LUFKIN, TEXAS: This fall, Angelina Arts Alliance announced, in partnership with the City of Lufkin, a one-year planning initiative to acertrain readiness and ability to achieve a state designated cultural district for Downtown Lufkin. The next step in the process is the creation of an advisory committee for this purpose.

Today, Angelina Arts is pleased to reveal that a dynamic group of over 40 community leaders, downtown stakeholders and arts supporters have stepped forward to serve. The advisory committee is co-chaired by Jason Arnold, on behalf of the City of Lufkin, Becca Chance and Sally Alvis, on behalf of the Angelina Arts Alliance. Members of the advisory committee are:

Jane Ainsworth

Jennifer Allen

Sally Alvis

Jason Arnold

Aruna Bachireddy

Adele Becker

Guessippina Bonner

Anne Brookshire

Nicole Carter

Joseph Ceasar

Becca Chance

Taylor Commiato

Dr. Tom Crowley

Brenda Elliott

Bruce Green

Darin Hamaker

John Handley

Savannah Haney

Patrick Haney

Andrew Harbuck

Holly Henderson

Staci Hodges

Jacqui Johnston

Jennifer LaCorte

Allyson Langston

Brant Lee

Gene Lee

Sarah Levine

Jeanelle McCall

Melinda Moore

Roy Reyes

Wynn Rosser

Bob Samford

Robert Shankle

Harry Stafford

Wes Taylor

Emily Thornton

GG Tiemann

Troy Tiemann

Britany Vinson

Tara Watson Watkins

Rebecca West

Jackie Zimmerman

“There is a gaping hole in East Texas where the closest cultural district is more than 90 miles away,” states Angelina Arts Executive Director Jennifer Allen. Allen continues, “There is a real opportunity here to leverage the arts to drive cultural and economic development.”

The advisory committee will meet formally in January for the first time. The partnership is funded by a generous $33,000 grant from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation.