Brooklyn Children’s Museum Welcomes New Trustee, Names Board Co-Chair

Brooklyn Children's Museum, the city’s largest cultural institution designed especially for families, today announced that Marvalee Bascus Leslie is joining its Board of Trustees and Michael Frazier has been appointed Co-Chair of the Board. Both appointments take effect on July 1.

“We are thrilled to welcome Marvalee to our Board. Her extensive experience in marketing and dedication to fostering engagement will be invaluable as we continue to grow and serve our community,” said Board Co-Chair Amanda Sue Nichols. “Marvalee’s commitment to serving Brooklyn and its families, coupled with her passion for building strong relationships, aligns perfectly with our mission to ignite curiosity and celebrate identity among children and families.”

She added, “We are extremely grateful to have Michael Frazier step into the role of Board co-chair. From his leadership of the Programs & Audience Development Committee to his invaluable contributions as a member of the Executive Committee, Michael’s commitment and vision have been instrumental in shaping the Museum’s direction. We look forward to his continued leadership in this new role, applying his depth of experience and passion for the Museum to help drive our mission forward and enhance our impact on the community.”

Marvalee Bascus Leslie is Vice President of Loyalty Marketing Membership Activation at American Express in the U.S. Consumer Services Business. In this role, she is responsible for driving share, deepening card member engagement, and enhancing customer satisfaction for new Card Members and existing customers with expanding relationships.

Previously, she served as the Vice President of Customer Marketing Lifecycle & Loyalty to onboard, engage, recognize and reward Card Members across all core U.S. Consumer Card products.

Marvalee was the U.S. Consumer’s Vice President and Chief of Staff managing priority initiatives, organizational planning, operational processes, and strategic communications. She has held various performance marketing roles across prospect acquisition, customer revenue growth, cobrand partnerships loyalty marketing and go to market strategy in the B2B space in service of Corporate and Small Business customers.

Outside of American Express, Marvalee is a member of the Chief community focused on connecting and supporting women leaders, and a member of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt Responsible Leader Network, focused on promoting a peaceful, just, and sustainable future through the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.

Marvalee, a Brooklyn resident, holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Maryland in College Park, and Baruch College in Manhattan, respectively.

Michael Frazier is the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at SKDK, where he supports corporate, crisis, and advocacy clients and engages in leadership initiatives at the firm. Before joining SKDK, Michael was the inaugural chief communications officer for the America250 Foundation. He has been a Brooklyn Children’s Board Member since July 2015.

Michael previously served as executive vice president and deputy director for external affairs at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, national spokesman for the Mike Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign, and chief business officer and executive vice president for external affairs for Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE).

Michael, who is a food allergy parent, also worked with FARE to successfully lobby for the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education & Research (FASTER) Act of 2021, which expanded allergen labeling to include sesame. Before joining FARE, he served on its board and DEIA Roundtable Leadership, resulting in the Equity Equals Excellence: A Blueprint for Access for healthcare providers.

While Michael is an experienced communications and marketing executive, he had decade-long journalism career for the Associated Press, Newsday, and other newspapers. A Brooklyn resident, Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was a William Fulbright Scholarship recipient.

About Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Inspired by the energy and diversity of our borough, Brooklyn Children’s Museum creates experiences that ignite curiosity, celebrate identity and cultivate joyful learning. Founded in 1899 as the world’s first children’s museum, Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM) is New York City’s largest cultural institution designed especially for families. Proudly based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, BCM serves 300,000 children and caregivers annually with exhibits and programs grounded in visual arts, music and performance, natural science, and world cultures. For more information, visit: www.brooklynkids.org.