
Mr. Jay H. Dick
Jay Dick is the Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs at Americans for the Arts where he works to educate and inform elected officials about the value of the arts and culture. As an twenty-year veteran of K Street, Capitol Hill, the private sector, and federal, state, and local campaigns, Jay possesses a tremendous body of knowledge in the field of arts policy, government, the legislative process, and grassroots advocacy. He is a nationally recognized speaker on these topics having designed and overseen many initiatives. Jay is regularly interviewed by the media and testifies in front of legislative bodies as an expert on these topics and on Americans for the Arts’ legislative positions.
With the mandate to positively affect the policies that promote State and Local funding and expansion of the arts, Jay works closely with the Americans for the Arts’ fifty State Arts Advocacy Captains, Local Arts Groups, and the State Arts Action Network and Council to accomplish this goal. Further, he oversees Americans for the Arts’ Public Partnerships and works closely with the members and staffs of the National Governors Association, National Lt. Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislators, National Association of Counties, The United State Conference of Mayors, and the National League of Cities.
Jay has worked at Americans for the Arts for ten years. Prior, he worked for Capitol Advantage, a high tech advocacy company; the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); and the Society of Plastics Industry (SPI). Jay spent the 1996 campaign cycle working as the Field Director for a congressional campaign in Iowa’s 3rd District and began his career with the United States Senate where he served on the personal staff of Tom Harkin (IA) and then Frank Lautenberg (NJ).
Jay was recently appointed by Virginia Governor McAuliffe to serve a five year term as a Commissioner for the Virginia Commission for the Arts. He also serves on the Board of the Arts Council of Fairfax County where he chairs their advocacy committee.
Jay received his B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in American History from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa in 1993.
Advocacy for the arts is his job but also his passion.
Americans for the Arts Staff Information
Recent Blog Posts
- Colorado Representative Leslie Herod Advocates for the Arts in General Assembly
- From the Elected Official’s Perspective: Why Arts Advocacy Matters
- Why the Arts Matter to Counties (now more than ever!)
- State Legislative Trends in 2021
- How to Secure a Local Proclamation for National Arts & Humanities Month
- National League of Cities Takes Message of Arts, Racial Equity, and Healing to Mayors
- A Strong Equation: How State Arts Advocacy Efforts are Paying Off!
- Record State Investment in the Arts!
- From Mayors to the PTA, Americans for the Arts Strategically Partners
- Pre-Election Activities for Arts Organizations
- 8 Ways the Arts Can Boost Your Local Economy
- What Keeps Your Mayor Up at Night: Your Mayor’s Priorities Explained
- Time to Celebrate—and fight for—the Arts and Culture!
- Lieutenant Governors Leading the Way for the Arts
- The View from Another Perspective
- The Importance of Partnering with Associations of Elected Officials
- Who are the “Arts” Mayors?
- Plastered in Paducah
- Lt. Governors Endorse Arts Education Week
- The Arts Mean Business
- Honored to Serve as a SAA Commissioner
- The Arts in City Strategic Planning: Las Vegas
- Coincidental Advocacy: When the Nation’s Mayors Come to Town
- Taking the Arts to Rural Counties
- November 2013 Elections Recap
- Honoring John Legend, The Roots & Arts Leaders from Maryland, Louisiana, and New Mexico
- Your Post-Election To Do List
- Governor Shuts Down South Carolina Arts Commission
- Association of Elected Officials. Huh?
- Kansas Arts: 5,000+ Voices Versus One
- State Arts Funding: A Scattered Forecast
- Kansas Arts Commission Fighting for Survival