By Chris Gillespie,
AMA New York Volunteer

Bernice Clark, chief marketing officer of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), sees tremendous variety in her work.  One month, her job is to communicate about  New York City’s efforts to expand ferry service to all five boroughs or create 10,000 cybersecurity jobs in the city. The next, she is tasked with telling the story of how a chic event space in the meatpacking district transformed itself into a factory for face shields to protect healthcare workers.

Bernice’s job is to promote and advance key NYCEDC initiatives, including bringing job-creating industries to the five boroughs; giving New Yorkers the tools to succeed in those jobs; and investing in the neighborhood development projects that make NYC a great place to live, work, and do business. It changes a lot, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything—especially when it means she can be there for her city in times like these. With more confirmed coronavirus cases than any country in the world and the city at a standstill, New York City needs NYCEDC now more than ever.

Bernice Clark is the lead marketing executive of NYCEDC, an organization engaged in investing in neighborhoods to address community needs; building a more sustainable city to meet climate change challenges; creating 21st century industry workforce development opportunities; and managing 60 million square feet of publicly owned properties housing manufacturing, food markets, and more. That’s why Bernice’s challenge is not one of opportunity, but one of focus. And the recent focus has been on leveraging the organization’s skills, partnerships, and innovation to address NYC’s needs for PPE, face shields, ventilators and testing kits.

Bernice draws inspiration from across disciplines and experiences, including parenthood. You can learn a lot about prioritization and spending time on high-value activities from motherhood, she told AdWeek in 2017, when they presented her with a Working Mothers of the Year Award. Being a mother means working two jobs, she says. It forces you to get smart. “It’s [also] made me more aware of how to provide feedback and advice that will lift someone up.”

On June 18th, Bernice Clark will be our guest speaker at AMA New York’s Women in Marketing virtual series. She’ll share how she ascended to SVP of marketing and digital at Macy’s, made the leap to public life — and what being a Woman in Marketing means to her.