Thursday, February 5, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
WASHINGTON – February 5, 2015 – Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, announced today that Tommy Sowers, Visiting Assistant Professor of the Practice and Assistant Director of The Hart Leadership Program at Duke University, has been elected to the Americans for the Arts Board of Directors for a three-year term.
“I am happy to welcome Tommy, who brings a wealth of public policy experience to our Board of Directors,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “I look forward to working with him and our other Americans for the Arts board members as we continue to extend the reach of the transformative power of the arts and arts education.”
Sowers served as Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2012 to 2014. Prior to that, he was a 2010 Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives 8th Congressional District. Sowers consulted at McKinsey & Company following his campaign and represented his generation of veterans as senior advisor to the nonprofit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Sowers attended Duke University as an undergraduate on an ROTC scholarship and studied public policy. Upon graduating in 1998, he served 11 years active duty in the U.S. Army, including two combat tours in Iraq as a Green Beret, leading and advising U.S. and Iraqi units on counterinsurgency operations. Sowers earned his Ph.D. from the London School of Economics and Political Science, following several years of teaching government and politics courses at the United States Military Academy at West Point and at Missouri University of Science and Technology.
“As we add to our robust agenda and prepare for the Arts and Military Summit this February and other programs throughout Tommy’s term, his perspective will be vital in our efforts to further these initiatives,” added Lynch.
More information on the National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military can be found here.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
Feb 5, 2015
