Regional Arts & Culture Council elects new board members and officers

Posted on July 8, 2014 at 12:00 pm.

Written by RACC IT

PORTLAND, ORE – The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) board of directors has elected Jan Robertsonas the Chair of the board for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. Robertson is the CEO and a partner of Norris, Beggs & Simpson Companies, a full-service commercial real estate company, and an advocate for the arts locally and nationally. She has held leadership roles in Young Audiences nationally for more than a decade. She was recognized by the Commercial Association of Realtors – Oregon/SW Washington as Humanitarian of the Year in 2004, she received the Daily Journal of Commerce Newsmaker of the Year Award in 2012, and the Portland Business Journal’s Orchid Award in 2008 for her business and civic contributions.

Max M. Miller, Jr. has been elected Vice Chair. Miller is an attorney at Tonkon Torp, LLP. He is co-chair of the firm’s Sustainability Practice Group, chair of the Environmental & Natural Resources Practice Group and a founding member of the Sustainability Committee. His experience includes business transactions, regulatory proceedings, business advice, and litigation representation. His clients’ industries include renewable energy, forestry and forest products, manufacturing and food processing. He is recognized by “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,” and “The Best Lawyers in America.”

Jennifer C. Cies, a marketing and product development professional whose prior experience in financial services includes several years as VP Director of Product Strategies with Umpqua Bank, has been elected Treasurer. Eric R. Hormel, who works at Perkins’ Legacy Planning group, specializing in working with high net worth individuals and their families, has been elected Secretary.

Jesse Beason, Verlea G. Briggs, Kira Higgs and RACC Board Chair Emeritus Lina Garcia Seabold round out the Executive Committee. Other continuing RACC Board members include Nik Blosser, Jay Clemens, Eileen L. Day, Daryl Dixon, Jodi Delahunt Hubbell, Representative Lew Frederick, Mike Golub, Phillip Hillaire, Joe Krumm, Joanna Priestley, and Brian Rice.

In addition, five new members have been elected to the RACC board:

Debbie Glaze is the Past President of the NW Division of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and Associate Professor of Music Education at Portland State University. She teaches choral methods and literature courses, childhood and introductory music education courses, conducts the Madrigal Singers, and supervises student teachers. She is also the Director of Music Ministries at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Portland, and has conducted high school choirs for more than 17 years in California and Oregon.
Angela Hult serves as the director of corporate philanthropy for Cambia Health Solutions, a $9 billion total health solutions company based in Portland. She oversees employee volunteerism and community engagement, corporate giving, executive board placement and the employee giving campaign, which has a participation rate of more than twice the national average. She currently serves on the boards of Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington, Albertina Kerr Centers, and Portland State University’s Center for Women, Politics & Policy.
Dana Ingram is a graduate from Warner Pacific College, and is employed at Portland Housing Center as the Homeownership Program Coordinator, with a personal charge to address home ownership and wealth disparities. She was the executive director of Urban Arts Inc. in Portland from 2005-2012. Dana is a teaching artist at Kúkátónón Children’s African Dance Troupe, and she has performed and traveled locally and internationally as a core dancer with the Northwest Afrikan American Ballet for more than 10 years.
Linda McGeady is originally from Belfast, UK; she is now a US citizen and has been a Portland resident since 1997. She is an art patron and collector, a stay-at-home mother of two elementary school children, and she is married to technology investor Steven McGeady. She serves on the Art Committee of the Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, and is active in The International School parent community. Linda has a long history with the arts, dating back to her youth in Northern Ireland and Scotland, her studies in Paris, and eight years in London.
Susheela Jayapal is a retired lawyer and active community volunteer. She is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors of Literary Arts, Inc., and has also served on the boards of All Hands Raised and Planned Parenthood of the Columbia-Willamette. Other community service includes more than 10 years as a Volunteer Grant Evaluator for the Oregon Community Foundation; service as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA); and volunteer work at Grant High School, including mentoring and support of the local school foundation.

Board and staff profiles are available online at http://www.racc.org/about/staff-board.

Alan Alexander III, Karen Karbo and Bonita Oswald rotated off the RACC Board on June 30, 2014. RACC greatly appreciates their long and committed service to the organization and the arts community.