Downtown Jamaica Partnership Announces New Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sari Kulka
Email: sari@kjlny.com

DOWNTOWN JAMAICA PARTNERSHIP APPOINTS WHITNEY BARRAT AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT

Downtown Jamaica Partnership (DJP), the newly consolidated Business Improvement District (BID) organization located in heart of Jamaica, Queens, announces the appointment of Whitney Barrat to serve as its new President. Comprised of three BID organizations: the Jamaica Center Improvement Association, Inc., Sutphin Boulevard District Management Association, Inc. and the 165th Street Mall Improvement Association, Inc., DJP manages the area of Jamaica Avenue from the west side of 169th St. to the east and west side of Sutphin Boulevard; Union Hall Street from Jamaica to Archer Avenues; Sutphin Boulevard from Hillside Avenue to 94th Avenue; and the pedestrian mall on 165th Street between Jamaica Avenue and 89th Avenue. This area (the “District”) encompasses over 40 block faces and more than 600 businesses.

Barrat comes to the role having previously served between 2017 and 2019 as the Executive Director of the Jamaica Center BID, and more recently as consultant and Interim Director for DJP during the final phases of the consolidation process throughout 2023. In her interim role, Barrat centralized the BID’s operations, governance protocols and processes, and oversaw the buildout for the BID’s renovated office space. In her new role as President, Barrat will oversee the work of the BID’s important next chapter, ensuring provision of fundamental services for the expanded District, while focusing on building strong partnerships, developing strategic programs, fundraising and advocating for initiatives that will prioritize Jamaica’s growth and ensure its thriving and prosperous future.     

“On behalf of our entire board, we are excited and pleased to announce Whitney Barrat as Downtown Jamaica Partnership’s newly appointed President,” said Sari Kulka, Chairperson of the newly formed Downtown Jamaica Partnership (DJP).  “Whitney is a seasoned non-profit place maker, planner, and strategist with deep professional experience within the BID world. From coalition and program building to project management and implementation, Whitney brings attention to detail and an ability to deliver big-picture results at the city and community levels, and beyond.  Whitney is a relationship builder committed to collaborating and partnering with a wide array of stakeholders, government entities, and retailers. This awareness will enable her to execute and build upon the shared vision of our BID’s newly formed Board. She is a dynamic, inclusive leader with a bold vision for Jamaica’s future, and these attributes have given the board full confidence in her role as a major contributor to the future success of the entire Jamaica community.”

Prior to returning to Jamaica, Barrat served as Director of Planning and Administration for the Lincoln Center Development Project, working on the David Geffen Hall renovation project at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA). As a key member of the small Owner’s Representative team charged with advancing the David Geffen Hall (DGH) renovation project from all angles, Barrat oversaw and coordinated project management and administrative tasks and deliverables, working closely with the design team and the Boards and staff of LCPA and the New York Philharmonic (NYP). Barrat managed several discrete projects, each with multiple stakeholders, and shepherded these teams through design review and decision-making processes. These experiences highlighted the importance of collaboration and demonstrated how anchor institutions can best reflect, anticipate, and meet the shifting needs of their communities, something Barrat hopes to bring to bear in her new role. 

“It is an honor and a privilege to return to Jamaica and to serve as Downtown Jamaica Partnership’s new President,” said Whitney Barrat. “Thanks to renewed and widespread recognition of Downtown Jamaica as a vibrant social and economic corridor, as well as its unrivaled potential to become a premier destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike, it is in the midst of an incredible transformation. I am looking forward to engaging with Downtown Jamaica’s small business owners who make this district so special right now, and, along with DJP’s experienced and dedicated staff, I’m eager to collaborate with CBOs, elected officials, local stakeholders, and economic development experts to leverage Jamaica’s strengths. Together, we can ensure that the DJP’s programs and outreach efforts continue to support and elevate its small businesses and its partners within the community, shape conversations and incubate ideas that lead to transformative action and meaningful, tangible outcomes.”

Having worked for several BIDs and merchant’s associations throughout NYC, including the Jamaica Center BID, Montague Street BID, the Old Seaport Alliance, and the Alliance for Downtown New York, Barrat will bring to Downtown Jamaica over 18 years of experience with an array of intersecting disciplines, including non-profit management and governance, urban planning, placemaking, community and economic development, strategic planning, public art and small business advocacy.

“Whitney Barrat is a proven leader who has the smarts, skills, and savvy to take on this key role in the revitalization of Downtown Jamaica,” said Queens Borough Donovan Richards Jr. “The Downtown Jamaica Partnership is fortunate to have someone of Whitney’s caliber serve as its inaugural President. I look forward to working with Whitney to help Downtown Jamaica become a truly first-class residential, commercial and transportation hub.”

Samantha Champagnie, a small business owner and DJP Board member said, “Whitney has demonstrated diligence in improving the Jamaica area and this is also evidenced by her willingness to return.  Her previous experience poises her to excel as she is no stranger to the role and the Jamaica district is better for that.”

Elena Calderon, owner of a restaurant on Jamaica Avenue, said, “Downtown Jamaica Partnership is pleased to welcome Whitney Barrat as our new President. Whitney’s previous involvement and expertise will be a great asset to the Jamaica Community. Welcome Whitney!”

“Downtown Jamaica is beginning to blossom. As the district sees more activity and growth, the consolidation of management of the three area BID’s under the new Downtown Jamaica Partnership is tremendously beneficial,” said Justin Rodgers, president & CEO, Greater Jamaica Development Corporation. “We are excited to have Whitney Barrat back in the neighborhood in this new role helping strengthen our vital retail corridors and bolstering Jamaica.”

“Whitney Barrat’s breadth of experience and dedication to community development make her the ideal candidate to lead the Downtown Jamaica Partnership," said SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim. "As DJP embarks on this next chapter, I am excited to work together to help make Jamaica the best place it can be for the people and small businesses that call it home. As one of the first recipients of SBS's new Commercial Lighting Grants, Whitney and DJP will help light the way in making every corner of New York into the City of Yes."

Barrat’s appointment follows a robust executive search process, which was conducted by a DJP board search committee of 8 members in conjunction with Perch Advisors, Inc. Barrat will begin in her new role in early October, working closely with DJP’s board of directors, elected officials and key neighborhood stakeholders. 

Barrat holds a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and a BA in Psychology from Lehigh University. She completed the Coro Neighborhood Leadership Program as part of the 2017 cohort, and currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees for the New Rochelle Public Library.