COVID-19 Relief Package Policy (2020 Event)

Recorded On: 04/29/2020

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About this Plenary

This plenary session take a deep look at how the COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress has affected the arts and culture sector. We will review how organizations, artists, and small businesses in the creative economy are pursuing additional relief legislation that Congress is expected to consider this spring. This session will feature remarks from U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and Chellie Pingree (ME-01)

Presenters:

  • Robert L Lynch, Americans for the Arts
  • Nina Ozlu Tunceli, Americans for the Arts
  • Ruby Lopez Harper, Americans for the Arts
  • Peter Gordon, Americans for the Arts
  • Heather Noonan, League of American Orchestras
  • Todd Dupler, Recording Academy

This event is a part of the National Arts Action Digital Summit 2020.


How to View the Recording: locate the “COVID-19 Relief Package Policy Recorded” box on the right-hand side of this page. Click the box and a red VIEW VIDEO button will appear. Click on that button and the recorded session will open in a pop-up window. Please note that you must be logged in to your account and registered for this event in order to view the recording.

Robert L. Lynch

President and CEO, Americans for the Arts

Robert L. Lynch is president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. With more than 43 years of experience in the arts industry, he is motivated by his personal mission to empower communities and leaders to advance the arts in society, and in the lives of citizens.

In 1996, Mr. Lynch managed the successful merger of the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies, where he had spent 12 years as executive director, with the American Council for the Arts to form Americans for the Arts. Under his 33 years of leadership, the services and membership of Americans for the Arts have grown to more than 50 times their original size. He has personally reached audiences in over 2,000 locations spanning all 50 states and more than a dozen nations, with diverse constituencies ranging from Native American tribal gatherings to the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe to the President of the United States.

During his tenure at Americans for the Arts, Mr. Lynch has overseen six mergers including the Arts and Business Council, Inc. and the Business Committee for the Arts into Americans for the Arts. He has also created the Americans for the Arts Action Fund and its connected political action committee to establish arts-friendly public policy through engaging citizens to advocate for the arts and arts education.

Under his direction, Americans for the Arts has become a leader in documenting and articulating the key role played by the nonprofit arts and culture industry, and their audiences, in strengthening our nation’s economy including its signature study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts community, Arts and Economic Prosperity V. He has also been instrumental in creating a strong portfolio of projects and information about the transformative power of the arts in non-arts areas such as civic dialogue, social problem solving and work with the Pentagon, West Point, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on the arts and military.  

Mr. Lynch currently serves on the board of the Independent Sector. He has also served two terms on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, a position appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. In 2017, he was the inaugural recipient of the JFK Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. In 2014, he was awarded the Sidney R. Yates Award for Outstanding Advocacy on Behalf of the Performing Arts, and he was selected as one of the most influential executives in the nonprofit sector for the 2012, 2013, and 2014 NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50.

Mr. Lynch earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and enjoys playing the piano, mandolin, and guitar. He lives in Washington, DC.

Nina Ozlu Tunceli

Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs, Americans for the Arts

Executive Director, Americans for the Arts Action Fund

Nina is both Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs at Americans for the Arts as well as the Executive Director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund. Since 1993, Nina has served as the chief policy strategist for Americans for the Arts’ federal, state, and local government and public affairs work, grassroots advocacy campaigns, policy development, and national coalition-building efforts with both cultural and civic organizations to advance the arts in America. In 2009, she spearheaded the very successful “Arts = Jobs” advocacy campaign that strategically secured $50 million of federal support for more than 7,000 arts jobs and millions of dollars more for arts infrastructure projects within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Nina produces several programmatic events annually, including National Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill; the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and the National Public Leadership in the Arts Awards, which are presented in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors.

Serving simultaneously as the executive director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund and its connected Political Action Committee, the only dedicated arts PAC in America, Nina mobilizes the political and legislative efforts of more than 420,000 citizen activists in advancing arts policy issues among legislators and candidates seeking federal public office.  She recently completed ArtsVote2012, culminating with high profile arts policy events at both the Republican National Convention in Tampa and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. She is a graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in French Literature, and of The University of Richmond School of Law with a J.D.  She is a member of the Virginia State Bar.

Ruby Lopez Harper

Vice President, Equity and Local Arts Engagement

Americans for the Arts

Mexican, Mother, Wife, Dancer, Photographer, Poet and Social Justice Warrior.

Ruby is the Vice President, Equity and Local Arts Engagement for Americans for the Arts. Her portfolio includes external equity strategies and field education, leadership development, local arts advancement, and cohort building for the local arts agency field, arts and culture administrators, and arts marketers. She is the chief architect of the National Arts Marketing Project Conference. She was selected as a 2019 Arizona State University Practices for Change Fellow. She was recognized as an 2019 Inspirational Woman (Arts Advocate) by “And I Thought” Women in Literature. She is a steering committee member for the National Coalition on Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response, serves as Chair of the Gard Foundation, serves on the board for the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (Grants Committee/Advocacy Committee) and serves on the WETA Community Advisory Council.

Ruby’s work has focused on equitable access, grantmaking, supporting individual artists, community development, economic development, cultural tourism, marketing and public art. She draws on a varied background that includes corporate affairs, community relations, volunteerism, employee engagement, marketing and communications, and business administration. She served on the Emerging Leaders Council for Americans for the Arts, was the primary contact for the Arts and Economic Impact Study for Central Ohio and recently served as a mentor with Arts Administrators of Color DMV. She is a 2017 National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Advocacy Leadership Institute Fellow, Class of 2017 American Express Leadership Academy Alum and Class of 2010 Next Generation of Leaders Fellowship program. 

Peter Gordon

Director of Federal Affairs

Americans for the Arts

Peter joined Americans for the Arts in January 2019. Prior to joining Americans for the Arts, Peter served as the Associate Director of Government Relations for the Council on Foundations, where he focused on tax policy and advocated on behalf of foundations on Capitol Hill. Before joining the Council, he was a Government Relations Specialist for the National Association of College Stores in Washington, DC. Previously, Peter worked on Capitol Hill in both the Senate, as a Staff Assistant for former Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL), and the House, as a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA).

Peter grew up in Massachusetts and holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and a BA in History and Political Science from Williams College. During college, he worked at the ’62 Center for Theater and Dance, where he developed a deep appreciation for the arts. Peter loves to visit museums and attend theater performances. He lives in DC with his wife, Corey, their daughter, Alex, and their son, Taylor.

Heather Noonan

Vice President for Advocacy, League of American Orchestras

Heather Noonan is the Vice President for Advocacy for the League of American Orchestras, the national service organization for the more than 1,600 orchestras in communities across the United States. From the League’s Washington, D.C. office, Heather represents orchestras to national policy leaders in the arenas of government arts funding, education reform, international cultural activity, and nonprofit and philanthropic policies, and leads the League’s efforts to communicate the public value of orchestras and to increase orchestras’ local advocacy capacity. Heather directs the League’s technical assistance to orchestras navigating the complex aviation and protected species rules related to travel with musical instruments, and represented global music interests in treaty negotiations at the 17th and 18th Conferences of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. She established and edits the League web site Artists from Abroad: The Complete Guide to Immigration and Tax Requirements for Foreign Guest Artists. Heather is the convener of the Cultural Advocacy Group, the working group of national arts, humanities, and cultural stakeholders that collaborate year-round to advance federal policy priorities.

Heather serves on the national advisory committee of the Arts Education Partnership, and has served on the boards of directors for the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras and the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning. Prior to joining the League in 1996, she was a legislative associate for the American Arts Alliance. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and studied art history at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.

Todd Dupler

Managing Director, Advocacy & Public Policy, the Recording Academy

Todd Dupler is the Managing Director, Advocacy & Public Policy for the Recording Academy, the organization internationally known for the annual GRAMMY Awards. In this role, Dupler works with Academy leadership to develop policy positions on issues affecting the music community, and represents the interests of the Academy’s members before Congress and federal agencies. In addition, he manages GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day and District Advocate, the Academy’s signature grassroots advocacy programs. Dupler also coordinates state and local advocacy with the Academy’s 12 regional chapters.

With over two decades of experience in Washington, D.C., Todd Dupler has extensive knowledge of Capitol Hill and the legislative process. He previously served as legislative director for Rep. Lamar Smith during Smith's tenure as chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. In this role, Dupler helped facilitate negotiations to reform copyright law and was a liaison to stakeholders in the creative industries.

Dupler also served on the legislative staff for Rep. Kevin Brady and Sen. Phil Gramm. In addition, he was a Presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Labor and has experience in state government. Dupler received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from Baylor University. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and serves on the board of the Texas State Society of Washington, D.C.

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COVID-19 Relief Package Policy Plenary Recorded

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