FROM:               THE INTREPID SEA, AIR, & SPACE MUSEUM

www.intrepidmuseum.org

CONTACT:        Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM ELECTS NEW TRUSTEES MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES F. BOLDEN, JR, USMC (RET.), LAURA CLAYTON MCDONNELL AND MARK LAPIDUS

12th NASA Administrator joins Microsoft and WeWork executives as the newest members of the Intrepid Museum’s Board of Trustees

NEW YORK, NY (January 30, 2018) – The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum announced today the newest members of its board of trustees: Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr., USMC (Ret), 12th NASA Administrator; Laura Clayton McDonnell, Vice President, New York Region at Microsoft; and Mark Lapidus, Head of Real Estate at WeWork.

“Co-chairman Bruce Mosler and I are delighted to welcome the newest members of the board of trustees,” stated Ken Fisher, co-chairman of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. “The support of the board is essential to expanding the Museum’s impact in the community and around the world, and we look forward to adding this diverse breadth of experience to the team.”

Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, continued: “These three outstanding leaders bring a wide range of talent and expertise to the Museum and show a demonstrated commitment to furthering the Museum’s mission, building its collections and fostering wide-reaching engagement with history, science, service and innovation. I look forward to working with them in the years ahead.”

A premier cultural and educational institution located in the heart of New York City, the Intrepid Museum welcomes over one million visitors per year. The Museum provides STEAM-based education to more than 30,000 New York City students annually, as well as professional development for teachers, online distance learning, and accessible and inclusive programs and resources for veterans and visitors of all ages and abilities. Through exhibitions, events and programs offered year-round, visitors are taken on an interactive journey through history to learn about American innovation and bravery.

“The Intrepid Museum is a bridge between the heroes of the past and the young minds that will build the future,” stated Maj. Gen. Bolden. “As a former astronaut, Marine and NASA Administrator, I am very pleased to bring my experience to the board of trustees and get to work inspiring new generations of leaders, explorers and innovators.”

“As a young girl, I wanted to be an astronaut. Seeing those men and women reach for the stars inspired me to pursue a career in technology,” said Laura Clayton McDonnell. “I’m tremendously excited to be a part of an institution that engages visitors in humankind’s greatest technological achievements and inspires them to imagine what might be possible in the future.”

“The Intrepid Museum is one of the most unique educational institutions in this city,” said Mark Lapidus. “Its efforts to provide engaging experiences for groups that might not otherwise have access to them—including veterans, children in Title I schools and individuals with disabilities—make our community stronger. I’m honored to support this work, and I look forward to contributing to the Museum’s mission.”

Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
Maj. Gen. Bolden was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 12th NASA Administrator in 2009, where he led a nationwide NASA team to advance the missions and goals of the United States space program. At NASA, Bolden oversaw the safe transition from 30 years of space shuttle missions to a new era of exploration focused on full utilization of the International Space Station and space and aeronautics technology development. The agency's dynamic science activities under Bolden include an unprecedented landing on Mars with the Curiosity rover, launch of a spacecraft to Jupiter, enhancing the nation's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, and continued progress toward the 2019 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Bolden’s 34-year career with the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of NASA's Astronaut Office, where he traveled to orbit four times, commanding two missions and piloting two others and logging more than 680 hours in space.

As a Naval aviator, Bolden flew more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, while stationed in Namphong, Thailand between 1972-1973. Bolden was promoted to his final rank of major general in July 1998 and named Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in Japan. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2003. Bolden's many military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006 and the U.S. Aviation Hall of Fame in October 2017.

Laura Clayton McDonnell
Laura Clayton McDonnell is the Vice President, New York Region at Microsoft. In this capacity, she is responsible for supporting the digital transformation of key customers in the largest district in Microsoft’s US subsidiary.

An executive with extensive sales management and legal experience in the information technology industry, McDonnell previously served as Senior Vice President, North America Sales at Aspect Software and Vice President of Strategic Services at IBM, as well as senior executive positions at West IMT and Rational Software.

Ms. McDonnell received her B.S. “with distinction” in International Business Administration at San Jose State University, her M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley in Finance and International Business Administration, and her Juris Doctorate from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley.

She is a recipient of the 2008 YWCA of Silicon Valley Tribute to Women Award (TWIN), a member of the Women’s Forum of New York, an Advisory Committee Member of the 92Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation and Social Impact, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Metro NY Chapter of the USNC for United Nations Women.

Mark Lapidus
Mark Lapidus currently serves as a Real Estate Executive for WeWork. He started his tenure with the company over 6 years ago as the Head of Global Real Estate. Most recently he was WeWork’s Head of International Real Estate focused on its growth in Europe and Asia. Today, WeWork provides more than 175,000 members around the world with space, community, and services through both physical and virtual offerings. WeWork's mission is to help create a world where people work to make a life, not just a living. Founded in New York City in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, WeWork currently has more than 200 physical locations on 5 continents, in over 65 cities and 20 countries around the world.

Mr. Lapidus has two decades of experience in Real Estate. Prior to joining WeWork, he worked for two real estate investment trusts before starting his own private firm. Mr. Lapidus possesses a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Real Estate from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a Juris Doctorate cum laude from New York Law School.

About the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a non-profit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets and a guided missile submarine. Through exhibitions, educational programming and the foremost collection of technologically groundbreaking aircraft and vessels, visitors of all ages and abilities are taken on an interactive journey through history to learn about American innovation and bravery.

The Intrepid Museum fulfills its mission to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth by connecting them to history through hands-on exploration while bridging the future by inspiring innovation.

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and tour the Museum virtually on Google Arts & Culture.