Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, has promoted Valerie Mitchell Johnston to Executive Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs, and General Counsel, effective July 1. In addition, Johnston has been named Board Secretary for Sesame Workshop.
Most recently, Johnston served as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Sesame Workshop. In that role, she worked across a number of areas within the organization, supporting its corporate governance, strategic transactions, philanthropic development, social impact work, commercially focused programs, and DEI initiatives. She first joined Sesame Workshop more than a dozen years ago, serving as Senior Counsel and later as Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs.
In her new role, Johnston will report to Steve Youngwood, CEO, Sesame Workshop.
“Valerie is a brilliant, tactical, and strategic lawyer with a deep understanding of the Workshop, its needs, and what is necessary to keep this organization on its trajectory of success,” Youngwood says. “She understands and embraces all sides of our work and mission. I have no doubt she will provide excellent leadership for her team, [which has] the breadth and depth of knowledge, experience, and commitment to help us grow the workshop’s educational endeavors around the world.”
Between her tenures at Sesame Workshop, Johnston held roles at Lincoln Center and at HIT Entertainment prior to its sale to Mattel.
