Jerry Speyer was elected chairman of the Museum of Modern Art by the board of trustees in a vote on Tuesday, the museum announced yesterday. Mr. Speyer, who is the president and CEO of Tishman Speyer Properties, has been on the board since 1982 and a vice chairman since 1996. Mr. Speyer and his wife, Katherine Farley, are collectors of contemporary art and a power couple on the New York cultural scene. Ms. Farley is the chairman of the Lincoln Center redevelopment project. In the same election, Leon Black, a co-founding partner of The Apollo Organization, was elected a vice chairman of MoMA’s board.

Mr. Speyer succeeds Robert Menschel, who has served as the chairman of the board for the past two years. Mr. Menschel, the senior director and limited partner of Goldman Sachs & Co, has been a member of MoMA’s Board of Trustees since 1989. He served as vice chairman for many years and president for three years.

In a press release, the director of MoMA, Glenn Lowry, said: “The Museum of Modern Art’s trustees are among the most dedicated in the world, and we have been fortunate to have had so many remarkable chairmen guide the Museum, including, most recently, Bob Menschel, who has done an outstanding job in overseeing the Museum’s transition into its new space. Jerry Speyer continues this tradition with his love of contemporary art and his understanding of the Museum gained over 25 years as trustee. As one of New York City’s foremost civic leaders, Jerry brings an extraordinary range of talent to the job and we all look forward to working with him in the coming years.”