State Arts Advocacy Captains

Updated as of June 2023

State Arts Advocacy Captains are leaders at statewide arts advocacy organizations who work closely with Americans for the Arts to advance pro-arts policies at the federal level. State Captains build relationships with their members of Congress to ensure the latest data and stories are heard on Capitol Hill. State Captains also play an integral role at the annual National Arts Action Summit where they lead their state's attendees in Congressional meetings. Contact the Captain for your state to learn about how you can advocate for the arts at the federal level.

AK          Ben Brown, Alaska State Council on the Arts

AL          Donna Russell, Alabama Alliance for Arts Education

AR          Sandy Royce Martin, Arkansans for the Arts

AZ          Patrick McWhortor, Arizona Citizens for the Arts

CA          Julie Baker, Californians for the Arts

CO          Meredith Badler, Colorado Business Council for the Arts

CT           Brett Thompson, Connecticut Arts Alliance

DC           Tera Proby

DE           Lorraine Poling, Delaware Alliance for the Arts

FL           Jennifer Jones, Florida Cultural Alliance

GA          Patrick Kelsey, Georgians for the Arts

HI            Tera Proby

IA            Leon Kuehner, Iowa Alliance for Arts Education

ID            Michael Faison, Idaho Commission on the Arts

IL            Tera Proby

IN            Ursula Kuhar, Indiana University

KS           Sarah VanLanduyt, Arts Council of Johnson County

KY           Lori Meadows, Kentuckians for the Arts

LA           Matt Henry, Arts Council of Central Louisiana

MA          Tera Proby

ME          Martha Piscucas, Arts EngageME 

MI            Deb Polich, Artrain

MN          Sarah Fossen, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts

MO          Ben Martin, Missouri Alliance for Arts Education

MS          Heather Rose Lacoste, Mississippi Alliance for Arts  Education 

MT          Tera Proby

NC          Nate McGaha, Arts North Carolina

ND          Megan Langley Laudenschlager, Strengthen North Dakota

NE          Petra Wahlqvist, Nebraskans for the Arts

NH          Deanna Hoying, Symphony New Hampshire

NJ          Vincent Hall, ArtPride New Jersey

NM         Laurie Rufe, Creative New Mexico

NV          Tony Manfredi, Nevada Arts Council

NY          Jen Swan-Kilpatrick and Holly Grant, Art Services, Inc.

OH          Angela Meleca, Ohio Citizens for the Arts

OK          Tonnie Dosser, Oklahomans for the Arts

OR          Jeff Hawthorne, Regional Arts & Culture Council

PA          Pamela Snyder Etters, Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania

RI           Todd Trebour, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts

SC          GP McLeer, South Carolina Arts Alliance

SD          Jim Speirs, Arts South Dakota

TN          Rodney Van Valkenburg, Chattanooga Theatre Centre 

TX          Ann Graham, Texans for the Arts

UT          Crystal Young-Otterstrom, Utah Arts Alliance

VA          Ed Harvey, Virginians for the Arts

VT          Catherine Crawley, Vermont Arts Council

WA          Manny Cawaling, Inspire Washington

WI          Anne Katz, Create Wisconsin

WV          Randall Reid Smith, West Virginia Dept. of Arts, Culture and History

WY          Andrew Schneider, Wyoming Arts Alliance