Gretchen Dykstra
Encyclopedia
Gretchen Dykstra is the previous President and CEO of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. The former Commissioner of New York City
's Department of Consumer Affairs, Dykstra left that post in April 2005 to head up the foundation, which is entrusted with raising funds for the construction of a memorial and museum designed to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center
.
In May of the following year Dykstra resigned the post because the excessive political input-and resulting gridlock-over the design and funding scheme of the memorial had made it difficult to move forward, and, according to her, the growing number of "authorities has made it difficult for anyone to move expeditiously." Dykstra then spent the summer in Masaka, Uganda, volunteering at Aidchild.
Trained as a teacher, Dykstra was also the founding president of the Times Square
Business Improvement District
, which was integral to the economic and cultural renaissance that the epicenter of Manhattan enjoyed during the 1990s.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Department of Consumer Affairs, Dykstra left that post in April 2005 to head up the foundation, which is entrusted with raising funds for the construction of a memorial and museum designed to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
.
In May of the following year Dykstra resigned the post because the excessive political input-and resulting gridlock-over the design and funding scheme of the memorial had made it difficult to move forward, and, according to her, the growing number of "authorities has made it difficult for anyone to move expeditiously." Dykstra then spent the summer in Masaka, Uganda, volunteering at Aidchild.
Trained as a teacher, Dykstra was also the founding president of the Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
Business Improvement District
Business improvement district
A business improvement district is a defined area within which businesses pay an additional tax or fee in order to fund improvements within the district's boundaries. Grant funds acquired by the city for special programs and/or incentives such as tax abatements can be made available to assist...
, which was integral to the economic and cultural renaissance that the epicenter of Manhattan enjoyed during the 1990s.