Chattanooga Resident Connie S. Weathers to be New Tennessee Arts Commission Secretary FY15-16

Connie S. Weathers of Chattanooga, Tennessee, will serve as the Tennessee Arts Commission Secretary beginning July 1, 2015. The Commission members unanimously voted for the new leadership during the quarterly meeting held in Nashville on June 10, 2015. Weathers will be joined in office by Chair, Stephanie Conner of Nashville and Vice-Chair, Lisa Bobango of Memphis.

“We are very pleased about the selection of Ms. Weathers as the incoming secretary,” says Anne B. Pope, Tennessee Arts Commission Executive Director. “We look forward to what her experience in the arts and dedication to her community will bring to both the Commission and Tennessee communities, through this leadership role.”

Weathers was appointed to the Tennessee Arts Commission by Governor Bill Haslam for a five-year term representing Congressional District 3 in 2011. This past year, she served on the Commission’s Allocations Committee and the Committee for the Governor’s Arts Awards.

A long-time community advocate, Weathers has served on numerous boards and participated in various societies. She was the president of the American Cancer Society of Hamilton County and was on the Tennessee State Board of the American Cancer Society. She has also been a member of the Memorial Auditorium Board of Directors.

She was commended for her decade of dedication to the Cancer Isn’t the End (C.I.T.E.) counseling program through the Patient Quality of Life Award. This award also recognized her for starting the “Look Good, Feel Better” program in Hamilton County. Weathers has also been named a “Distinguished Citizen” by the Hamilton County Commission.

“I have always found that the arts provide a great deal of vibrancy and sustainability to communities,” says Weathers, “Providing these opportunities to all citizens is a great service of the Commission, and I anticipate the opportunity to assist in the achievement of this goal.”

The Tennessee Arts Commission is a state arts agency whose mission is to cultivate the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and their communities. The Tennessee Arts Commission is governed by a 15-member board who are appointed by the Governor for a five-year term. The Commission meetings occur quarterly and are open to the public. More information about the Tennessee Arts Commission can be found at them website,  tnartscommission.org