Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced two key appointments Tuesday naming Sheree Gibson to the New York City Panel for Educational Policy and Mitchel Wu to to the New York City Civic Engagement Commission.
A resident of Queens Village, Gibson has extensive experience as a parent leader in the city’s public school system, having been a member of several official bodies that shape school policies. She will serve on the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), which governs the Department of Education (DOE).
A Fresh Meadows resident, Wu is director of Queens community programs for the nonprofit Chinese-American Planning Council (CPAC) and a longtime education advocate and college professor. He will serve on the Civic Engagement Commission, established in 2018 to promote greater civic participation among city residents.
“Sheree Gibson and Mitchel Wu are smart, skilled and savvy professionals committed to contributing their time, talent and expertise to making our city better,” Richards said. “Ms. Gibson brings with her a wealth of experience that will enhance the governance and efficacy of our city’s public schools system, while Mr. Wu is ideally suited to help the Civic Engagement Commission fulfill its mission to improve civic participation, promote civic trust and strengthen democracy in New York City.”
Gibson has served as chair of Louis Armstrong Middle School’s Title I Parent Advisory Council, as a Steering Committee member of the DOE Citywide Title I Parent Advisory Council and as a representative of the NYSED Title I Committee of Practitioners. As a member of the PEP, Gibson will help make significant decisions regarding the city’s public school system. The PEP votes on the chancellor’s proposed education policies, proposed DOE contracts over $1 million and the citywide school budget.
In addition to his role at CPAC, Wu currently serves on the Citywide Council on English Language Learners. He is also a professor at Hunter College, where he teaches ethnic studies, Asian American studies, urban studies and sociology.
As a member of the Civic Engagement Commission, he will support the panel’s efforts to partner with community-based organizations and civic leaders to increase awareness of municipal services and assist city agencies in developing civic engagement initiatives. Wu’s term on the commission will expire on March 31, 2026.
“I commend both Ms. Gibson and Mr. Wu for stepping up to the plate and accepting these volunteer, unpaid potions on these important public bodies,” Richards said.
