Reflections on my last day at Van Alen
Dear Friends,
Friday was my last day as Van Alen Institute’s Executive Director. As part of the Van Alen network, you’ve been part of what has been the most exciting, transformative, meaningful leadership experience of my career.
For 130 years, Van Alen supported architects and other allied professionals in dreaming big, challenging boundaries, and evolving personally and professionally to build a better world. When I joined, my charge from our board was clear: build on this legacy with self-directed projects that deepen long-term impact.
In a commitment to the truism that design excellence is inseparable from justice, we evolved Van Alen’s mission in 2020: to create equitable cities through inclusive design. In the eventful five years since then, Van Alen – with the collaboration of partners across the city – embraced one of the greatest challenges of our time: bridging the gap between those who benefit from the support of our culture, city and nation, and those communities burdened by exclusion and disinvestment. Van Alen alone can’t change embedded patterns of injustice, but we defined a specific challenge and are sincerely, humbly, and wholeheartedly working to shift the balance towards justice in citymaking.
As of 2024, Van Alen has established four core programs to advance its mission: Design Sprints, Common Build, multiyear programs like Albany Hive, and the Urban Room. This work proceeds from the conviction that communities should lead with their own expertise, and evidence of the success of this approach mounts daily. In the last five years, Van Alen received both the largest single gift and largest unrestricted support in its history. New partners – community leaders, designers and other professionals, supporters – join these efforts at an accelerating pace.
This success doesn’t happen without the efforts of many. I’m grateful to three visionary board chairs: Jared Della Valle, Carla Swickerath, and May Lee. Working with them and with a passionate board of directors has been one of the most rewarding collaborations of my life. Many other leaders across our city joined these collaborations, and I’m especially thankful for Dale Charles, Ryan Gilliam, Yin Kong, Dan McPhee, Leslie Ramos, and Yvonne Stennett. I thank the extraordinary Van Alen team for their faith in me and joyous embrace of our unusual journey. This courageous bunch, untethered by conventional, tired ideas that perpetuate injustice, includes Andrew Brown, Shiloah Coley, Pratik Dubey, Annie Ferreira, Anthony Gomez, Scott Kelly, Alisha Kim Levin, Joseph Messana-Croly, Kate Overbeck, and Ren Reese. Finally, a fierce public thank you to my children, Lola and Henry Newman, whose curiosity, patience, and love buoyed me throughout.
Van Alen’s best days are yet to come. While its board searches for a new leader, Andrew Brown, Director of Programs and Kate Overbeck, Director of Strategic Partnerships are stepping up today as Interim Co-Executive Directors. I invite you to join me in supporting their able leadership through this transition. I will remain available to them and to you in our efforts to advance justice in citymaking.
With deepest thanks!
Deborah Marton