Mariko Silver

Silver became president of Bennington College in July 2013. In 2014, she "led the design of a 10-year strategic plan for the college which emphasizes the education and development of the whole student, integration of curricular and co-curricular experiences, and a redesign of Bennington's signature Field Work Term in which every student must pursue a seven-week internship or work experience every year of their undergraduate studies"^[7] During her time as president she claimed that the application pool has grown and that the school had become more diverse, both economically and geographically. Since 2001 the college's enrollment has remained level.^[7]

In her previous position as a senior advisor to the president at Arizona State University, Silver was involved in what Newsweek called "one of the most radical redesigns in higher learning since the origins of the modern university", as well as leading initiatives such as an international collaboration on education design, international teaching partnerships, and more.^[8]

As Policy Advisor for Innovation, Higher Education, and Economic Development to Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Silver worked on statewide education policy initiatives in areas including "science and technology, innovation policy, economic development and diversification, workforce development, tertiary education, and the creation of a continuum-oriented education system".^[7]

During her time at the United States Department of Homeland Security in the Obama administration (also under Napolitano), Silver led the department's office of International Affairs. She worked on projects in international strategy, negotiation, organization, and collaboration on issues such as counter-terrorism, immigration, cyber-security, and disaster resilience.^[7]

In August 2024, the Lincoln Center announced Silver's appointment as its next president, succeeding Henry Timms.^[9]

Silver is chair of the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) Foundation,^[10] and serves on the boards of Philanthropy New York, and the Migration Policy Institute.^[4]

Silver's father, Tony Silver, was a documentary filmmaker who directed Style Wars (1983). Her mother, Joan Shigekawa, was Senior Deputy Chairman at the National Endowment for the Arts.^[11]