Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the election of Emily K. Rafferty, president of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as chairwoman of the 81-member voluntary board of directors of NYC & Company.

In her unpaid position, she will work alongside CEO George Fertitta to help steer the strategic direction of NYC & Company, which merged in 2006 with NYC Marketing and NYC Big Events to become the world’s leading municipal tourism, marketing and partnership organization.

Rafferty’s election as board chairwoman was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Company’s executive committee, and is effective immediately. Rafferty – who has been a member of the board since 2005 – follows Loews chairman and CEO Jonathan Tisch, who served as board chairman since 2002, and Tim Zagat co-Founder, co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Zagat Survey®, who served as interim board chairman since Tisch’s resignation in mid-February.

“Over just the last year, NYC & Company has helped attract a record 46 million visitors to the City, launched its first-ever $30 million global communications campaign, opened 10 international offices bringing the total to 17, and completed a successful merger of NYC & Company with NYC Marketing and NYC Big Events to create the new NYC & Company,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

“I am thrilled that someone of Emily Rafferty’s caliber will help us continue that momentum as we work toward achieving our goal of welcoming 50 million visitors to the City annually by 2015.”

“I look forward to working with Emily to achieve great success in the year ahead,” said Fertitta. “There is no better time to be working on behalf of New York City’s $28 billion tourism industry and to be in the business of marketing and promoting one of the world’s greatest visitor destinations.”

“I am delighted at the opportunity to continue working in an area I care so deeply about – building regional, national, and international tourism to New York City,” said Rafferty. “As I’ve traveled the world for the Met, I’ve come to know that people love New York. I look forward to working with the Mayor and his administration, and with George Fertitta and his team at NYC & Company, to share the many facets of this great city with our visitors.”

“I’m very pleased with Emily Rafferty’s election as chair of the board,” said Zagat. “During the brief period that I served as interim chair, I have come to appreciate and respect even more the incredible work that George Fertitta and his team are doing to support New York City.”

Rafferty has been president of The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2005, with responsibility for supervising all areas of museum administration.

A 31-year veteran of the Metropolitan who began her long and distinguished career at the Museum as a fundraising administrator in 1976, Rafferty rose steadily within its ranks through several eras of growth and change at the institution.

During her 20 years in charge of the Metropolitan’s vast national and international fundraising operations, she helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the Museum, and worked to build individual, family, and corporate memberships to nearly 120,000.

From 1999 to 2005, she was the Metropolitan’s Senior Vice President for External Affairs, overseeing the areas of development, visitor services, admissions, and special events; she also led the effort to create and manage the Museum’s website, and its multicultural audience and membership initiative.

A native of New York City, Rafferty is a frequent speaker on topics related to non-profit management and fundraising, and has long been actively affiliated with a number of arts and inter-museum organizations, including ArtTable, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Women in Financial Development, the American Association of Museums, and Independent Sector.

Among her many voluntary activities, she is a lifetime honorary trustee of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, also serving at the same time as vice president of the board of the Independent School Chairmen Association.