Bob Speltz of Portland Elected Chairman
February 1, 2012—Salem, ORE. The Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon’s innovative public-private partnership to raise cultural funding, has elected Bob Speltz of Portland as its Chairman and Walter Frankel of Corvallis as Secretary/Treasurer.
Bob Speltz is director of public affairs for Standard Insurance Company (“The Standard”) in Portland. He has responsibility for employee volunteerism, sustainability initiatives, public relations, corporate giving and The Standard Charitable Foundation. He has wide-ranging corporate and nonprofit philanthropic experience. While at Nike, Inc. from 1999-2005, he was manager of Global Community Affairs and later became director of Global Community Affairs. He has also held corporate community involvement roles at Nau, Inc. and MCI Communications Corp. His nonprofit work experience includes positions at the Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C. and Oregon Health & Science University Foundation. He has extensive nonprofit board experience and is currently Vice Chair of GRANTMAKERS of Oregon and SW Washington and is a member of the Creative Advocacy Network board. Speltz is also the former chair of the Q Center board of directors and a former board member of the Equity Foundation.
“I am honored to take on this important responsibility and continue the groundbreaking work of the Cultural Trust. Culture activates communities and invigorates our economy. I look forward to being a visible advocate for Oregon’s arts, heritage and humanities,” commented Speltz.
Walter Frankel, Secretary-Treasurer, is a founding member and the former chair of the Benton County Cultural Coalition. A career librarian with wide-ranging experience, Frankel retired from Corvallis-Benton County Public Library in 2000. He is the former board chair of Opera Theater Corvallis and a former member of the board of the OSU-Corvallis Symphony. He currently volunteers for the Benton County Historical Museum where he encourages county cultural organizations to deposit their archives.
About the Oregon Cultural TrustThe OREGON CULTURAL TRUST is an innovative, statewide private-public program raising significant new funds to support and protect Oregon’s arts, humanities and heritage. In addition to the creation of a long-term, protected endowment, funds are distributed annually through three multi-faceted, wide-ranging grant programs. Donors to the Trust are eligible for a 100% Oregon income tax credit for contributions of up to $500 for individuals, $1,000 for couples filing jointly and $2,500 for corporations. To motivate Oregonians to increase direct giving to cultural groups, Trust donors must also make matching gifts to one or more of 1,200 cultural nonprofits in order to qualify for the credit. Twenty-one thousand (21,000) donors have contributed over $25 million to the Trust since Oregon’s cultural tax credit took effect in December 2002. In nine years, the Cultural Trust has distributed $11 million in grants and built its permanent fund to $14.5 million. In 2003, the Oregon legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Oregon Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development. The Arts Commission and the Cultural Trust are part of the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department in recognition of the expanding role arts and culture play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. More information: (503) 986-0088 or www.culturaltrust.org.