A new regional cultural planning process is underway, guided by 24 community members who represent diverse perspectives from across the region. The committee includes:
Nat Andreini, Portland All Nations Canoe Family
Trieste Andrews, Oregon City Arts Commission
Nicole Bradin, Washington County Visitors Association
Julie Bunker, Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
Joe Cantrell, artist
Gus Castaneda, Aloft Hotel
Corinn DeTorres, TriptheDark Dance Co.
Jerry Foster, PassinArt
Subashini Ganesan-Forbes, NEW Expressive Works
John Goodwin, Portland Art Museum
Kimberly Howard Wade, Caldera
Kamil Khan, Beaverton Downtown Association
Jaimie Lorenzini, Happy Valley Policy Analyst
Barbara Mason, artist
Dr. S. Renee Mitchell, I Am More
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
Sharita Towne, artist
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.
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’s authority is advisory to the Portland City Council and other jurisdictions in the region. They will help design engagement strategies to reach communities and individuals who can offer fresh ideas and insight to harness emerging opportunities and overcome longstanding 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.
The Steering Committee met for the fist time on November 3, 2022, and will continue to meet monthly over the next year and a half with our consulting team, which includes:
(Leadership Team:)
David Plettner-Saunders, Cultural Planning Group
Linda Flynn, Cultural Planning Group
Marlena Reese McKnight Ed. D., Cultural Planning Group
Eric Block, Metropolitan Group
(Project Consultants:)
Martin Cohen, Cultural Planning Group
LaShawn McCarthy Jr., Metropolitan Group
Marco Holman, Metropolitan Group
(And our Engagement Partners:)
Kathleen Holt, Holt Strategies
Michael Alexander, Ret. President & CEO, Urban League of Portland
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, Sara Ryan from the Office of Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, and Robyn Williams from Portland’5 Centers for the Arts/Metro.
For more information about the cultural planning process, click here or sign up to receive email updates here.