BROOKLYN, September 21, 2021—The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy (Conservancy) is pleased to announce the election of Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell, and Jennifer Votaw to the organization’s Board of Directors. The election took place at today’s Conservancy September 21 Board Meeting.
“As longtime supporters of the Conservancy and advocates for our cultural, recreational, and educational programming, we are delighted to welcome Matthew, Keri, and Jen to the board,” said Chris Coffey, Conservancy Board Chairman.”
MATTHEW RHYS
A resident of Brooklyn Heights, along with his partner Keri Russell, Matthew currently produces and stars in HBO’s Perry Mason, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category. Matthew was also recently seen as the lead opposite Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood for Sony TriStar, directed by Marielle Heller.
He previously starred in his Emmy-winning role opposite Keri Russell in the popular FX series, The Americans. The show has been one of the most critically acclaimed dramas of the past 10 years and received multiple best actor, actress, and series nominations. He can also be seen in Steven Spielberg’s film, The Post, Andy Serkis’ live-action Jungle Book for Warner Bros, and an episode of HBO’s Girls.
Before this, Matthew starred for five years as “Kevin Walker” on ABC’s hit television series Brothers & Sisters, and appeared as the poet Dylan Thomas in John Maybury’s film, Edge of Love, opposite Kiera Knightly, Cillian Murphy, and Sienna Miller. He made his New York theater debut in the 2012 revival of Look Back in Anger for which he received rave reviews. In 2013, Matthew starred in the BBC mini-series adaptation of TD James’ homage to Pride And Prejudice, Death Comes to Pemberley, playing Mr. Darcy.
Matthew has served on the boards of several UK nonprofits including: Trust PA, which funds and advances awareness for spinal injuries; The Drinks Trust, formed in 1886 to support people in the service industry sector; and Only Boys Aloud, a charitable choir for young boys.
KERI RUSSELL
A heralded actress since the age of 15, Keri Russell has appeared in numerous film, television, and theatrical productions. She is currently starring in the upcoming thriller Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks and scheduled to be released in 2022 by Universal Pictures.
Keri got her start as a cast member of the Disney Channel’s All-New Mickey Mouse Club from 1991-1994. She came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the WB drama series Felicity (1998–2002), for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Keri also starred as KGB agent Elizabeth Jennings on the FX spy thriller series The Americans (2013–2018), for which she was nominated for Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.
Keri has appeared in several films, including Honey, I Blew Up the Kids (1992), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Waitress (2007), August Rush (2007), Extraordinary Measures (2010), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), Free State of Jones (2016), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). In 2017, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Keri currently resides in Brooklyn Heights with her partner Matthew Rhys and their children. Enthusiastic users of Brooklyn Bridge Park, both Keri and Matthew have been dedicated supporters of the Conservancy, assisting with the organization’s events and fundraising efforts over the past several years.
“Matthew and I are excited to join the Conservancy board,” said Keri Russell. “We are here practically every day enjoying the Park’s amazing amenities and participating in the Conservancy’s extensive program lineup.”
JEN VOTAW
Jen coaches Cross Country and Track at Packer Collegiate Institute. She’s founded a new venture assisting female high school cross country and track athletes navigate the collegiate recruiting process.
Previously she served as Director of Operations at Peloton, in strategy at NYRR, and as Chief Financial Officer at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports.
Jen holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business at UVA, and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Colorado. A collegiate cross country and track & field runner, Jen was an NCAA All-American, Big 12 Champion, and qualified for the 2000 Olympic Trials in Sydney.
Residing in Brooklyn Heights with her husband Ryan and their two young children, Jen has been an instrumental volunteer of the Conservancy’s Family and Women’s Luncheon committees. Jen particularly enjoys championing the Conservancy’s Environmental Education Center.
“I cannot imagine our life without Brooklyn Bridge Park! Our family is frequently at the Conservancy’s Environmental Education Center,” said Jen Votaw. “We run here, we bike here, we learn here, we rest here, we eat here…we enjoy the beauty of the outdoors at one of the most beautiful urban parks in the world.”
Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell, and Jen Votaw are the latest in a talented and dedicated group of volunteers and supporters who have joined the Conservancy’s Board of Directors in 2021 including Che Chisholm, Jay Mann, Dee Poku-Spalding, Alex Stanton, and Antonia Yuille Williams.
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Contact: Katherine Gray, kgray@brooklynbridgepark.org, 650-380-0572