July 13, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah McGreer
sarah@maaa.org

Mid-America Arts Alliance Elects Carol L. Ritchie to Board of Directors

Mid-America Arts Alliance has announced the appointment of Carol L. Ritchie, of Wichita, Kans., to its board of directors.

Ritchie, a longtime Wichita resident and active volunteer, is a current member and former president of the Junior League of Wichita. She is a supporter of the Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum and has served on the boards of the Wichita Symphony and the Wichita Art Museum.

“Carol's leadership in the arts and humanities in her community and her region make her an ideal member of our board of directors,” says Mary Kennedy McCabe, Executive Director of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Ritchie’s other involvements include the Camp Wood YMCA board and capital campaign committee, in Elmdale, Kans., and the Women Philanthropists for the University of Kansas advisory board, in Lawrence, Kans.

“I admire Mid-America Arts Alliance’s mission to bring cultural experiences to the people of our region,” said Ritchie. “As I’ve learned more about their programs, I’ve truly developed an appreciation for their mission to reach underserved communities in Kansas and in the other member states.”

A graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in music education, Ritchie has served as KU Alumni Association board chair (1999-2000). She and her husband, Scott, have three children.

Other Kansas board members include Carolyn Dillon, a civic leader from Hutchinson; Donald A. Johnston, President of INTRUST Bank, Lawrence; Judy Langley, Vice Chair of the Kansas Arts Commission, Hutchinson; Carl McCaffree, President of Columbian Financial Corporation, Shawnee Mission; Judith Sabatini, photographer from Topeka; and David M. Wilson, Executive Director of the Kansas Arts Commission, Topeka.

The mission of Mid-America Arts Alliance is to enrich communities through cultural experiences. Founded in 1972, Mid-America Arts Alliance is a nonprofit regional arts organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. It is governed by a board of directors drawn from its partner states of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Major support is for Mid-America Arts Alliance is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, participant state arts agencies, and leading foundations and corporations. For further information, visit the Web site at www.maaa.org.

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