As a longtime West Side resident and Chair of Community Board 7 Mel Wymore has a record of building consensus to solve problems. Mel is committed to a vision of urban life that is vibrant, equitable, sustainable, and nourishing of all authentic expressions of self. For more than 20 years, Mel has spearheading initiatives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side like the Stratford Arms Meal Program, the community theater at the West Side YMCA, the 59th Street Recreation Center, a K-8 school at Riverside Center, and Car-Free Central Park. As Chairman of Community Board 7, Mel set new standards of collaboration among diverse constituents and effective advocacy for schools, housing, parks, local business, green transportation, environmental quality, intelligent development, and optimum use of public spaces. A former entrepreneur with degrees in mathematics, communications, and systems engineering, Mel has a natural talent for bringing people together, thinking ahead, and producing lasting results for the common good.