TN Arts Welcomes FY18 Executive Committee
From Anne B. Pope, Executive Director –
It is always an honor to work with the Commission Board members who govern this agency. Each member is appointed by the Governor to serve a five-year term. At the quarterly Commission meeting on May 31, the Board cast a unanimous vote on those who will fill the leadership positions for fiscal year 2018. They are Chair, Ritche Bowden; Vice-Chair, Steve Bailey; and Secretary, Andrea Loughry.
Chair Ritche Manley Bowden was appointed to the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2013. She has served as Chair of the committee for Allocations and also served on the Governor’s Arts Awards for the Commission.
Ritche is currently a network relations specialist with Amerigroup. She previously served as the Administrator of the Mid-South Gastroenterology Group and the chief operating officer for Colonics of Memphis.
As a community leader, Ritche has numerous philanthropic involvements. To share a few, she has served on the University of Arkansas National Alumni Association Board of Directors, Memphis Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, Lausanne Collegiate School Board of Directors and as a member of the University of Memphis Alumni Association. She has taken part in the National Civil Rights Museum “Keepers of the Dream” Campaign Steering Committee and has served as co-chair of the Special Gifts Division for St. Mary’s Capital Campaign, 2004-2005.
Ritche currently serves on the board of Tennesseans for the Arts and as Vice-President of the University of Arkansas Black Alumni Association.
Ritche received her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a master of business administration, with an emphasis in health care economics, from the University of Memphis.
Vice-Chair Steve Bailey was appointed for a five-year term to the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2014.
Steve is on the board of the Knoxville Museum of Art. Having previously served as board chair, he is now chair of the Finance Committee and the Foundation Board. He is also active at St. John’s Cathedral in Knoxville, where he serves on the Chapter.
A University of Tennessee-Knoxville graduate, Steve started his private business, Volunteer Lumber Sales, in 1979. He lives in Knoxville with his wife Ann. They have three children.
Secretary Andrea Loughry was appointed for a five-year term to the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2014.
Andrea is Secretary of the Jones Foundation, serves on the Siegel Foundation Board and on the Board of Trustees for The First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro. She also currently chairs the Ned Ray McWherter Institute at UT Martin and is President Emeritus of Miller-Loughry-Beach, one of the largest insurance agencies in Middle Tennessee.
A graduate of The University of Tennessee, she taught for 10 years at MTSU and then opened an independent insurance agency. She later became the founding chair of the Mind2Marketplace, an organization dedicated to bringing the best and brightest ideas in Middle Tennessee to reality. Andrea is also former Vice-Chair of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and former Chair of the UT Foundation. She served as the first female chair of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and has been selected as one of its Business Legends.
Andrea currently lives in Murfreesboro with her husband of 46 years, Ed Loughry. They have two children and seven grandchildren.
We are very excited to see what will be accomplished during this upcoming year of new leadership.
On behalf of the staff, I would like to extend a warm and heartfelt thank you to the FY17 Executive Board: Chair Lisa Bobango, Vice-Chair Ritche Bowden and Secretary Jan Ramsey. With their leadership, the Commission accomplished many projects and goals.
