Organization Enhances Strategic Leadership With Public, Private and Nonprofit Expertise

/EINPresswire.com/ -- WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - August 26, 2016) - The National Women's History Museum (NWHM) is pleased to announce the addition of four new members to its board of directors: Jon Bouker, Mari Snyder Johnson, Julie Smolyansky and Joan Walker. The board provides leadership for delivering on NWHM's mission to build a world-class museum on the National Mall that educates, inspires, empowers and shapes the future by integrating women's distinctive stories into the culture and history of the United States.

"NWHM is pleased to have these accomplished members join our board at this exciting time in our evolution," said NWHM Board Chair Susan Whiting. "These new board members bring their valuable expertise from the worlds of government relations, communications and marketing, community engagement, nonprofit strategy and business, as well as a firm commitment to ensuring women's contributions to American history are included in our national narrative."

About NWHM's New Board Members

Jon Bouker is a long-time government relations leader with extensive experience in the U.S. Congress, who brings his expertise in legislation, business relations and economic development. As co-practice group leader of Arent Fox's government relations practice, he represents clients before Congress, The White House and federal agencies, particularly the General Services Administration. Jon also served as chief counsel and legislative director to Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and minority counsel to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).

Mari Snyder Johnson is a business executive and CEO specializing in diverse entrepreneurial opportunities, an executive producer for both feature and documentary films and a passionate activist for socially conscious causes. She brings media and business management experience as well as legislative relationships and acumen. Prior to joining NWHM's board, Mari served as an advisor to the organization's president, Joan Wages, where she helped advance passage of the legislation that established the commission to study the feasibility of a National Women's History Museum on the National Mall.

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she assumed that role at Lifeway Foods at age 27, and brings a successful track record in business and social advocacy to the Museum's board. Julie bolstered Lifeway's growth trajectory with innovative product development and marketing strategies, boosting annual revenues to more than $130 million by 2015 and expanded distribution throughout the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. She is a member of the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council and part of the 2015 class of Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum.

Joan Walker brings more than 25 years of experience in major corporations, leading world-class communications and marketing functions, building reputation leadership and brand strength to drive corporate performance. She combines research, marketing and strategic communications expertise and insights to support companies and their leadership teams through times of change, including M&A transactions, CEO transitions and corporate crisis. Most recently, Joan served as EVP Corporate Relations and Interim CMO for The Allstate Corporation. There she developed and led the company's Reputation Leadership Strategy and Consumer-Focused Reinvention -- initiatives that transformed the company into four distinct customer segments, each with a unique value proposition that achieved successful market outcomes. Prior to Allstate, Joan served as EVP at both Monsanto and Qwest Communications, where she helped her former Ameritech CEO lead the firm through a time of acute crisis.

"We could not be prouder of the board we have assembled and are confident that their experience and skills will be a great asset to the Museum," said NWHM President and CEO Joan Wages. "They bring a variety of experiences and backgrounds that strengthen our strategic leadership and will help us achieve our vision of a world-class museum dedicated to incorporating women's stories into American history."

For more information on NWHM, please visit http://www.nwhm.org.

About the National Women's History Museum

Founded in 1996, the National Women's History Museum (NWHM, Inc.) is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the general public about the diverse historic contributions of women and raising awareness about the critical need for a national women's history museum in our nation's capital. Currently located online at www.nwhm.org, the Museum's goal is to build a world-class, permanent museum on or near the National Mall that will herald and display the collective history of American women. A Congressional Commission has been established that is charged with producing a feasible plan, which would include the governance, fundraising, location and organizational structure of the museum. For additional information visit NWHM.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media inquiries:

For press inquiries or credentials, please contact
Melissa Williams
NWHM communications manager
mwilliams@nwhm.org
703-461-1920