AFM Endorses Michael Dorf for NEA Chairman
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Carmen Group
Sabrina Ram
(212) 983-6100
rams@carmengroup.com
January 13, 2009
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) Endorses Michael Dorf for NEA Chairman
New York, NY (January 13, 2009) – The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), AFL-CIO has officially endorsed Michael Dorf for Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
“On behalf of our 90,000 members, the AFM urges President-elect Obama to appoint Michael Dorf to the position of Chairman of the NEA in the very near future,” said Thomas F. Lee, AFM international president. “After reviewing Mr. Dorf's background in the arts, his accomplishments in support of the arts, and his ability to mobilize organizations to support the arts as he did in his native Chicago and elsewhere, the AFM believes that he will best be able to lead the NEA during this difficult time in our nation's history.
“The economic problems that are pulling down our economy must be a priority, but not to the extent that the arts are left out,” Lee continued. “Every $1 spent on the arts produces $7 in return so the arts must not be left out of the solution to our troubled economy.
Mr. Dorf is a dedicated individual and his entire life has revolved around some aspect of arts support and education. He served as co-convener of the Obama National Arts Policy Committee, the official arts policy committee of the presidential campaign. He also served as Legal Affairs Consultant to the President's Independent Commission on the National Endowment for the Arts in 1990, and as General Counsel to the Democratic Party of Illinois from 1993-1997. He worked as Special Counsel to former Representative Sidney Yates and helped to develop federal arts funding policies. He developed the first Cultural Plan for Chicago. He teaches about the arts and public policy. And Mr. Dorf chairs or serves on Illinois organizations at the intersection of public policy and the arts. His experience thus spans the federal, state, and local levels.
To read more about the AFM's endorsement, click here to read the story in the Chicago Business magazine.
