KAREN CROSSLEY NEW CULTURAL AFFAIRS PROGRAM COORDINATOR

March 30, 2007
Joanne Haas, 267-8823, or Topf Wells, 266-9069

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk today (3/30) named Karen Crossley Coordinator of the Dane County Cultural Affairs Program. “Karen brings an unimpeachable reputation for integrity and empathy to this position along with a strong commitment to Dane County and its cultural vitality, twenty-two years of experience as a fund-raiser, and an incredible range of leadership in community volunteer activities. Our diverse and growing community of artists and their audiences deserve the highest level of competence and passion in the Cultural Affairs Coordinator and that is what Karen brings to this job,” Falk said. “We’re thrilled to welcome her to Dane County government.” Crossley takes the position upon the retirement of Lynne Eich, the founding Coordinator of the Cultural Affairs Commission. With the support of County Boards and County Executives, during the last 30 years, Eich built the $635,000 program so that it now allocates those funds in three annual grant competitions supporting community arts initiatives throughout Dane County. The Commission has been especially successful in making a wide range of artistic experiences available to Dane County children. Through financial partnerships with six area foundations, private donations now account for 64% of the distributed grant funds. ”Lynne has performed brilliantly in building the Commission’s capacity to connect artists and audiences via a grant process that is a model of fairness. Karen’s task is to build on these successes; I have every confidence she’ll do so,” Falk said. Crossley is Vice President of the University of Wisconsin Foundation. She has also served as Development Director of the Foundation and Director of Development and Communication for the Wisconsin Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. She is or has been a volunteer with Madison East High School, Black Hawk Council of Girl Scouts, Madison Children’s Museum, Civic Center Foundation, Tenney Nursery and Parent Center, and the UW-Madison Friends of the Arboretum. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Colby College, and master’s degree from the University of Washington, and an Executive MBA from UW-Madison. Crossley, her husband, and three children live on Madison’s east side. Her starting annual salary is $74,588. Crossley’s starting date will be in May 7. # # #