November 21, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … M. Lee Pelton, president of Willamette University, and the Reverend Michael W. Maslowsky of the Archdiocese of Portland are the newest members of the Oregon Symphony’s Board of Directors. Elected at the Symphony’s annual meeting, Pelton and Maslowsky join ex-officio members Paul Weddle, president of the Oregon Symphony Association in Salem and Dena Swanson, president of Friends of the Oregon Symphony, as additions to the board.
Pelton has a long history in academic administration. Before taking his current position, he was Dean of Dartmouth College after serving as a professor of English there for most of the 1990s. Pelton also serves on a number boards, including the American Association of Higher Education, the American Council on Education and the National Association of Independent Colleges. He also has lectured and written numerous articles on the issue of diversity in higher education.
Maslowsky is the director of several departments for the Archdiocese of Portland, including pastoral services, housing and Campus Ministries. He also is the pastor at St. Anthony parish and president of Village Enterprises, Inc. and Services for All Generations Enterprise, Inc., non-profit corporations which offer assisted living, care for people with Alzheimer’s disease, childcare and housing for seniors, students and families.
“Music is the graced encounter of human genius and divine inspiration,” said Maslowsky. “The Oregon Symphony makes it possible for everyone to experience that wondrous exchange. I hope my efforts will contribute to an expanded appreciation of the Symphony as our civic treasure.”
M. Lee Pelton said he sees the Symphony as one of Oregon’s greatest natural resources. “There are many Oregon treasures to delight and exhilarate us, and the Oregon Symphony is as much a part of this region's beauty as our breathtaking mountain and seascapes,” he said. “I am proud to be a part of the Oregon Symphony, one of the richest and most beautiful threads in Oregon’s cultural tapestry.”
Maslowsky and Pelton were elected to three-year terms. The current board focus is overseeing a two-year sustainability plan which includes delivering a balanced budget for the 2003 fiscal year through increased contributed and earned income and completing the search for a new Symphony president.
