bluhm Family Galleries on the fifth floor of the Whitney’s new building is the largest column-free exhibition space in a New York museum.

Mr. Bluhm is a Founder and President of JMB Realty Corporation, a Founder and Managing Principal of Walton Street Capital, and Chairman of Rush Street Gaming. JMB Realty, along with its associated entities, is a holding company engaged in real estate investment; it owns luxury hotels, office buildings, and mixed-use projects.

Laurie M. Tisch
Co-Chairman

Elected to the Whitney’s Board in 1996, Laurie Tisch is President of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, which strives to increase access and opportunity for New Yorkers by supporting cross-cutting initiatives in areas from education and the arts to healthy food and economic development, and beyond. Ms. Tisch’s commitment to arts education led her to name the Laurie M. Tisch Education Center in the Whitney’s new building, the Museum’s first dedicated facility for education, where visitors can engage with art and artists to enliven and enrich their experience.

Ms. Tisch was the founding Chair of the Center for Arts Education (CAE) and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM). At CAE she led a campaign in the fight to restore arts education in public schools, raising $40 million in philanthropic dollars that spurred the City to commit to new public funding for classroom arts programs after two decades of cuts. She led CMOM’s transformation from a neighborhood-based storefront into a citywide institution that is recognized today as a national leader in health, education, and the arts.

In addition to serving on the Whitney’s Board of Trustees, Ms. Tisch is a Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and a member of the Executive Committee and the Development Committee at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and a member of the Board of the Aspen Institute. She is a co-owner and member of the Board of Directors of the New York Giants football team.

Richard M. DeMartini
President

Rich DeMartini was elected to the Whitney’s Board of Trustees in 2007.

He joined Crestview Partners, a private equity firm, as a partner in 2005. Mr. DeMartini leads Crestview’s financial services strategy. Prior to Crestview, Mr. DeMartini served as president of the Bank of America Asset Management Group from 2001 until 2004. At Bank of America, Mr. DeMartini was responsible for all wealth and asset management activities. He was also a member of Bank of America’s operating committee. Prior to Bank of America, Mr. DeMartini retired from Morgan Stanley where he served as chairman and CEO of the international private client group. His 26-year career at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter included roles as president of individual asset management and co-president of Dean Witter & Company, Inc. and chairman of Discover Card. He was also a member of the Morgan Stanley management committee.

Mr. DeMartini is currently a director of Capital Bank Financial, Fidelis Insurance Holdings, and Victory Capital Management. He also currently serves as a director of Partners Capital and The National Horse Show of America. Mr. DeMartini has served as chairman of the board of the NASDAQ Stock Market.