Elsie McCabe
Thompson

President, NYC Mission Society

 

Elsie McCabe Thompson is the President of the New York City Mission Society, one of the nation’s oldest social service organizations. For centuries, The Mission Society has provided educational and restorative justice programs and community events that help children and young adults in the City’s most underserved communities to break the cycle of poverty and achieve success. The Mission Society serves approximately 13,000 New Yorkers each year.

Since joining the Mission Society in April 2014, Elsie has tripled the organization’s endowment, strengthened their educational and cultural enrichment programs, and forged a long-term programmatic partnership with the nationally renowned, dynamic community organization, the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance (led by multiple Grammy-winner Arturo O’Farrill).

Elsie is the former President of the Museum for African Art where she transformed the tiny, financially struggling institution without assets or a collection into a premier arts institution. Elsie expanded the Museum’s educational programming and forged a partnership with Nelson Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Prior to joining the Museum for African Art, Elsie served as New York City Mayor David Dinkins' Chief-of-Staff. While there, she organized the first mayoral delegation to South Africa, in order to spotlight the need to maintain government sanctions until Apartheid was dismantled and free elections were held.

Previously, in the private sector, Elsie was a senior litigator with Shearman & Sterling. While practicing law, she co-founded and ran a training and mentoring program for minority students, providing educational programs for more than 10,000 young people.