Whitney Barrat has served and led mission-driven, community-focused, not-for-profit organizations for over 15 years, acquiring formidable experience with an array of intersecting disciplines, including non-profit management, governance and operations, urban planning, placemaking, community and economic development, landscape design, sustainable development, historic preservation, public art and small business support and advocacy, amongst many others.

A seasoned planner, project manager and strategist, Whitney’s career highlights include her work as Director of Planning and Administration for the $550M renovation of David GeLen Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and her roles as Executive Director of the Jamaica Center BID (2017-2019) and President of the newly merged Downtown Jamaica Partnership BID(2023 to Present). Prior to her initial arrival in Jamaica, Whitney spent almost a decade working in Lower Manhattan, serving as Director of Construction Mitigation and then as Director of Special Projects for the Alliance for Downtown New York, where she built and managed a $1.5M, HUD-funded public art program that resulted in the production of over 35 outdoor, large-scale public art installations. Whitney then served as Executive Director of the Old Seaport Alliance, a start-up merchant’s association focused on small business support, historic preservation and neighborhood resiliency in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Whitney’s volunteer leadership roles include 6 and a half years on the New Rochelle Public Library Board of Trustees, where she served as Vice President and President of the Board for five of those years. Whitney is honored to be the newest member of the Board of Directors of the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning.