The Bronx Community Foundation proudly announces former New York City Schools Chancellor Dr. Meisha Porter as its inaugural President and CEO.
It is with tremendous excitement and enthusiasm that The Bronx Community Foundation welcomes former New York City Schools Chancellor Dr. Meisha Porter as its inaugural President and CEO. Meisha brings with her many outstanding qualifications, the highest among them is that she herself is a daughter of The Bronx, hailing from the Highbridge and Kingsbridge neighborhoods.
“Among my first priorities as the incoming President and CEO will be to listen,” says Porter. “I’m going to need everyone in the community’s help as we build upon our vision for the future of The Bronx.”
The Bronx Community Foundation is the first and only Community Foundation dedicated to The Bronx, New York. The Foundation, like Chancellor Porter, is focused on building an equitable, inclusive and just Bronx. It is our belief that we’re at an inflection point, and that The Bronx is rightfully having its moment; buoyed by its vibrant culture, a growing economy and an incoming infusion of financial support associated with the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Porter will join the Foundation in early 2022, having completed her term as New York City’s first Black female Chancellor. Porter counts among her accomplishments as the City’s Chancellor leading community efforts which ultimately resulted in the creation of the first Urban Assembly School: The Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice; the first Urban Assembly School.
Porter rose to the ranks of the highest education office in New York having herself graduated from the city’s public school system; first as a student at Queens Vocational and Technical High School and then as a Bachelor of Arts in English graduate of Hunter College, concentrating in Cross Cultural Literature and Black and Puerto Rican Studies. She’s obtained further credentials from Mercy College, New York City’s Advanced Leadership Institute, the Harvard Graduate School of Education and most recently completed her Educational Doctorate at Fordham University.
Under her leadership as Chancellor, every single school welcomed back their students to in-person learning that was supportive, rigorous and most of all, safe. Thanks to the vision and dedication of Chancellor Porter and her leadership team, New York City’s school reopening has been nationally lauded and set the gold standard in meeting the needs of children, families and staff.
We invite you to continue follow The Bronx Community Foundation by visiting our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. If you have questions, please contact: press@thebronx.org. For additional detail, please review Chancellor Dr. Porter’s Message of Gratitude, distributed from the NYC Department of Education.