The Public's Board of Trustees announced today it has unanimously selected philanthropist, activist, and longtime board member Luis A. Miranda, Jr. as our next board chair, effective Monday, October 24. Miranda succeeds Arielle Tepper, who has served as board chair since 2013 and will remain a member of the board. Miranda has served as a member of the board since 2015 and will be the first Latinx person to serve as chair.
Miranda and The Public share a commitment to cultivating an inclusive and equitable environment for artists, staff, and its audiences. As a board member, Miranda has championed the ongoing revitalization of The Delacorte Theater and served in leadership capacities, including chair of the Anti-Racism Committee and Government Affairs Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.
Miranda assumes the role as The Public undertakes several major initiatives, including the renovation and modernization of The Delacorte Theater for greater accessibility and sustainability, the continuing development of new work, and the further advancement of the Theater’s mission of ensuring world-class theater belongs to everyone. Miranda will continue building on The Public's Anti-Racism & Cultural Transformation Plan and actively work to create more pathways for opportunities for people of color in theater.
“The Public Theater is an unparalleled institution in New York City—a globally influential civic hub that has created, motivated, and fostered countless works and artists,” said Luis A. Miranda, Jr., incoming Chair of The Public Theater’s Board of Trustees. “I, like The Public, believe that theater is for everyone. I will put my expertise, energy, and passion toward democratizing theater, so we can continue to support diverse artists and widen our audience in a profound and impactful way. I am privileged and thankful that I am entrusted with this responsibility.”
Miranda is a founding partner of the political advocacy firm MirRam Group. With a significant focus of Miranda’s devoted to philanthropic efforts and supporting the arts, he currently serves on the boards of a number of nonprofits and arts organizations, including as chairperson of the Latino Victory Fund and The Broadway League’s Viva Broadway initiative, and as Chair of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance.
Tepper is noted for heralding The Public’s spirit that all are welcome for artists, creators, donors, audiences, and community members alike. Under her decade-long leadership, The Public advanced several significant capital and artistic initiatives, including: the acquisition and build-out of 20,000 square feet of rehearsal space for creativity and the development of new work situated directly across the street from The Public’s flagship building, launching the highly anticipated revitalization of The Delacorte Theater in Central Park to make it sustainable and more accessible for generations to come, and the establishment of Public Works, a major Public Theater program which has engaged hundreds of New Yorkers and non-profits from the across the five boroughs in its work to restore and build community by connecting people through the creation of extraordinary works of art. Her tenure also saw the development of revolutionary new productions, added to the canon of American Theater, including Hamilton, Fun Home, and Eclipsed, among many others.
“When I first joined The Public’s Board of Trustees in 2009, I never imagined I would spend a decade of my life as a driving force for the organization,” said Arielle Tepper, outgoing chair of The Public Theater’s Board of Trustees. “The Public is a place like no other with a mission so close to mine. Every day, it was my purpose to make everyone I met a part of The Public, as an artist, a donor, or an audience member; and to help The Public truly become a place where all are welcome and maybe even inspired. I am so proud to look back on everything that the incredible people of The Public and I have done together. And under Luis’ leadership, it fills me with joy to know that The Public’s brightest days are still ahead. I look forward to standing with him as I continue my service as a board member as we work together to drive The Public even further than before. I am incredibly excited for all the future has in store.”