Leadership

Meet the team and funders leading this effort.

Steering Committee

A new regional cultural planning process is underway, guided by 21 community members who represent diverse perspectives from across the region. The committee includes:

TRIESTE ANDREWS

Oregon City Arts Commission

NICOLE BRADIN

Washington County Visitors Association

JULIE BUNKER

Milestone Initiatives

JOE CANTRELL

Artist

GUS CASTANEDA

Aloft Hotel​

CORINN DETORRES

Chapel Theatre​

JERRY FOSTER

PassinArt​

SUBASHINI GANESAN-FORBES

NEW Expressive Works​

JOHN GOODWIN

Portland Art Museum​

KIMBERLY HOWARD WADE

Caldera

Joaquin Lopez

Creative Laureate of Portland

Jaimie Lorenzini

Happy Valley Policy Analyst

Barbara Mason

Artist

JEREMY OKAI DAVIS

Artist

SUSHMITA PODDAR

Small business owner

SANKAR RAMAN

The Immigrant Story

BARBARA STEINFELD

Consultant

KARIS STOUDAMIRE-PHILLIPS

MERC Commission

TONI TABORA ROBERTS

Consultant

TONISHA TOLER

Collins Foundation

TAMMY JO WILSON

Art in Oregon

Committee members were nominated by officials from participating jurisdictions, including Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties; the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro and Portland; the Metro regional government; and the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC). They represent diverse backgrounds, races, ethnicities, cultural practices, and ways of knowing (e.g., disability; Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific, Islander and People of Color; LGBTQIA+ identities; and veteran communities). They also represent multiple sectors of the community, including arts, culture, creative economy, education, business, social justice, “unlikely allies,” and others.

Photo | Youth Arts for Change 2022

Nominators sought to bring together a mix of personas, including individuals who lead with empathy, sensitivity, curiosity, and purpose, with a geographic mix of members reflecting all planning areas. Steering Committee members are asked to consider the community’s interests above individual or parochial interests, and have agreed to serve as ambassadors, advocates, and as thought leaders representing the breadth and depth of the metro region.

The Steering Committee will develop a vision for arts and culture and bring recommendations to the Portland City Council and other jurisdictions in the region. They will help identify individuals and groups who can offer fresh ideas and insight to harness emerging opportunities and overcome long-standing challenges. The steering committee will also advise the staff team throughout the planning process, and ultimately co-create the vision, goals, and strategies of the plan, which will be completed in early 2024.

Photo | Lin Lucas, The Right Brain Initiative
Photo | Michelle Bauer, La Strada dei Pastelli Chalk Art Festival, Summer 2022

Consulting Team and Engagement Partners

Photo | MYP mural at New Market Theater building on SW Ash by Carlos Chavez

Project Management Team

The consultants’ work is being overseen by a Project Management Team that represents the participating jurisdictions, including Dianne Alves from the Clackamas County Arts Alliance, Laura Becker from the City of Beaverton, Jeff Hawthorne and Stephan Herrera from City of Portland, Michele McCall-Wallace from the City of Hillsboro, Mario Mesquita from the Regional Arts & Culture Council, Raziah Roushan from Tualatin Valley Creates/Washington County, Cristina Nieves from the Office of Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran, and Robyn Williams from Portland’5 Centers for the Arts/Metro.

Funders

This effort would not be possible without support from the following generous funders:
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