The Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture (MPAC) is a nonprofit organization established in July 2004 to celebrate and recognize the region’s unique and diverse cultural tapestry, to promote and support arts and culture experiences that inspire all citizens, and to energize and advance the new economy of the region.

MPAC was created to implement the recommendations outlined by the Maricopa Regional Arts and Culture Task Force, a panel of leaders from the corporate, arts, public, educational and philanthropic sectors. Based on these findings, the group developed a regional vision and strategic blueprint for positioning arts and culture as a core component of a knowledge-based economy and a vital source of competitive advantage. Its recommendations were issued in May 2004 through a final report, Vibrant Culture-Thriving Economy.

The Flinn Foundation and The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust provided start-up grants of $217,600 each to assist with MPAC’s organizational launch, and have committed $3 million each over a three-year period to develop and implement the organization’s strategies and programs. MPAC is a 501(C)(3) public charity, and will utilize its funds to seed new programs and initiatives, strengthen existing regional efforts, and leverage funding partnerships to advance arts and culture in collaboration with the public and private sectors of the region.

MPAC has a 22-member board of directors, chaired by Mark Sklar, Managing Director of DMB Associates. Myra Millinger, former associate director of the Flinn Foundation and chair of the board of National Arts Strategies, was named its first president and CEO, effective October 1, 2004.

MPAC has selected three seasoned professionals to direct its core program areas. In March 2005, Myra Millinger, President and CEO, announced the appointments of Barbara Meyerson, Director of Education Programs; and Dolores Valdes Zacky, Director of Communications and Participation. In October 2005, Cynthia (Cyd) West was also appointed as Director of Research and Economic Partnerships.

Barbara Meyerson is the founding Executive Director of the Arizona Museum for Youth, a highly innovative and nationally respected fine art museum for young people, located in Mesa. She is also an adjunct faculty member in museum administration at Arizona State University. Ms. Meyerson’s leadership roles include participation on the board of directors of the American Association of Museums, president of the International Association of Children’s Museums, vice-president of Arizonans for Cultural Development, and member of the Maricopa Regional Arts and Culture Task Force. In 1992, she was the recipient of the Art Educator of the Year Award by the Arizona Art Education Association and in 1995, the Governor’s Arts Award for her contribution to the advancement of arts education in the State.

Dolores Valdés Zacky, is a pioneer in U.S. Hispanic advertising. In 1982 Ms. Valdés Zacky spearheaded J. Walter Thompson’s Hispania/West division, transforming a once fledgling division into a thriving profit center. In 1987, she founded her own full-service advertising agency, Valdès Zacky Associates specializing in Hispanic advertising which experienced a successful growth to $25+ million annual sales. More recently, she became the founder and president of In-Culture Communications, a PR and communications company specializing in museum branding. Dolores’ client roster has included many prestigious names including The Vons Companies, Universal Studios Hollywood, Mitsubishi Motors Sales of America, and The Latino Museum. Holding a Master of Arts Degree in Spanish Language and Literature from UCLA, Dolores has been named by AdWeek as one of the nation’s top four women in advertising, and received an award from Nancy Reagan for Drug Free America’s National TV Campaign.

Cyd West is an experienced senior manager from Arizona’s healthcare community. Mrs. West West has provided leadership as COO for NeuroSource, a national neuroscience consulting, research and management company, and most recently as CEO of Arizona’s Institute for Mental Health Research.  Throughout her career, Mrs. West has remained an active member of the nonprofit community and most recently founded the Downtown Phoenix Conservancy devoted to utilizing art and landscape to link disparate spaces throughout the downtown.  She has served as a director of numerous nonprofit boards in the arts and social services and is immediate past Board President for Childsplay, a nationally recognized theater company. At Washington State University, where she graduated with a degree in Communications/ Linguistics, she taught college-level courses in Public Speaking, Small Group Communications and Interpersonal Communications. Her husband, Gregory West, is an established Arizona artist.