Glenn Newland (President)

Glenn is an avid photographer, starting at age thirteen, when he developed his first black and white photo. He studied film and photography at Webster College in Missouri, where he received a bachelor’s degree in media studies. He met his wife, Amy, in a community choir in San Francisco. Amy and Glenn have been singing in community choirs ever since, crisscrossing the country from San Francisco (where their son, Oliver, was born) to Miami to Los Angeles and finally relocating to Eugene in November 2020, where they now sing with the Eugene Concert Choir and Vocal Arts. Professionally, Glenn has worked in a variety of positions in the motion picture industry at companies such as Technicolor and IMAX. Throughout his career he managed small and large staffs on the technical, financial, and post-production side of filmmaking. He has been an active member of multiple volunteer organizations including the Nova Singers in Fort Lauderdale Florida, the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, Film Florida, The Giant Screen Cinema Association, and the National Educational Film & Video Festival in Oakland, CA. Before leaving Southern California, Glenn volunteered with the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and, most recently has volunteered with Lane County Public Health in support of multiple mass vaccination clinics and the Community Supported Shelters organization. Glenn is passionate about learning about and encouraging new artists and promoting the arts in support of a more unified community.

Laura King (Vice-President)

Laura is the executive assistant to development at the University of Oregon’s College of Education. They earned their graduate degree at the University of Oregon in Nonprofit Management with a graduate certificate in Arts and Cultural Leadership at the University of Oregon in 2022. Laura is dedicated to inclusive practices and belonging within arts and cultural production, lifelong learning through the arts, fostering community arts’ initiatives, and supporting professional development of artists and arts facilitators. During their time in Lane County, Laura has served as a program coordinator and curator for Tropical Contemporary, an artist collective and organization focused on providing exhibition opportunities to emerging and diverse artists. Laura co-developed a multi-year long artist in residency program called the Transformation Residency with local nonprofit TransPonder, which provided workspace and stipends for trans and gender diverse Oregon artists. In their free time they enjoy games and ttrpgs, metalsmithing, all things 2D artmaking and exhibiting, and growing plants.

Rachel Knighton (Secretary)

Rachel has been a Spanish instructor at Lane Community College since 2018. Prior to that, she was a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley. While in Wisconsin, Rachel was involved in the local performing arts community through dance and as the parent of two youth musicians. She served on multiple boards related to education and the arts in Appleton, WI. She was also a regular cast member of the local annual productions of The Nutcracker, a major community collaboration with professional and youth musical ensembles, and guest artists. She currently serves as a CASA of Lane County and looks forward to being a member of the Lane Arts Council Board.

Cindy Chan

The first job Cindy had after college was a manager at a cultural arts center in Hong Kong. Since then, she has been an enthusiastic performing arts fan and at times a contemporary dance performer herself. Cindy holds a BA in English and an MFA in Dance with a focus on dance education, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, respectively. Later in her career, after spending over 15 years in advertising as a creative director and copywriter, Cindy channeled her creative energy into dance education and general education. She moved to Eugene in 2015 with her husband and two daughters to be close to family. In Eugene, she continues to bring dance to children and the community through working as a dance teaching artist and leading family dance workshops. Currently, she is working at the Chinese Immersion School in the Eugene School District 4J as an educational assistant, where she seizes every opportunity to create space for the students to deepen their learning through fun and engaging creative dance.

Reed Davaz McGowan

Reed has built more than 25 years of expertise as an arts leader in Eugene, San Francisco, Philadelphia and beyond. She has focused on increasing access to and funding for innovative arts programming for youth and communities. She was the executive director of Eugene Public Library Foundation following seven years as the executive director of San Francisco-based Youth Art Exchange. She recently returned to Youth Art Exchange as the Director of Development + Communications to lead a capital and capacity campaign to open two new youth arts centers on the ground floor of two 100% affordable housing sites in San Francisco. Reed earned her Master of Arts in Arts Management from the University of Oregon in 2007, researching youth leadership development in the arts. In 2002, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Oregon. Reed participated in Bryn Mawr’s Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute, National Guild for Arts Education’s Community Arts Education Leadership Institute, Leadership San Francisco, and the Leaderspring Center. She is also a multimedia designer, weaver, public transportation enthusiast, and an engaged parent at Buena Vista Spanish Immersion Elementary School.

Darcey Howard

Seven years ago, Darcey Howard returned to Eugene after living in Portland, Seattle, and New York City. Drawn by the quality of life unique to the Willamette Valley and an ability to contribute to the enhancement and well-being of the community through her work and actions. Darcey has a strong background in the arts and marketing. Having curated a national photography exhibit of Black artists for Nordstrom’s first Black History Month event which also included a collaboration with the late Maya Angelou. She has served as a Board member and President of ArtCity Eugene, helping to develop and fund annual events such as BEAM. Her professional work focuses on growing brand presence in the food and beverage sector, often collaborating with artists and designers. Currently, Darcey is the Board President for Willamette Valley Grown & Crafted/Eugene’s Table and an Advisory Board member of SAVE the BEE. She envisions aligning the arts with the food and beverage industry in Eugene to promote equity, inclusion, and economic sustainability.

Michael Jones

Michael is a video game Sound Designer and composer. Michael came to Eugene in 2008 to work for Pipeworks Studio, and has since become very active in Eugene’s game development, tech, and entrepreneurship communities. A co-founder and co-organizer of Bitforest, he helps extend opportunities for people to pursue game development through workshops, game jams, meet-ups, and hosting the yearly Indie Game Con event every fall. A musician for 32 years, Michael has a passion for the arts and is excited to represent videogame creators to show how the arts are critical to game development, and how game design thinking can revolutionize other industries looking to innovate.

Liz Lawrence

Liz Lawrence is a philanthropic advisor with the Oregon Community Foundation working in Lane, Douglas, and Lincoln counties. Previously, she worked for over a decade with the nonprofit McKenzie River Trust. She has a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Oregon, and a B.A. in Studio Art (Sculpture) from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Her board service includes Professional Women’s Forum, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts, and MECCA: the Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts. Liz grew up in the Washington DC area and has lived in Eugene since 2008. Aside from work and parenting, she spends her time in dance and zen communities at Dance Empowered at the WOW Hall and the Buddha Eye Temple.

Tom McElroy

New board member and Eugene resident, Tom McElroy is a time-based digital media artist practicing under the name Atomic Elroy. His video, installation, and performance work has appeared in numerous museums, galleries, and festivals in the U.S. and abroad, including: CREATIVETIME, New York, NY, The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Supernova Festival, Denver Digerati and The San Francisco Fringe Festival, VIEWMASTER, Maastricht Netherlands, Talking Birds, Coventry UK, The Cork Film Festival, Cork IR. He started his career in theatre direction and stage management in Colorado. As Director of Performing Arts at The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, he developed The Play Factory a touring Children’s Theatre, and founded the Fine Arts Center Rep Theatre Company in 1990. While in Colorado he spent decades Self-Producing, Directing and Curating contemporary art spaces and experimental theatre projects. He also sat on the board of The Gallery of Contemporary Art, Univ. of Colorado, and The Da Vinci String Quartet. He has a new hobby dabbling in electronic music and modular synthesizers, and currently operates Atomic Gnome Studio, aDigital Media Art Studio in Eugene.

Sherry Schaefers

Lane County became home when Sherry relocated here, for a job, in 1995. She is a Colorado State University graduate and owns a State Farm Agency in Eugene. Sherry, and her husband, have four children and recently became homeowners on the McKenzie River. Actively engaged in various community organizations, Sherry is honored to serve on the Lane Arts Council Board where she hopes to make a difference.

Richard Shugar

Richard Shugar is an architect whose passion for art and design has shaped his career. Raised in the vibrant artistic community of Miami Beach, Florida, Richard developed a deep appreciation for art from a young age. This early exposure inspired him to pursue a formal education in architecture at the University of Oregon, where he honed his skills and laid the foundation for his future endeavors. For over three decades, Richard has been a committed to architecture and community of Eugene, Oregon, where he established his own firm, 2form Architecture. His firm is renowned for its innovative designs and commitment to excellence, contributing significantly to the built environment of the region. Beyond his professional achievements, Richard is dedicated to giving back to the community. He has actively participated in the Architects in the Schools program, engaging with local middle school students to foster an understanding and appreciation of architecture and design. His involvement extends to the Eugene Rotary, where he contributes his time and leadership to community service initiatives. Richard’s advocacy for the arts is evident through his support of organizations like Lane Arts Council, notably participating in the Eugene ArtSpark online fundraising efforts. His passion for architecture and the arts is further reflected in his tenure as the former President of the Eugene Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, where he played a pivotal role in promoting architectural excellence and professional development within the community

Kristin Anderson, West Lane County Liaison
Kristin Anderson is excited to work with Lane Arts Council, learning from their leadership expertise on how to promote the arts and gaining knowledge to bring a greater focus on art to the Oregon Coast, especially in the schools. She spent 26 years working as engineer, manager and director of Engineering at Hewlett-Packard and MontaVista Software. In retirement, Kristin turned her focus to fused glass art which led to her work with Florence Regional Arts Alliance in Florence, OR, of which she is currently President. She loves combining her love of working with people with her love or art and FRAA allows her this synergy. Kristin’s goals at FRAA include creating an environment in Florence for artists to meet and create together and working with the local youth providing a venue for them to learn how to promote and sell their artwork. Kristin is also a member of the Backstreet Gallery Co-op leading their marketing team. Kristin has an BS and MS in Engineering from Santa Clara University and an Management of Technology from National Technology University.

Jo Beaudreau, West Lane County Liaison
Jo is a huge supporter and creator of the Arts. Growing up in a creative small town has allowed Jo to continue exploring the arts, growing a deep appreciation, and understanding and the economic and cultural enrichment benefits. She earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Art with Honors from San Jose State University College of Art and Design with a minor in American Studies. Her work has been displayed at numerous shows and locations across America, and internationally. She also does commission and commercial work.

Jo truly loves to incorporate all types of art in her everyday life. She also likes to reflect that back in her creations. Being a lifetime observer has made Jo be able to pick up on things that most overlook. Typically, she works on continuing series of themes commenting on the world around her, strange, ‘ugly’ or not. With commission or commercial work, she captures moments with passion and style. Jo is dedicated to timeless art that documents, preserves and satisfies the heart.

Michele Rose, South Lane County Liaison
Michele has been a resident of Southern Lane County for over 30 years. A University of Oregon graduate with a degree in Special Education, Michele has a passion for making art accessible to all. After raising four children, Michele and her husband opened The Crafty Mercantile in downtown Cottage Grove- an Arts & Crafts supply store which connects her to artists young and old. Michele is the artist liaison for The Cottage Grove Art Walk and board president at The Opal Center for Art & Education. Very excited to be representing Southern Lane County, Michele is looking forward to working with all the wonderful people at Lane Arts Council and connecting her community with the rest of the county.

Gerry Aster, McKenzie River Area Liaison
Gerry is a retired R.N., makes her home on the McKenzie River and spends much of her time advocating for the arts in her rural, McKenzie River community through McKenzie Arts and Culture Collective. MACC is a committee under the nonprofit McKenzie Community Development Corp. Gerry has a long history of volunteerism and currently volunteers on the boards of many community-based organizations including the Lane County Cultural Collective, Vida McKenzie Community Center, and McKenzie ClearWater Coalition. She is a proud PEO, raising funds for women’s education. She volunteers in McKenzie School’s 3rd grade classroom and through the SMART program. Additionally, she volunteers for Eugene Opera.

Barbara Counsil, Oakridge Area Liaison
Barbara Counsil Burney works in Oakridge with her husband Matt, a gifted metal artist, and their two shop cats, Ozzy and Lemmie. They love exploring the Willamette National Forest and making each other laugh. Barbara illustrates books, paints murals, and teaches for Lane Arts Council’s ArtSpark program in Eugene area public schools. Her personal work varies from highly rendered lowbrow art to realism and installation art which addresses protection for undeveloped wilderness areas in the United States. Barbara has served on the Board of Directors for the Maude Kerns Art Center, organized events for ArtCity Eugene, and volunteered for the Oakridge Arts Council in order to uplift the local arts communities, which she believes can build a strong foundation for necessary cultural experiences in any town. She is thrilled to be a regional liaison for southeast Lane county and continue to strengthen accessibility to the arts in Oakridge. See more of her work at www.marbart.net and www.barbaracounsil.com