Contact: Christine D'Arcy, (503) 986-0087
Norm Smith, Roseburg, (541) 957-5574

The Oregon Arts Commission has elected Norm Smith of Roseburg as its chair.

Smith was named President of the Ford Family Foundation in 1997. He was formerly Vice President in the Law and Government Affairs Division of AT&T. His career included thirteen years with AT&T in Portland, Denver, and San Francisco, eleven years of law practice in Portland and Washington, D.C., and three terms as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. He is a member of the Oregon State Bar and the Colorado Bar Association. Smith is a fourth generation Oregonian, a graduate of Northwestern University, and the Willamette University College of Law. He is a member of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, a director of the Roseburg Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the board of Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

"The Oregon Arts Commission has a vital agenda for the benefit of all Oregonians in 2001. Oregon's new Cultural Trust has the potential to be our state's cultural legacy for the millennium. This broad cultural initiative dovetails with the Arts Commission's ongoing

Arts Build Communities work. It also brings focus to the imperative to strengthen arts and cultural education programs that have disappeared in our public schools. Working with our partners to ensure that the Trust is structured and funded is a priority for me and the entire Arts Commission", said Smith, outlining priorities for the year.

Kathleen Davis of Medford, who has chaired the Arts Commission's Education Committee since 1997, was elected Vice Chair. A member of the boards of directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Chamber Music Concerts, Davis is the Southern Oregon Regional Director for the Oregon Community Foundation. She is a graduate of Lawrence University and received a master's degree from Reed College.

In addition to their service on the Oregon Arts Commission, both Smith and Davis were appointed by Governor John Kitzhaber, MD, to Oregon's first Task Force on Cultural Development.

The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine Commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities.

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Dated for freshness! Page last updated March 21, 2009