The Westchester Children’s Museum, located at 100 Playland Parkway, Rye, recently elected longtime board member Marvin N. Campbell to chair the Board of Directors. He succeeds Carolyn Carr Spencer, who held the position for 10 years and now assumes the role of treasurer. Katie Vernace was elected to the position of vice chair.
Campbell, senior vice president and chief business development counsel at Synchrony Financial, has been a board member of the museum for more than 10 years. He initially became involved with the museum to honor the legacy of his beloved wife, Dr. Mary Grantham Campbell, who passed away in 2005 and was one of the founding visionaries of the museum. In the years since he joined the board, Campbell has been an active member of the executive and nominations committee and the 2023 search committee that selected Thomas Sullivan, the current museum executive director. A resident of New Rochelle, Campbell is also an accomplished artist, working in a variety of mediums.
“My wife Mary worked tirelessly on the creation of the Westchester Children’s Museum in the early days when it was just a dream folks talked about around kitchen tables in Westchester. Thanks to the hard work and generosity of so many, that dream is a beautiful reality. I am proud to take the baton as chair of a committed, passionate board and excited to take this journey into our next chapter.”
Campbell assumes the role of chair during dramatic growth at the museum over the past year. Under the leadership of Thomas Sullivan, the number of memberships tripled, and annual visitation increased to 79,000 – more than any year since the museum opened in 2016. In the month of January alone, the museum welcomed almost 12,000 visitors, compared to just 1,000 in January 2023, a 12-fold increase. The museum is looking ahead to increasing its impact on the region with the launch of its unprecedented financial access membership program reducing the cost of membership to hundreds of deserving families. The museum is also looking forward to installing new exhibits, launching new partnerships with community businesses and organizations, and fulfilling its potential as a world-class children’s museum and a vibrant cultural and educational hub.
The current Board of Directors of the Museum consists of 13 members from across the region and represents a wide range of generations, interests and professional expertise.
It is a light-filled, colorful, vibrant learning space for children aged 0-13 and their families, caregivers and teachers, filled with unique and engaging interactive exhibits. Located on the beach and boardwalk in historic Playland Park, the museum offers experiential learning opportunities in physics, science, art, technology and design, with places to create, build and explore. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14 per person, $12 for seniors, and free for children under one and museum members. $3 per person with EBT and ID, Blue Star Museum. To join: discoverwcm.org/membership.
