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SEPTEMBER 2017

A report on Arts2Work — a big idea based on a little-known fact — a collaborative effort by

The Alliance and The Raben Group.

Executive Credits:

Wendy Levy, Executive Director

The Alliance

Heidi Nel, Michael Yudin, Karen Driscoll, Charlie Crocker, Joanne Irby, and Robert Raben
The Raben Group

Elspeth Revere
Ravenswood Consulting Group
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

OVERVIEW 6

BACKGROUND 8

THE ISSUES 9

METHODOLOGY 10

STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS and STATE-BASED OUTREACH 11

Overview of Local Media Arts Organizations 11

Key Themes from Local Media Arts Organizations

Overview of Congressional Meetings on Capitol Hill 18

Key Themes from Congressional Meetings

Overview of The Alliance Membership Survey 20

Key Themes from the Membership Survey

THE SOLUTION 22

RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS 24

APPENDIX A: Existing Legislation, Workforce Development, and Pilot Programs

APPENDIX B: Research on State-based Outreach

APPENDIX C: Research on Congressional Outreach

WORKS CITED
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ARTS2WORK IS A BIG IDEA BASED ON A LITTLE-

KNOWN FACT.
THE FACT: IN 2015, THE ARTS SECTOR IN THE UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTED $166.3
BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, SUPPORTED 4.6 MILLION JOBS AND GENERATED
$27.5 BILLION IN REVENUE TO LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS.

THE BIG IDEA: IT IS TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND EXPAND THE HUGE CONTRIBUTIONS OF
WORKING ARTISTS TO THE U.S. ECONOMY THROUGH A NATIONAL SYSTEM OF
INVESTMENT IN CREATIVE PEOPLE, BUSINESSES, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

Arts2Work will ensure that subsidized, high-quality apprenticeship and professional

development programs are available in the arts, as they are in many other fields from
telecommunications to construction to medicine. Artists and arts organizations contribute
not only to the economy, but also to community vitality and resilience, improved
educational outcomes, innovation in business, and cultural identity. Because much of the
arts sector is comprised of bootstrapped nonprofits and freelancers in the gig economy, it
is not recognized as an economic powerhouse, and workplace development needs and
opportunities are marginalized or completely ignored. As a result, artists and arts
organizations are effectively — if not intentionally — excluded from local, state, and federal
programs that support small business, youth employment, apprenticeships, and
professional development. We must change this. A vibrant arts sector is a major
contributor to a thriving economy and vital communities.
5
The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture (The Alliance) is leading Arts2Work, an initiative
established to create a national network that links together existing resources and
programs and establishes new ones in order to support the future of the creative economy
in the United States. The Alliance has briefed members of Congress on the size and
importance of the sector, identified federal, state, and local programs that support
workforce development generally, looked closely at the role of the arts in local and regional
economies across the country, and surveyed its own membership. It has found that few
leaders of arts organizations, cities, or Congress recognize the large and growing role of the
arts in the economy, that the funding constraints of arts organizations keep them from
focusing on their own workforce needs or those of the field, and that programs designed to
help individuals find apprenticeship opportunities have not traditionally, or ever, been
available in the arts.

The Alliance is building Arts2Work with an initial focus on media arts and creative
technologies, which encompasses film, video and multimedia production and post-
production, digital editing and archiving, emerging media (virtual reality, augmented reality
and artificial intelligence), game design and development, and related professions.

THE ALLIANCE IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO

CREATE THE VERY FIRST FEDERALLY REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN
MEDIA ARTS AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES.

While providing new opportunities for diverse and underserved job-seekers, the intention
is to open up funding streams for high-quality pre-apprenticeship training at media arts
nonprofits, youth media centers, local community colleges and public access broadcast
stations, for in-demand jobs like multimedia producer, digital archivist, and digital video
editor. The vision also includes equal opportunity for communities of color, women,
veterans, and disabled workers, and providing subsidies to participating employers towards
first-year apprentice salaries while creating demand and opportunity for skilled creative
workers. Employers in the program can be for-profit or non-profit, studios and agencies,
broadcasters or news organizations, creative tech or corporate media, educational,
libraries, web-based companies or non-media businesses with digital departments.
6

Arts2Work is a bold step towards making sustainable careers in the creative professions
available for all, building stronger local and regional economies, and providing access and
opportunity to diverse communities across the country.

OVERVIEW
The arts and culture sector is a major contributor to the vitality and economic well-being of
our country. Generating over $135 billion in economic activity per year, 1 this sector is a
significant economic driver of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) — but it’s rarely
considered in the context of economic development or growth.

As a result, the benefits that artists and media arts organizations bring to bear in their own
communities throughout the U.S. don’t receive comparable support. They lack public
funding support in the form of federal grants and tax credits that other industries such as
technology, gas and oil, electric power,2 and pharmaceuticals benefit from.

While artists and media arts organizations’ contributions revitalize communities and boost
the country’s bottom line, artists currently lack the infrastructure and support they need to
thrive financially. This is especially true for artists from traditionally underserved
communities who play vital roles in reviving their neighborhoods but are disconnected
from economic resources that allow them to sustain their work or advance their careers.

1 National Findings: Economic Impact of the Nonprofit Arts & Culture Industry.” Americans for the Arts, Americans for the Arts, 15
Aug. 2017, www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/research-studies-publications/arts-economic-prosperity-iv/
national-findings.

2 Maciag, Mike. “Which Companies Get the Most Federal Subsidies?” Governing Magazine: State and Local Government News for
America's Leaders, 17 Mar. 2015, www.governing.com/topics/finance/gov-companies-receiving-largest-federal-subsidies.html.
7
To better understand the landscape of the creative economy, The Raben Group (Raben)
conducted an environmental scan that included interviews with select media arts
organizations in two states and one city, a survey of the Alliance for Media Arts + Culture
membership, and meetings with high level policymakers in Washington, DC.

This report shows the broken infrastructure affecting the media arts3 field — screen-based
projects presented via film, television, radio, audio, video, the Internet, interactive and
mobile technologies, video games, transmedia storytelling, and satellite as well as media-
related printed books, catalogues, and journals — and the economic opportunities
available through a new proposed arts-to-work pipeline:

1. Startup organizations and creative businesses play a key role in creating jobs for artists;

2. Policymakers, planners, and even leaders in the arts are not aware of the role of the arts
and cultural sector as an economic engine;

3. Media arts have traditionally been excluded from workforce development programs;

4. Artist and arts organizations cannot increase their investment in workforce development
because they rely on unsustainable and limited funding;

5. Arts organizations are critical to community resilience and revitalization;

6. Unlike other industries with robust workforce development support, there is a lack of
infrastructure to support creative entrepreneurs and arts organizations;

7. Public-private partnerships are key to successfully supporting the creative economy;

8. Public funding solutions do exist… and they work.

As a result of these findings, The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture is launching the
Arts2Work initiative, which will reimagine the arts-to-work pipeline by developing talent
and connecting artists to high quality jobs. By leveraging the existing workforce

3 National Endowment for the Arts; Media arts definition, 15 Aug. 2017,www.arts.gov/artistic-fields/media-arts.
8
infrastructure, Arts2Work will spur viable, inclusive, scalable and sustainable opportunities
that enable artists, creative professionals and arts organizations to forge pathways out of
poverty while simultaneously contributing to local economies across the country.

BACKGROUND
The importance of the arts to the American economy, as well as to education, community
vitality, and business innovation, is well documented. As reported by the NEA, the arts
industry generates $22.3 billion in revenue to local, state, and federal governments every
year — a return on investment well beyond their collective $4 billion in arts allocations4.
Despite this, the country has yet to create adequate infrastructure to support the economic
sustainability of organizations and artists whose labor, creativity, and vision contribute so
remarkably to our country’s economic well-being. This is especially true for artists from
economically disadvantaged communities, who play vital roles in reviving their
neighborhoods but are disconnected from economic resources that allow them to sustain
their work or advance their careers.

While artistic capitals do exist locally in select areas, such as New York City, Chicago, Los
Angeles, and San Francisco, there is no national infrastructure and as a result, sustained
support at the state and local levels is almost missing for the vast majority of the country.
There are organizations and associations, such as Americans for the Arts, focused on
educating legislators and policymakers on the value of the arts and the direct correlation
between arts and jobs. However, there is little understanding among most policymakers of
the importance of the arts for the economy’s sake.
Congress passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014 to
strengthen and improve the nation’s public workforce development system, help
Americans with barriers to employment move into high quality jobs and careers, and help
employers hire and retain skilled workers. The media arts, however, are not included in
this. The focus of the WIOA legislation is to create a comprehensive, aligned system of job

4 National Findings: Economic Impact of the Nonprofit Arts & Culture Industry.” Americans for the Arts, Americans for the Arts, 15
Aug. 2017, www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/research-studies-publications/arts-economic-prosperity-iv/
national-findings.
9
training, education, and vocational rehabilitation. Its four main job training programs
provided more than $5.7 billion in federal funds to states last year alone, but did not
include support in the arts or media arts.
While infrastructure at the federal, state, and local level exists for workforce development,
the omission of the media arts from efforts to develop a comprehensive, aligned system of
job training, education, and vocational rehabilitation has negative consequences for
communities across the country.

THE ISSUES
The arts and culture sector lacks the resources and infrastructure necessary to provide
pathways for arts training and professional apprenticeships, internships, and early-to-
advanced career opportunities that enable the success of artists and arts organizations,
and that enable individuals with creative abilities and training to find the right match with
businesses seeking creative skills.

Individual artists lack business skills and access to entrepreneurial training that would
enable them to build sustainable revenue models to support their creative work.

The public and private sectors have created piecemeal approaches—some effective—that
can be used to meet some of these needs, but they have not been knit together into a
single, transparent, and holistic infrastructure of training, professional opportunities, career
and entrepreneurial education, internships, and opportunities for advancement.

High-performing non-profit arts organizations rarely have sufficient resources to train and
promote new generations of arts managers.

Non-profit arts organizations and individual artists are often displaced from the
communities they’ve revitalized.

It is part of a vicious cycle. Beloved and high-performing non-profit arts organizations

across the country contribute significantly to local economic vitality, yet are not connected
to the workforce development pipeline like other industries. They struggle to survive, and
often scrape by without necessary personnel, funding, or operational support. For these
organizations, grants for their work do not guarantee they’ll be able to keep their doors
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open for one more year. Meanwhile, individual artists receive little training in how to do
their work in institutional or entrepreneurial contexts. They have few opportunities for paid
internships, there are no job ladders to climb, opportunities for professional advancement
are few, and they rarely understand how their creativity and storytelling skills can be useful
in a business environment.

METHODOLOGY
To better examine the workforce development pipeline for media arts and identify the gaps
in trainings, apprenticeships, and job placement within the creative economy, our team
honed in at the local level, focusing on two states and one city.

The geographical areas we selected each had a critical mass of artists and media arts
organizations and burgeoning plans for the local creative economy. We wanted to
stay away from well-supported and networked artistic capitals of the country in
order to test new infrastructure and identify real gaps.

Cities like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and even Chicago have developed their
own local and regional talent pipelines. While still leveraging the best practices of larger
markets, we wanted to examine test a new model for sustainability that could work in and
across smaller cities, rural areas, and states -- and eventually connect the dots.

After indexing demographics, the creative climate, and various artistic collaborations in
cities from Albany, NY to Albuquerque and Las Cruces, NM; to Detroit, MI, Fort Collins, CO,
New Orleans, LA, and across to Spokane and Seattle, WA, we decided to proceed with a
closer exploration of two states and one city that allowed us greater insight into the inner
workings of both the creative economy and workforce development efforts at the state and
local level.

OUR SELECTIONS WERE:

1. Washington State, especially Spokane, Seattle, and Olympia;

2. New Mexico State, especially Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Albuquerque; and

3. New Orleans, LA.

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There is evidence of each of these geographic regions engaging in the creative economy to
some degree — with mixed success. Taking a bird’s-eye view of each state enabled us to
identify state support, including funding opportunities, while also identifying funding
sources and flow, sustainability gaps, and the connectedness between cities or
infrastructure within the same state. The city choice enabled us to examine the inner
workings of an American city rich in culture, music, and the arts.

STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND STATE-BASED OUTREACH

For this phase of our research media arts stakeholders at the federal, state and local level
were invited to share their work and insights about how a creative workforce is being
developed in their home communities. We included interviews with the following types of
groups:

‣ Local organizations in the field of media arts;

‣ U.S. Congress, including bicameral and bipartisan meetings; and

‣ The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture members and partners.

Overview of Local Media Arts Organizations

The organizations listed below were selected for stakeholder interviews. For additional
details please see APPENDIX B.

Washington: Artist Trust; Creative Media Alliance; DXArts, University of Washington’s

Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media; Ignite Northwest; Spokane Arts; Startup
Spokane; Spokane WAM; Terrain Spokane; Evergreen State College, CultureLab; Olympia
Artspace Alliance; The Washington Center, Young Arts Ambassador Program
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New Mexico: Center for Cultural Technology; City of Albuquerque Film Office; Grow New
Mexico; The Film Business Alliance; Creative Media Institute at New Mexico State University;
New Mexico Arts; New Mexico Art Commission; Creative Alliance of New Orleans; New
Orleans Center for Creative Arts; NOLA Business Alliance

New Orleans, LA: Creative Alliance of New Orleans; New Orleans Center for Creative Arts;
NOLA Business Alliance

Across cities as diverse as Spokane, Seattle, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and New Orleans, a set
of core themes consistently arose from our interviews.

Key Themes from Local Media Arts Organizations

Local Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Startup Environment

Stakeholders emphasized the important role of startup organizations and creative

businesses in creating jobs for artists. Startup organizations support the creative workforce
as an economic driver by connecting creative entrepreneurs to a supportive ecosystem
where they can develop business plans, access training, and learn about grant
opportunities. Media arts organizations, in particular, offer curriculums that resonate with
the language of creatives, and also pair artists with coaches where they have the
opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and crafting effective artist statements.

For example, Startup Spokane in Washington State offers personal one-on-one assistance
for entrepreneurs that includes co-working space, facilitated mentorship, and networking
opportunities. Startup Spokane believes business will thrive in a supportive ecosystem.
They refer their participants to what the organization identifies as the best training and
experts in the fields in which participants are working.

“For the community, being able to fund artists directly gives the artist an opportunity to innovate
and the [business training] allows them to communicate their ideas in a more successful way” —
NGO and Funder, Seattle

“Building a vibrant community means that you have to have a vibrant arts community as well” —
Startup, Spokane
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Lack of Awareness of the Creative Economy

Although the arts and culture sector generates billions toward the nation’s GDP, most
people are not aware of the significant economic contribution the arts make to local
economies. Artists describe their work not as drivers of economic development, but as a
creative outlet, a passion, or as a gift to humanity. Further, many media arts organizations
fail to describe their trainings in economic terms. For example, almost all interviewees
described their work as part of the non-profit industry, as opposed to the creative
economy. When media arts organizations talk about their work, they typically frame their

dedication and commitment to it as passion and vibrancy, not as business or financial

investments that contribute to the economy.

Disconnect Between Media Arts and Workforce Development

When asked about an infrastructure that connects their work to federal, state, or local
workforce programs, stakeholders unanimously said they are not connected to workforce
development at all. Even artists and media arts organizations don’t fully understand their
role in the economy.

“We’ve poked around at looking at workforce development; artists talk about their work as a
passion because that’s what inspires the people receiving the art; when talking about money and
the economic factor, it taints things because people want to be inspired by art.” — NGO and
Funder, Seattle

Unsustainable and Limited Funding

Stakeholders unequivocally agree that access to adequate, sustained funding is the biggest
hurdle to overcome in building a creative workforce economy. Stakeholders provided
insight on the constant struggle to piecemeal funding together (or not) for every project.
Artists often go without pay to pursue a work that contributes greatly to the vitality of a
community and the local economy. Often, pre-revenue financing has exhaustive eligibility
requirements, and funders or lenders are reticent to take risks on creatives with great
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ideas. In the rare instances where this type of financing is available, the lenders are usually
localized, with a unique focus on supporting the arts community.

Additionally, emerging artists from vulnerable populations or communities of color lack

access to institutional funding. They are unable to self-fund projects, and they lack the
social network needed to finance their work in nontraditional ways. Although data show
that the arts prepares our future workforce for the harsh realities of globalization and the
21st century economy 5, the limited funding, lack of access to opportunity, and non-existent
infrastructure means that these opportunities are available primarily to those with means,
or those willing to impoverish themselves to pursue their work.

In Washington, for example, a media arts organization accountable for driving creative
workforce trainings and providing job placement and career matriculation opportunities,
receives an average of just $20,000 / year in public funds (NEA) but they create an outsized
positive impact on the community’s health through their work. This organization provides
professional practice training to thousands of artists, career development support and
leads an Artists Night School through a public-private partnership with Amazon to provide
business training and education to artists throughout the state. They also give grants to
artists ranging from as little as $1,500 — a “gap award” — up to $50,000.

In addition, they team with other private sector companies, such as The Boeing Company
and Vulcan Productions, and serve as a connector between artists and jobs. 70% of this
organization’s operating budget is reliant on donations from wealthy individuals, and the
other 30% is a mix of foundation and corporate support with a small stream of earned
income. Their donor pool is comprised mostly of individuals in Seattle, and their executive

5 Rainie, Lee, and Janna Anderson. “The Future of Jobs and Jobs Training.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 3 May
2017, www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/03/the-future-of-jobs-and-jobs-training/.
15
director is a seasoned development professional who has the skills needed to fundraise.

“The biggest hurdle would be keeping the arts at the forefront of the community’s mind in general;
the current political climate is distracting and looking to fund other issues like Planned
Parenthood or immigration rights; keeping [arts] as a part of the conversation continually is a
hurdle for individual artists and their livelihood” — NGO and Funder, Seattle

In the smaller city of Spokane, leading media arts organizations are providing small “gap
awards” to support artists between projects. For instance, one non-profit organization
dedicated to helping Washington State artists of all disciplines thrive has been providing
best-of-class professional practice training to the community for decades. They recently
started grant-making initiatives for artists as well, providing a series of grants to spur local
innovation and support artists during their creative conceptualization and development
phase. However, some awards are as little as $1,500, and they are only able to provide eight
per year.

Across the board, we found that pre-revenue funding predominantly comes from angel
donors and foundations. Loans (and in most cases grants) tend to max out at $75,000, but
are usually awarded at much lower levels.

Resilience and Revitalization

Arts organizations, in cities like Spokane and New Orleans, have been pivotal in reducing
the brain drain that happens when young people matriculate and leave their communities
— often rural communities — for bigger cities with greater workforce opportunities and
upward mobility. By operating out of vacant buildings, creatives and media arts
organizations have created an economic corridor in abandoned or neglected areas, starting
and attracting new businesses and bringing new revenue to the community. At Window
Dressing, a project of Terrain Spokane, the program transforms empty storefronts by filling
vacant buildings with pop-up events, art installations, and art-inspired businesses. The
program keeps local artists in their communities by empowering them to generate activity
in otherwise empty properties. The Creative Alliance in New Orleans has done something
similar. The organization provides creative artists with the opportunity to showcase their
16

work in an abandoned school that they’ve transformed into an art gallery. The installation
attracts not only artists but also community visibility and vitality.

“New Orleans is an exporter of talent rather than building vibrant businesses for talent to stay...”
— Business alliance, New Orleans

“We have to figure out better ways to make these careers viable. We need to find ways to make an
unsustainable career in arts more sustainable. When [artists and creative entrepreneurs] come
back do we have something for them?” — Creative arts center, New Orleans

“Artists have expressed the need for connection and community; artists are looking to expand their
audiences and be more integrated into their community so they can see where their contributions
are enhancing culture...” — NGO and Funder, Seattle

Lack of Infrastructure

In most cities, there’s no sustained funding infrastructure to support creative entrepreneurs

and media arts organizations, even though the city is the direct beneficiary. In Spokane, for
example, the mayor has cut the arts department from the municipal budget in 2012 6. As
reported by the NEA, the arts industry generates $22.3 billion in revenue to local, state, and
federal governments every year —a return on investment well beyond their collective $4
billion in arts allocations7 . Rather, many organizations receive funding from local angel
donors, private foundations, or regional lenders. Moreover, those without the social capital
and network to provide access to funders, go without.

6 Walters, Daniel. “Restarting Art.” Inlander, Inlander, 12 Sept. 2017, www.inlander.com/spokane/restarting-art/Content?

oid=2713723.

7 National Findings: Economic Impact of the Nonprofit Arts & Culture Industry.” Americans for the Arts, Americans for the Arts, 15
Aug. 2017, www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/research-studies-publications/arts-economic-prosperity-iv/
national-findings.
17
“The biggest frustration in Spokane is that city leaders love the energy the [arts] organization is
creating but [they are] not willing to have much skin in the gain” — Media arts organization,
Spokane

“The creative industry has gaps in terms of revenue flowing and many people don’t have access
without having someone connect them to the opportunity” — Creative arts center, New Orleans

Public / Private Partnerships

Given the difficulty of funding, stakeholders discussed how they leverage partnerships with
educational institutions, like community colleges, and businesses interested in science,
technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). For media arts organizations in
larger cities, many partner with corporations headquartered there. For example, Artist
Trust in Seattle has aligned their trainings with Amazon, Boeing, and Vulcan. This
partnership allows local creatives to receive deep professional development aligned with
corporate priorities. Unfortunately, this is more difficult in other cities like New Orleans,
which has only one Fortune 500 company in the region. Such private partnerships,
therefore, are hugely predicated on locale.

Public Funding Solutions Do Exist

The rare exception to the limited funding reality is happening in places like Tacoma, WA.
Spaceworks Tacoma is a joint initiative of the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma-Pierce County
Chamber of Commerce. The program provides opportunities for creative entrepreneurs by
providing space for art installations, training in small business practices, and short-term
leasing space for pop-up shops or arts displays. This public initiative has yielded substantial
results, creating 36 new businesses in three years.

Separate from our stakeholder interviews in Washington, New Mexico, and New Orleans,
our research led us to a publicly funded creative economy pilot occurring in Washington,
DC. In 2015, the Washington, DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment
(OCTFME) launched the Creative Economy Career Access Program (CECAP), an innovative
workforce development program that promotes sustainable careers in the growing creative
economy by matching select unemployed DC residents and Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) recipients with high school diplomas in Washington, DC with public
18
and private sector media production, broadcasting, and creative technology employment,
education, and training opportunities. OCTFME aligned preexisting programs in city
government with the resources offered by local media organizations, forming partnerships
in support of a sustainable creative economy and labor market in DC.

In addition to their workforce development program in the creative and media arts,
Washington, the DC Mayor has also created initiatives to broaden community-wide
awareness and public engagement through 202Creates. The initiative was launched in 2016
to showcase the District’s diversity of artists, makers, and entrepreneurs who contribute to
the thriving creative industries. With nearly 60% of the District's workers employed in the
creative class, Washington, DC is one of the most creative cities in the United States and
has become one of the top five "most inspiring cities" for young artists.8

Overview of Congressional Meetings on Capitol Hill

In addition to stakeholder outreach from Washington State, New Mexico, and the city of
New Orleans, we reached out to Congressional offices to gain insights on the members’
and their staffs’ perspectives on media arts and the creative economy. Our outreach was to
members representing these areas, as well as members with an expressed interest in the
arts.

Washington

‣ Office of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)

- Ranking Member, Senate HELP Committee; Senate Appropriations
Committee
- Met with Livia Lam, Legislative Director and Allie Kimmel, HELP Committee
staff

‣ Office of Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

- Met with Pete Modaff, Legislative Director

8 “Mayor Muriel Bowser Presents 202 Creates.” 202 Creates, Sept. 2016, www.202creates.com/.
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New Mexico

‣ Office of Senator Udall (D-NM)

- Author of the CREATE Act
- Met with Jeff Lopez, Legislative Assistant (Economics & Labor) and Anthony
Sedillo, Legislative Assistant (Arts and Culture)

‣ Office of Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM-1) (Albuquerque)

- Met with Rachel Hugman, Legislative Assistant

‣ Office of Congressman Steve Pearce (R-NM-2) (Las Cruces)

- Met with Ben Johnson, Legislative Assistant - Health & Social Welfare

‣ Office of Congressman Ben Lujan (D-NM-3) (Santa Fe)

- House Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman
- Met with Kimberly Espinosa, Legislative Assistant-Arts (Culture and Religion)

Louisiana

‣ Office of Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

- Met with Pamela Davidson, Senior Policy Advisor (Family and Labor)

‣ Office of Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2) (New Orleans)

- Met with Caren Street, Congressional Black Caucus Policy Director, who
offered support with a future Congressional briefing.

Virginia

‣ Office of Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)

- Met with Mike Henry, Chief of Staff

Colorado

‣ Office of Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

- Met with Alexandra Fuentes, Education Fellow
20

Key Themes from Congressional Meetings

We heard many of the same themes during our congressional meetings as we did with our
state based outreach.

Lack of Awareness of the Creative Economy

Policymakers on Capitol Hill set the standards for workforce development in our country.
Yet, the majority we spoke to were surprised to learn about the economic impact of the

arts. Prior to our Hill meetings, staff we met with were not aware of the arts as an
economic driver nor familiar with the concept of the creative economy.

Disconnect Between Media Arts and Workforce Development

Once further educated about the national impact of media arts, policymakers did
acknowledge and show appreciation for how artists and media arts organizations have
created jobs in their districts. However, they were not aware of how media arts was
connected to the federal workforce development system and could not point to any
examples within their states or districts.

Overview of Alliance Membership Survey

The Alliance serves thousands of media artists and media arts organizations in over 25
states across the country, as well as other countries around the world. We sought to
understand whether the themes that emerged from policymakers and stakeholders might
also hold true in this broad media arts community.

The Survey

Through email, we administered a survey to members of The Alliance to evaluate on-the-

ground experiences of artists and media arts organizations. The following questions were
included in the survey:

1. What fields do you feel part of?

2. Where does your funding come from?

21
3. Are you in partnership with businesses and corporations in your community?

4. Tell us about the nature of your business partnerships. What companies are you
currently working with? Is there a demand for your work from the business
community?

5. Does your work intersect with workforce development? Do you currently train folks,
and/or help them get jobs? Is there an infrastructure that connects you and your
work to federal, state or local workforce programs or boards?

6. What impact has your work had in your community so far and what do you wish for
in the future? (We know this is a big question. Be brief - let us know if you'd be
available for a longer interview down the road)

Key Themes from The Alliance Membership Survey

The Alliance membership survey had an overwhelming response with over 200 people
responding in just 2 weeks.

Lack of Awareness of the Creative Economy

Almost all interviewees described their work as part of the non-profit industry, not the
creative economy. Members across the country mostly described their work as a part of
non-profit arts organizations, with their funding coming primarily from foundation grants,
government arts grants, and some earned revenue. Furthermore, many members indicated
they partner with local business to create equity and access for creatives in their
community.

In the context of our broader research, it became evident that these partnerships and their
resulting activity are created independently, each time by individual artists and small non-
profit organizations, without access to greater infrastructure and support.
22
THE SOLUTION
The evidence is clear that arts and culture significantly contribute to our country’s bottom-
line through creating work and economic opportunities, and by bolstering the health and
resiliency of neighborhoods, cities and towns. Further, there are examples of artists and
arts organizations enhancing the creative economy in communities across America, but
infrastructure that could strengthen and scale these efforts and increase economic gains is
almost non-existent. The result is disparate initiatives that reinvent the wheel, inefficiently
starting from the bottom up. This dynamic is happening in the context of a lack of
awareness among the public and policymakers about the proven potential of the arts to
bolster the economy, reduce unemployment, strengthen communities, help bridge
ideological chasms, and help us mitigate 21st century challenges. The arts put America to
work, and if we leveraged existing resources to close gaps and strengthen infrastructure,
we would see the arts putting more and more people to work.

Arts2Work, an initiative created by The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture, proposes to do
just that.

Arts2Work is a paradigm shift in how America views, invests in, and builds long term
support for the creative workforce. Arts2Work calls upon the public and private sectors to
fully participate in making policy and providing resources across the federal government’s
many agencies, the states, and local communities to create a viable and realistic
employment pipeline for the creative professions. This includes education, professional
training and paid apprenticeships, in parity with other occupations, that recognizes artists
and arts organizations as a central component of community revitalization and economic
development. There are pockets of activity that reflect the Arts2Work vision all across
America; what’s missing is a networked infrastructure providing viable, inclusive, scalable
and sustainable opportunities enabling artists, creative professionals and arts
organizations to forge pathways out of poverty and optimally contribute to local economies
across the nation.
23
Through this initiative, professional artists, media makers, and creative technologists will be
supported with:

‣ Advanced, networked professional development;

‣ Job and social entrepreneurship training;

‣ Subsidized mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities;

‣ Startup funding to build creative businesses, communities of practice, socially

beneficial creative initiatives, and nonprofit arts organizations that serve low-income
communities;

‣ Public/private investment to support, hire, and retain creative staff, business

managers, and cultural producers; and

‣ Skills and tools to increase local creative impact and social accountability.

Arts2Work differs from other initiatives in its commitment to equity and inclusion at all
levels. The initiative is dedicated to reaching historically underserved communities
including people of color, LGBTQ individuals, women, formerly incarcerated individuals,
disabled individuals, veterans, and opportunity youth. Arts2Work will broaden the
definition of creative employment by building an infrastructure that can support innovation
and creativity.
24
RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS
The paradigm shift, spearheaded by Arts2Work, needs to start with grasstops decision
makers in our nation’s capitol, and with state and local officials, rethinking how to prioritize
the arts as drivers of economies - and jobs. Lawmakers need to see the arts and the
creative economy as a key solution to jobs and resiliency, just as artists need to
communicate both the emotional and economic vibrancy of their craft.

Success can come from building a narrative around data, revealing how much the creative
industry generates, articulating the investment needed for a sustained infrastructure, and
stating the expected return on investment.

It will take time and thoughtful strategy to advance a national initiative that builds the
creative workforce. Considering the current political landscape, Raben recommends
building a foundation of support among congressional members. This can be done using
various tactics, including briefings that highlight the new narrative of arts as the workforce
of the future. Targeting the HELP committee will be particularly important, due to its
oversight in education and labor.

Further, as a part of the initiative, Arts2Work should develop a federally approved

apprenticeship program with the Department of Labor. The renewed focus at the federal
level on workforce development and expanding apprenticeships in America makes an
Arts2Work apprenticeship particularly timely. As we think about building case studies in
local communities, such certifications will allow local arts organizations to increase their
credibility by certifying how their programs increase economic vitality.

By spearheading the first nationally approved apprenticeship program in media arts and
creative technology, Arts2Work would build new models of workforce development. An
Arts2Work apprenticeship opens the door for local arts organizations, vocational training
partners, and creative businesses to be connected to and bolstered by a national network.
With federally-approved guidelines and program standards that provide access to potential
revenue streams, training organizations and employers can provide an on-ramp to high-
paying jobs for a diverse set of creatives. This ecosystem will deepen the credibility of local
arts organizations and galvanize the creative economy.
APPENDIX A: EXISTING LEGISLATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
& PILOT PROGRAMS
This appendix describes research regarding:

‣ Legislation: Identifies pending legislation that works in support of the creative

economy;

‣ Workforce Development: Identifies existing federal and state workforce

development programs that could be leveraged in support of media arts
organizations and artists; and

‣ State Programs: Identifies federally-funded programs that provide resources to

states to support job training.

Key findings are below.

Legislation

There are organizations and associations, such as Americans for the Arts, focused on
educating legislators and policymakers on the value of the arts and the direct correlation
between arts and jobs. However, there appears to be little understanding of the
importance of the arts for the economy’s sake among federal policymakers. One of the
standout exceptions is Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, who originally authored the
Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy
(CREATE) Act in March 2016.

The CREATE Act is intended to support the development of arts businesses, jobs and the
growth of the creative economy across the nation. The arts and cultural tourism industries
are significant drivers of the economy in New Mexico, and Senator Udall knows well the
benefits of, and need to support, the creative economy. His bill would help artists,
entrepreneurs, and workers employed in cultural education and tourism better access
federal programs and resources to grow their businesses and share their artwork with local
communities.

The CREATE Act was reintroduced once again during the 115th Congress by U.S. Senator
Tom Udall and U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-12) on March 21, 2017. It currently
lacks additional cosponsors or broader Congressional support.

Workforce Training Enhancement Act — provides additional flexibility for workers utilizing
Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). TAA provides a path for employment growth and
opportunity through aid to US workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade.
The Obama Administration invested an additional $450 million in grants to approximately
270 community colleges partnering with more than 400 employers nationally under the
TAA Community College and Career Training program.
Workforce Development

In 2014, Congress passed The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to
strengthen and improve the nation’s public workforce development system and help
Americans with barriers to employment into high quality jobs and careers, and help
employers hire and retain skilled workers. Too often, workers face a number of hurdles
trying to access job training programs and employers face a wide array of state and local
programs. The focus of this legislation is to create a comprehensive, aligned system of job
training, education, and vocational rehabilitation driven by the needs of local businesses
and employers. WIOA’s four main job training programs provided more than $5.7 billion in
federal funds to states last year. Key elements of the federal workforce development
system support:

Regional economies: State and local workforce boards, in partnership with business and
state and local organizations, align education and training investments to regional civic and
economic growth strategies.

High performing state workforce boards set and communicate the vision for the state’s
workforce system, manage strategic partnerships to achieve the vision, and use data and
accountability systems to keep the system accountable to the vision. For example, the
Pennsylvania Industry Partnership Program awards funding to a consortium of employers
for worker and apprenticeship training programs by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor
and Industry through a competitive application process. Local workforce development
boards are conveners for industry partnership grants, monitoring and evaluating local

projects and overseeing the budget and administration of grant funds. Each partnership
involves a network that connects workers with in-demand training that aligns with
emerging and existing industry needs.1

Among a number of responsibilities, local workforce boards conduct regional economic

analysis, convene local stakeholders, engage employers, and develop career pathways.

‣ One-stop Centers: Local one-stop centers (American Job Centers) provide job
seekers and workers with an array of education and job training programs,
offering training for the skills and credentials necessary to secure and advance in
employment with family-sustaining wages. High-quality American Job Centers
(A JC) provide career services that motivate customers of all ability levels to make
informed decisions based on local and regional economic demand and support
and empower customers to achieve their employment and educational goals.

1 “PA.Gov.” Industry Partnerships, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, www.dli.pa.gov/Businesses/Workforce-

Development/Pages/Industry-Partnerships.aspx
 ‣ Businesses and Workers: Businesses inform and guide the workforce system
and access skilled talent as they shape regional workforce investments and build
a pipeline of skilled workers. This engagement includes leadership and active
participation in the development and provision of education and training, work-
based learning, career pathways, and industry sector partnerships. Jobseekers
and workers have the information and guidance to make informed decisions
about training and careers, as well as access to the education, training, and
support services they need to compete in the job market.

For example, New Hampshire established the NH Sector Partnerships Initiative

(NH SPI) to help businesses in targeted industries address their workforce needs,
while also helping workers prepare for and advance in careers in these critical
sectors. Initially focusing on four industries - manufacturing, hospitality,
healthcare, and information technology - the public/private collaboration
includes groups of businesses within each target industry, community based
organizations, and education and training providers, like community colleges.
The partners convene on a regular basis to identify shared hiring, training, and
retention needs, and then develop training programs and other workforce
services to address businesses’ shared workforce needs.2

State Programs
Federally funded job training programs to states include:

‣ Adult training services: Programs provide individualized, high-quality

employment and training services that address the needs of individuals in need
of training, retraining, and skill upgrades. Additionally, funds are targeted to help
move workers into post-secondary educational pipelines and career pathways to
prepare more workers to enter into and advance in good jobs in the high growth
and emerging occupations of the global economy. These services are available to
workers and employers through the network of One-Stop Centers.

‣ Youth services programs: Provide comprehensive services to eligible youth, ages

14-24, who face barriers to education, training and employment, including:
tutoring; alternative secondary school services; paid and unpaid work
experiences; occupational skill training; education offered concurrently with
workforce preparation and training; leadership development opportunities;
supportive services; adult mentoring; comprehensive guidance and counseling;
financial literacy education; entrepreneurial skills training; postsecondary

2 New Hampshire Sector Partnerships Initiative.” New Hampshire Sector Partnerships Initiative, www.jff.org/sites/default/files/NH-
Sector-Partnerships-Initiative%20Overview%20Flyer-051617%5B2%5D.pdf.
 education and training preparation activities. Focuses primarily on out-of-school
youth.

‣ Dislocated Workers: provides training, job search, and other assistance for
workers who have been laid off or are about to be laid off. Services include rapid
response and re-employment services, and trade-related layoffs and plant
closings.

‣ Vocational Rehabilitation program: provides resources to states to assist

individuals with disabilities, particularly individuals with the most significant
disabilities, to prepare for, obtain, retain, or advance in high quality employment.

Other federal job training programs include:

‣ Registered Apprenticeship program: The Department of Labor’s Office of

Apprenticeship, in conjunction with State Apprenticeship Agencies, administers
the registered apprenticeship program - high-quality work-based learning and
post-secondary earn-and-learn models that meet national standards.
Participants in registered apprenticeship training programs are newly hired (or
already employed) and earn wages from employers during training. Programs
provide on-the-job learning and job-related technical instruction, resulting in an
industry-recognized credential.

‣ Job Corps: the nation's largest and most comprehensive residential education
and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24. Job Corps
combines classroom, practical, and work-based learning experiences to prepare
youth for stable, long-term, high-paying jobs, pathways to education, jobs,
entrepreneurship, and other opportunities leading to productive livelihoods and
community leadership.

‣ YouthBuild: programs provide low-income, disconnected youth with skills,

training, and housing to rebuild their communities and their lives, breaking the
cycle of poverty with a commitment to work, education, family, and community.

How State and Local Workforce Entities Work Together

‣ State — Every state collaborates across core programs and other partner
programs to create a single unified workforce development system. States align
programs to ensure the workforce system meets the employment and skill
needs of all workers, particularly those with barriers to employment, and
business success.
 ‣ Local — Local systems align workforce programs with regional economic
development strategies. Visualization of existing disparate pipeline available
here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzZT1nxAAi1kS1pGbDhoNUlqY2s

‣ Public Private Partnerships - State and local workforce boards facilitate public
private partnerships, support sector strategies and career pathways that
advance opportunities for all workers, and foster innovation.

The Role of State and City Arts Councils

State Arts Councils - State arts councils, sometimes called art commissions, are state
government agencies governed by commissioners appointed by the governor. Most art
commissions receive funding from state budgets as well as the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA). Art commissions play an important role by speaking up for the public value
of the arts and building participation in and support of the arts. Many of the programs and
services of arts commissions include arts education, art in public spaces, and capacity
building for artists and arts organizations. 3

City Arts Councils - City arts councils work in partnership with municipalities and tasked with
providing resources and opportunities to artists and artist organizations to make their city
a hub of vibrant art and culture. Many city arts councils receive funding from state arts
councils to grant funding to local artists and arts organizations. Much of this funding goes
to support city-wide festivals, performing, and visual arts. 4

3 “About State Arts Agencies.” NASAA, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, nasaa-arts.org/state-arts-agencies/.

4 “National Endowment for the Arts.” State and Regional Arts Organizations, National Endowment for the Arts, www.arts.gov/
partners/state-regional.
APPENDIX B: RESEARCH ON STATE-BASED OUTREACH
Outreach to Media Artists and Media Arts Organizations

Washington

Washington is home to 85 Title IV degree-granting schools, providing a combination of

grants, loans, and work-study funds from the federal government to more than 318,000
enrolled students. Of these, more than 2,700 are enrolled in the state’s top art and design
schools alone, including Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle), DigiPen Institute of
Technology (Redmond), Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, and University of
Washington.

As of March 25, 2015, Washington was home to 43,500 professionals working in Arts,
Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media (ADESM) occupations, with an average salary of
$52,930 per year. Across Washington state, individual salaries in these position vary widely:

‣ Washington-based art directors earn one of the highest salaries in the industry
at with an average of $102,590 per year;

‣ Graphic designers in the state average $55,030 per year; however, individuals
working for the federal government or in aerospace make much more: $77,420
and $71,340 per year, respectively;

‣ Fine artists average $71,200 per year;

‣ Animators and multimedia artists earn $75,740 per year on average.

Key organizations, by city, we reached out to for stakeholder interviews:

‣ Seattle: Artist Trust; Creative Media Alliance; DXArts, University of Washington’s

Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media

‣ Spokane: Ignite Northwest; Spokane Arts; Startup Spokane; Spokane WAM;

Terrain Spokane

‣ Olympia: Evergreen State College, CultureLab; Olympia Artspace Alliance; The

Washington Center, Young Arts Ambassador Program

New Mexico

At 6.8% unemployment, New Mexico is home to one of the highest unemployment rates in
the nation. It is also home to over half a million individuals under the age of 18, who will
matriculate into the workforce in coming years. In 2015, the state had the nation’s worst
high school graduation rate at 69%5, and with a median household income of $44,963,
there’s no doubt that poverty plays a major role in its educational outcomes.

More so than any other state, New Mexico is also home to one of the most vibrant artistic
communities in the nation -- one in 10 jobs in the state are related to arts and culture.
Artists play a vital role in shaping culture, but also in creating jobs. There’s an opportunity
here to explore ways to support emerging artists, galleries, and artistic entrepreneurs as
they expand the creative economy and help create jobs.

New Mexico Arts Commission’s American Recovery & Reinvestment Act: New Mexico Arts
was awarded $297,000 in arts recovery funds from the National Endowment for the
Arts (NEA), under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The
Governor's Office, the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment and the
New Mexico Arts Commission approved $250,350 in Arts Jobs Grants to 17
organizations across New Mexico following a competitive application process. New
Mexico Arts also received approval from the NEA and the New Mexico Office of
Recovery and Reinvestment to spend $2,650 in administrative costs to administer
our Arts Jobs program and $44,000 to hire a public art contractor to temporarily fill
an important public art position lost due to state budget cuts. The contractor’s role
was to administer the Acclaimed Artist Series and to facilitate $400,000 in arts
purchases to directly benefit New Mexico artists and galleries.6

Key organizations, by city, we researched or reached out to for stakeholder interviews in

New Mexico:

‣ Albuquerque: Center for Cultural Technology; City of Albuquerque Film Office;

Grow New Mexico; The Film Business Alliance

‣ Las Cruces: Creative Media Institute at New Mexico State University

‣ Santa Fe: New Mexico Arts; New Mexico Art Commission

New Orleans
The majority of individuals living in New Orleans, 61%, are African American. Given The
Alliance’s commitment to equity in the media arts sector, this made New Orleans a critical
location to consider in our research.
Historically, media artists who make a sustainable living in New Orleans through their craft
either come from wealth, receive supplemental income from other family members, and/or
have another job. They also tend to be white. Additionally, New Orleans is a city rich in arts

5 Burgess, Kim. “NM 2015 Graduation Rate Was Worst in Nation.” Albuquerque Journal, 8 May 2017, www.abqjournal.com/
1000114/nm-2015-graduation-rate-worst-in-nation.html.

6 http://www.nmarts.org/american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act/
and culture. 3.2% of the city population is employed in arts, design, entertainment, sports,
and/or media.
The city, like all others, lacks infrastructure for creative workforce development, but has a
few programs that made it fertile ground for further innovation, including:

‣ ProsperityNOLA: A catalyst for economic transformation, designed to ensure the

city’s vitality for its tri-centennial in 2018 and beyond. More than 200
stakeholders from business, government, education and philanthropy, as well as
the broader economic development community, came together to create
ProsperityNOLA in 2012.

‣ Creative Digital Media: An emerging economic cluster through the NOLA

Business Alliance, Creative Digital Media captures the written, spoken, musical,
theatrical, visual, design, entertainment and technological talent and creativity in
digital formats, creating products that are in-demand and marketable in today’s
global economy.

‣ Smart Money for Creatives Webinars: A webinar series that offers best practices
on bookkeeping, pricing, profit and cash flow for artists pursuing work in the
creative economy.

Key organizations we reached out to for stakeholder interviews in New Orleans: Creative
Alliance of New Orleans; New Orleans Center for Creative Arts; NOLA Business Alliance.
APPENDIX C: RESEARCH ON CONGRESSIONAL OUTREACH
Congressional outreach was aligned to members representing the previously identified
areas, as well as those with an expressed interest in the arts.

Washington state

Office of Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Assistant Minority Leader

‣ Committees: HELP (Ranking Minority Member), Appropriations, Budget,

Veterans' Affairs

‣ Before entering politics, Sen. Patty Murray was involved in education. She
received her undergraduate degree from Washington State University.

‣ Sen. Murray works most frequently on Economics and Public Finance (106 bills),
Education (106 bills), Labor and Employment (84 bills), and Science, Technology,
Communications (79 bills).

‣ Meeting with Livia Lam, Legislative Director and Allie Kimmel, HELP Committee
staff

Office of Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

‣ Committees: Energy (Ranking Minority Member), Finance, Small Business,

Commerce, Indian Affairs

‣ Before entering politics, Sen. Cantwell was involved in business. She received her
undergraduate degree from Miami University of Ohio.

‣ Sen. Cantwell works most frequently on Economics and Public Finance (96 bills)
and Commerce (69 bills)

‣ Meeting with Pete Modaff, Legislative Director

New Mexico

Office of Senator Udall (D-NM), Sponsor of the CREATE Act

‣ Committees: Indian Affairs, Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Commerce,

Senate Rule, Security in Europe

‣ He works most frequently on Health (46 bills), Education (39 bills), Public Lands
and Natural Resources (37 bills), Economics and Public Finance (33 bills), and
Native Americans (31 bills)

‣ Before entering politics, Sen. Tom Udall was involved with the legal industry
 ‣ Meeting with Jeff Lopez, Legislative Assistant (Economics & Labor) and Anthony
Sedillo, Legislative Assistant (Arts and Culture)

Office of Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM-1) (Albuquerque)

‣ Committees: Budget, Agriculture

‣ Before entering politics, Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham was involved in business.
She received her undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico and
a professional degree from the University of New Mexico.

‣ Rep. Lujan Grisham works most frequently on Commerce (10 bills), Economics
and Public Finance (9 bills), and Housing and Community Development (8 bills)

‣ Meeting with Rachel Hugman, Legislative Assistant

Office of Congressman Steve Pearce (R-NM-2) (Las Cruces)

‣ Committees: Financial Services, Natural Resources

‣ Before entering politics, Rep. Steve Pearce was involved in business. He received
his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University and a professional
degree from Eastern New Mexico University.

‣ He works most frequently on Public Lands and Natural Resources (56 bills),
Economics and Public Finance (34 bills), Transportation and Public Works (33
bills), Congress (27 bills), and Environmental Protection (26 bills).

‣ Meeting with Ben Johnson, Legislative Assistant - Health & Social Welfare

Office of Congressman Ben Lujan (D-NM-3) (Santa Fe), House Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee Chairman

‣ Before entering politics, Rep. Ben "Ben Ray" Lujan was a public official. He
received his undergraduate degree from New Mexico Highlands University and a
graduate degree from the University of New Mexico.

‣ He works most frequently on Public Lands and Natural Resources (25 bills),
Education (24 bills), Native Americans (24 bills), Science, Technology,
Communications (23 bills), and Health (16 bills).

‣ Meeting with Kimberly Espinosa, Legislative Assistant-Arts (Culture and Religion)

Louisiana

Office of Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

‣ Committees: Finance, Energy, HELP, Veterans' Affairs, Economy

‣ Cassidy works most frequently on Economics and Public Finance (11 bills)

‣ Meeting with Pamela Davidson, Senior Policy Advisor (Family and Labor)

Office of Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2) (New Orleans)

‣ Committees: Judiciary, Homeland Security

‣ Before entering politics, Rep. Cedric Richmond was involved with the legal
industry. He received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College (GA)
and a professional degree from Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of
Government (MA).

‣ He works most frequently on Education (12 bills), Economics and Public Finance
(11 bills), Emergency Management (9 bills), Finance and Financial Sector (8 bills),
and Crime and Law Enforcement (7 bills)

‣ Meeting with Caren Street, Congressional Black Caucus Policy Director, who
offered support with a future Congressional briefing.

Virginia

Office of Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)

‣ Committees: Budget Committee, HELP Committee

‣ Top issues include Education (20 bills), Armed Forces and National Security (16
bills), Labor and Employment (13 bills)

‣ Meeting with Mike Henry, Chief of Staff

Colorado

Office of Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

‣ Committees: Finance, HELP Committee, Agriculture

‣ He works most frequently on Education (28 bills), Health (28 bills), Public Lands
and Natural Resources(25 bills), Economics and Public Finance (21 bills), and
Congress (20 bills)

‣ Before entering politics, Sen. Michael Bennet was involved in education

‣ Meeting with Alexandra Fuentes, Education Fellow

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