QBP RICHARDS APPOINTS SHEREE GIBSON TO PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND MITCHEL WU TO CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION

(July 26, 2022 at 10am)

QUEENS, NY – Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. today announced the appointments of Sheree Gibson to the New York City Panel for Educational Policy and Mitchel Wu to the New York City Civic Engagement Commission.

A resident of Queens Village, Ms. Gibson has extensive experience as a parent leader in the New York City public school system, having been a member of several official bodies that shape school policies. She will serve on the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), which governs the New York City Department of Education (DOE).

A Fresh Meadows resident, Mr. Wu is Director of Queens Community Programs for the non-profit Chinese-American Planning Council (CPAC) and a longtime education advocate and college professor. He will serve on the Civic Engagement Commission, established in 2018 to promote greater civic participation among city residents.

“Sheree Gibson and Mitchel Wu are smart, skilled, and savvy professionals committed to contributing their time, talent, and expertise to making our city better,” said Borough President RICHARDS. “Ms. Gibson brings with her a wealth of experience that will enhance the governance and efficacy of our city’s public school system, while Mr. Wu is ideally suited to help the Civic Engagement Commission fulfill its mission to improve civic participation, promote civic trust, and strengthen democracy in New York City. I commend both Ms. Gibson and Mr. Wu for stepping up to the plate and accepting these volunteer, unpaid positions on these important public bodies.”

“Throughout my years as an advocate and parent in New York City public schools, my guiding principles have been to empower parents as stakeholders in the system and to promote equity in funding and opportunities for students not only in underserved communities in Queens but throughout the city,” said SHEREE GIBSON. “I am honored to be Borough President Richards’ selection to serve on the Panel for Educational Policy and look forward to working with him and the Department of Education to ensure that we do everything we can to support our city’s students.”

“I am thankful to Borough President Richards for appointing me to serve on the Civic Engagement Commission and for this opportunity to help ensure that our city is engaging with and responsive to the needs of historically underserved communities,” said MITCHEL WU. “These needs are particularly acute in Queens, where approximately half of residents are immigrants and over half speak a language other than English at home.”

Sheree Gibson has served as Chair of Louis Armstrong Middle School’s Title I Parent Advisory Council, as a Steering Committee Member of the DOE Citywide Title I Parent Advisory Council, and as a NYC parent representative of the NYSED Title I Committee of Practitioners.

Ms. Gibson’s parent leadership experience also includes five years of service as the founding President of the PS 360Q Parent-Teacher Association and four years as President of the District 29Q Presidents’ Council. She was also the 2018-2019 Co-Chair of the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council and has served on citywide task forces regarding Chancellor’s Regulation A-655, the DOE Comprehensive Education Plan, Fair Student Funding, and Citywide and Community Education Council elections.

As a member of the PEP, Ms. Gibson will help the panel make significant decisions regarding the City’s public school system. The PEP votes on the Chancellor’s proposed education policies (including school co-locations and closings), proposed DOE contracts over $1 million, and the Citywide school budget. The PEP also advises the Chancellor on general matters affecting the school system and its students.

Mr. Wu is a Queens native and serves as Director of Queens Community Services for the Chinese-American Planning Council, helping run one of the largest non-profit providers of educational, social, and community services for Asian-Americans in the United States. He was previously Director of Programs for the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families and currently serves on the Citywide Council on English Language Learners, having been appointed to this position by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and previously appointed by former Public Advocates Leticia James and Bill de Blasio. Mr. Wu is also a professor at Hunter College, where he teaches Ethnic Studies, Asian American Studies, Urban Studies, and Sociology.

As a member of the Civic Engagement Commission, Mr. Wu will support the Commission’s efforts to partner with community-based organizations and civic leaders to increase awareness of City services and assist City agencies in developing civic engagement initiatives. The Commission also oversees a Citywide participatory budgeting program, provides technical and language access assistance to Community Boards, and runs a Poll Site Language Assistance Program.

Mr. Wu’s term on the Commission will expire on March 31, 2026.

Photos of Ms. Gibson and Mr. Wu are available on request.

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