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Partners for the Arts Announces New Chair and Board Members
Partners for the Arts recently announced Russ Willis from The University of Southern Mississippi as its chair for 2016-2017. Four new board members were also announced.
Created in 1997, Partners for the Arts is a community alliance between the Pine Belt Community and the Southern Miss Departments of Art and Design, Dance, Theatre; the School of Music and the Center for Writers in the Department of English.
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Willis, who is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Management and International Business at the University, has been involved with Partners for the Arts for four years.
“We are excited to kick off our 2016-17 year. We have a great governing board, filled with many people who are passionate about the creative and performing arts at Southern Miss,” said Willis.
“At Southern Miss, we are so incredibly fortunate to have a nationally known fine arts program with unbelievably talented students and faculty,” he said. “The financial support provided by Partners for the Arts makes a significant difference in the lives of Southern Miss students as they prepare to become professional musicians, dancers, actors, artists and writers.”
The new board members include Kim Busche, assistant director of food service at William Carey University; Cory Ferraez, attorney at McHard and Associates law firm; Becky Malley, Title IX coordinator at Southern Miss; and Leigh Ann Underwood, business development director of Southern Bone and Joint Specialists, P.A. Carole Marshall is first vice chair, Jennifer Payne is the immediate past chair, and Jay Dean is the executive director.
Other board members are Dr. Angela Ball and Steven Barthelme, both Southern Miss English professors; George Bassi, director of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art; Lisa Conn, community leader; Dr. Kimberley Davis, professor in the School of Music; Jim Dukes, attorney at Dukes, Dukes and Hunter; Iris Easterling, curator at William Carey University; Erin Granberry, manager at Horne LLP; Dr. Stanley Hauer, professor Emeritus of English at Southern Miss; Dr. Shea Kidd-Houze, Southern Miss director of New Students; Althea Jerome, retired music professor; Emily Keith, community leader; Michael Marks of Forrest General Hospital; Donna Runnels, financial manager at Main Street Methodist Church; Mary Jordan, community leader; Dr. Richard Kravchak, director of the School of Music at Southern Miss; Stacy Reischman Fletcher, chair of the Southern Miss Department of Dance; Jennifer Torres, interim chair of the Department of Art and Design; Dr. John Warrick, chair of the Southern Miss theatre department; and Dr. Luis Iglesias, chair of the Southern Miss English department.
“I welcome the new Partners board members, and I look forward to working with Russ Willis, who has been an important presence at Southern Miss for many years. Partners for the Arts provides significant support for the outstanding arts programs of the College of Arts and Letters,” said Dean Maureen Ryan.
Through memberships and sponsorships, Partners is able to promote arts education and expand access to regional, national and international arts events and artists. For more information, call 601.266.5922 or visit https://www.usm.edu/arts-letters/partners-arts.
