Springfield Regional Arts Council

Springfield Regional Arts Council Elects New Officers, Board Members

Monday, June 23, 2008

At the June 18th Annual Membership Meeting of the Springfield Regional Arts Council, the following officers were installed for the 2008-09 year and Board members elected for a three-year term expiring 2011:

President -- Gloria Galanes, Ph.D, Board member for the past year, was elected President of the Board. She is a professor in the Communication Department at Missouri State University and was the founding director of the Citizenship and Service Learning program, served as acting department head for three years and acting dean for one year. She has given presentations about leadership, teambuilding, conflict, and communication skills for numerous organizations, including the Greater Ozarks Leadership Development (GOLD) program. Her specialty is small group communication; she is co-author of two small group textbooks with Dr. John K. Brilhart (now deceased) and Dr. Katherine Adams. Dr. Galanes has long been interested in applied research. Her graduate classes have participated in a number of research projects for community organizations in Springfield, including the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, the Vision 20/20 Education Subcommittee, Every Kid Counts (now the Mayor’s Commission for Children) and Missouri State’s College of Arts and Letters. These projects have investigated such things as the needs of youth in the community, the needs of older adults, and the local perceptions of Springfield Public Schools. Before returning to graduate school, she was active in community theater and has long been a supporter of art in all its forms.

Vice-President – Carl Ian Price, MD, was re-elected to serve his second term as Board member and re-elected as vice-president. Carl has resided in Springfield for 15 years where he is a practicing plastic surgeon at the Center for Plastic Surgery at Ferrell Duncan Clinic. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He trained at the University of Oklahoma and Emory University. Carl was a founding Board member of the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, served on the Board of Directors of Ozarks Public Television and is a past Chief of Staff for Cox Health Systems. His family includes wife Kathy Price and children Ana, Mary and Joseph Price.

Secretary – Anna Squires was re-elected as secretary for a second term and she will continue as co-chair of Artsfest. Anna, born and raised in Springfield, currently serves as MIS Director for Southern Supply Company. She has a B.F.A in Broadcast/Film from Southern Methodist University and an M.S. in Computer Science from University of Texas at Dallas. Anna’s community involvement, in addition to the Springfield Regional Arts Council and serving as Artsfest Co-Chair, includes various volunteer positions with Springfield Little Theater, Boys & Girls Club and Junior League of Springfield.

Treasurer - Erica L. Smith, C.P.A., elected as a new Board member and as treasurer, is a supervisor at BKD Accounting Firm in Springfield and is a member of BKD’s real estate group where she assists in the preparation of individual, corporate and not-for-profit tax returns. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants. She graduated from Missouri State University, Springfield, with a B.S. degree in accounting and earned her master’s of accountancy in 2003. As treasurer, Erica will serve on SRAC’s Asset/Finance Development Committee.

Jerry Clark, born and raised in Springfield, was elected to her second term as a Board member. A retired public relations consultant, prior to retirement Jerry was active for many years with the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and served as its vice president, public relations committee. She has served on numerous Boards and committees . Jerry will continue to serve on SRAC’s Marketing & Communications Committee.

Jeff Cumley, elected as a new Board member, grew up in Springfield and has been involved with event/facility management since 1988 and full-time since 1995. He was Associate Director for Hammons Student Center and Plaster Sports Complex from 1995-1998. Moved toTupelo, MS in 1998 where he was Assistant Director for the 10,000 seat Tupelo Coliseum which put on top-level concerts and minor league hockey. In 1999, Jeff moved to Phoenix, AZ and was the ticketing director for the NHRA race track as well as an event manager for the NASCAR track. In 2001, he moved back to Springfield to openthe new Jordan Valley (now Media Com) Ice Park as its General Manager. In 2005, hewas put in charge of operations for Jordan Valley Park and Founders Park in addition to his current role at the Ice Park. He also helps plan the future growth areas of JordanValley Park for the Quarry, East Meadows and West Meadows. Jeff holds an M.A, in Security Management from Webster University-2006 and completed Facility Management School from Oglebay, Wheeling, WV-1999. He has a B.S. in Advertising and Promotion from Missouri State University, 1992.

Genevieve (Genny) Cramer, Ph.D, elected as a new Board member, received her doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and was Professor of Reading Education in the Dept. of Reading and Special Education, and Director of Graduate Reading Program, fro 1984 to her retirement in 2000, at Missouri State University. Prior to that, she was Associate Professor , Assistant Professor and Instructor of English at the then SMSU. She has been the recipient of numerous awards during her academic career including the Literacy Award for the Springfield International Reading Association given for “Exemplary Service in Promotion of Literacy.” Genny is very active in the Arts community and was just appointed to serve on the Board of the Southwest Missouri Museum Association. She lives in Springfield with her husband, Carter Cramer, also a retired professor and a local artist. Genny will serve on SRAC’s Community Arts and Education Committee.

Michael Freelander, elected to the Board after serving a year on its Community Cultural Development Committee, was born and raised in Worcester Massachusetts. He graduated from Ithaca College in 1981 and received an MBA in 1987 from Anna Maria College. Michael owned and operated Come Play Products Company, a toy manufacturing operation based in Massachusetts, New York, Hong Kong and Missouri through 2001. He served as a founding Board member of Aids project Worcester 1987- 1995, as Board member of the Worcester Jewish Federation 1997-2000 and Board member of the Worcester Jewish Community Center from 1996-2001. Now living in Southwest Missouri with his wife Blanca and three children, Michael owns and operates Freelander Industrial, a real-estate development company focusing on commercial and industrial facilities. He serves as youth advisor to Temple Israel’s Temple Youth Group and as Vice President of his Temples Foundation. Michael is an advisory committee member to Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

Daniel Wooten, Attorney-At-Law, elected new to the Board, received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1993 from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and his Juris Doctor from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Since 1996, Daniel has been an attorney with the Springfield law firm of Neale & Newman where his emphasis is in Employment Law and General Civil Litigation. Daniel will be serving on SRAC’s Community Arts and Education Committee.

Others continuing to serve on the Board are: Jeanie Morris, Immediate Past President, Lee Binley, Terry Bond, Artsfest co-chair and chairman of the Community Arts and Education Committee, Nancy Brown Dornan, David Carson,Finance & Asset Development Committee co-chair, Nora England, Billie Fulton, Marketing & Communications Committee chair, Allen Kunkel, Ralph Rognstad, Jr., co-chair of the Community Cultural Development Committee, David Roling, Pam Rubert and Denene Taliaferro, chair of the Visual Arts Committee.

In addition to the many volunteers serving on the Artsfest Committee, others from the community serving on various SRAC committees for the year include: Rob Baird, Terry Bloodworth, Krystal Compas, Kristin Farr, Alicia Farris, Jonathan Gano, Bo Hagerman, Pam Herd, Michael Mardis, Lisa Nally, Brad Noble, Nicole Payne, Kevin Richardson, Randy Russell, Carla Stine, Judy Swanson and Peggy Wyman. Outgoing Board member and treasurer Jared Scott will continue to serve ex officio as the Arts Council Historian.

Staff continuing to serve the Arts Council are: Sandra CH Smith, executive director, Leah Hamilton-Jenkins, education director, Leslie Dobyns-Forrester, arts education outreach coordinator, Amanda Rehani, finance director, Mika Logan, arts education assistant and Cayce Schulz, administrative assistant.

The Springfield Regional Arts Council is grateful to all those who are taking time out of their busy lives to further its mission, “….transforming lives and enriching our Community through the Arts” . SRAC welcomes community involvement from anyone wishing to serve on a committee. Interested parties are invited to call SRAC offices, 417-862-ARTS(2787).