September's Mission Board Members

Monica Iken
Founder and Chairman of the Board
monicai@septembersmission.org
Ms. Iken lost her husband Michael, a bond broker on the 84th floor of Tower Two, in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and channeled her grief into establishing September's Mission soon after September 11. In January 2002, New York Governor George Pataki appointed Ms. Iken to the advisory board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. In this capacity, Ms. Iken meets regularly with civic, business, political and family leaders to help establish a proper process for honoring the lives that were lost on September 11. In addition, Ms. Iken has sought out the advice and support of families and groups around the world, including Oklahoma City and Hiroshima, who have undergone a similar memorial process. As a leading voice for the relatives of the victims killed on September 11, Ms. Iken is a frequent speaker at civic alliance meetings, regional planning gatherings and other symposiums dedicated to the memorial process. In addition, Ms. Iken has been featured in prominent news media outlets. Iken was born, raised and currently resides in Manhattan. She graduated with a degree in education and sociology from Hunter College in 1992 and was an elementary school teacher for several years in the New York public school system prior to founding September's Mission.