Deborah Edward
Business for Culture and the Arts
522 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1285
Portland, Oregon 97204
503-228-2977
www.businessculturearts.org
Deborah Edward is Executive Director of Business for Culture and the Arts in Portland Oregon. She joined the 25-year old nonprofit after a brief stint working with Sacramento’s Mayor Kevin Johnson to implement an ambitious regional cultural action plan. Prior to these West Coast adventures Edward lived in Austin Texas where she was founder of the Austin Children’s Museum which she ran for 16 years. She was founding director of Greenlights for NonProfit Success, a nonprofit support center serving Central Texas. Edward has consulted on arts and nonprofit issues in the US and abroad, including work with Fund for Arts and Culture in Russia, Fulbright Association and the American Embassy in Prague and as part of the team that conducted the CreateAustin cultural plan in 2007-2009. She has taught about arts management and arts philanthropy at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs. Now in Portland, Edward enjoys appreciating the diverse arts, culture and outdoor delights of the region and is actively involved in helping connect businesses to the arts through a strong Business Volunteers program, exceptional leadership and board training and convening the arts and business community to discuss issues of mutual concern.