Board of Directors

Nancy F. Colson
Auburn, WA - District 7
Nancy Colson is a real estate agent with Windermere Real Estate. She is a licensed real estate broker and is certified by the State of Washington as an instructor for real estate services. She is currently president of the Auburn Symphony Orchestra board, president of the Auburn Library board, and a member of the Auburn Valley YMCA board.

Ms. Colson served on the Interim Museum Planning Commission for the acclaimed White River Valley Museum, helping to manage the 1½-year transition of an all-volunteer operation to a professionally managed and curated museum; she then served on the museum board. She is past president of the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce, past president of Soroptimist International of Auburn, and past chairman of the Valley Cities Counseling & Consolation Capital Campaign. 

Bill Finkbeiner
Member-At-Large - Kirkland, WA - District 6
Former Senator Bill Finkbeiner held a Republican seat in the 45th Legislative District and is a property manager and small business owner. He has received recognition and awards including, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission Friends of Housing Award for dedication and commitment to affordable housing, 2004; Governor Gary Locke's Digital Education Task Force, 2003; The "Kristine" Award for embracing the mission of the KDK Guild with outstanding dedication & achievement, 2001; Food Allergy Network Marial C. Furlong Award for Making a Difference, 2000; Smart Tools Academy, 1999-2000.

Bill Finkbeiner is a current Board member of Hopelink Multi-Service Center and a former board member of the Cascade Land Conservancy. His Legislative leadership includes: Republican Leader, 2005; Majority Leader, 2004; Deputy Majority Leader, 2003; Assistant Republican Floor Leader, 1999-00. Elective Office experience includes: Senate, 1994, 1998, 2002; House of Representatives, 1992. He is involved in the following Standing and Legislative Committees: Transportation; Financial Institutions, Housing & Consumer Protections; Rules, 2005 NCSL Host Committee; Arts Commission; Council of State Governments - Executive Committee; Department Of Revenue Advisory Group On Simplified Sales And Use Tax Administration; Committee on Energy Supply; Horse Racing Commission; Member, Life Sciences Discovery Fund Board of Trustees.

Leonard Garfield
Seattle - District 2
Leonard Garfield is the Executive Director of the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle, where he is responsible for maintaining a collection of over 100,000 rare artifacts, 200,000 archival materials, 2 million vintage photographs, a major research library, a program of permanent and rotating exhibits, and extensive educational programs all related to the history of metropolitan Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

Before joining the museum, Garfield served as Manager of the King County Office of Cultural Resources from 1993-1999, managing the programs of the King County Arts Commission and the King County Landmarks & Heritage Commission. From 1985-1993, Garfield served as Historic Preservation Coordinator for the State of Washington, where he administered the National Register of Historic Places Program in Washington State and the Washington State Arts Stabilization Program.

Garfield previously worked for the State Historical Society of Wisconsin from 1978 to 1985, where he served as the state preservation historian. He is a trustee of the Washington Commission for the Humanities and former president of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, teaches historic preservation in the College of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Washington, and is a frequent writer and lecturer on architectural history.

Margaret Lowe
President - Bellevue, WA - District 6
Margaret Lowe is past director of operations for WorldStream Communication’s TalkSpot where she oversaw broadcast content and scheduling for three fully interactive webcasting channels, hired and trained staff, supervised graphic arts production, and was responsible for budgeting and other matters. She is currently vice chair (past chair) of the Bellevue Arts Commission and a member of both the Advance Bellevue board and the Bellevue Citizens Advisory Committee for Downtown Implementation Plan. She previously served on the Bellevue Performing Arts Center Advisory Committee and the Issaquah School District Music Advisory Committee.

Prior to her career in webcasting, Ms. Lowe was music coordinator for the Clovis (CA) Unified School District for nearly 20 years. She supervised general music and choral programs in 26 schools, developed curricula and workshops, and collaborated with art and drama departments to generate public support for arts. She has an M.S. degree in Education and a B.S. degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri (Columbia).

Louise Miller
Vice President - Woodinville, WA - District 3
The Honorable Louise Miller is past chair and vice chair of the King County Council and past chair of the Council's natural resources committee, which oversees matters related to culture. A six-term member of the state House of Representatives, she chaired the Arts, Tourism and Cultural Resources Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators. She is past chair of the King County Arts Commission and the Metro Arts Committee, and served on the Washington State Arts Commission for 10 years. She was appointed by Governor Gary Locke to the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Arts Funding and by President Bill Clinton to the Council on Arts Education Reform. She has served on the state granting panel for the National Endowment for the Arts.

Louise Miller has a B.A. degree in music from San Jose State University and attended graduate school at the University of Washington. She taught music in the Seattle schools and was a private music teacher for 17 years.

Skip Rowley
Bellevue, WA - District 3
George W. "Skip" Rowley is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rowley Properties, Inc. a third-generation, family-owned property management and development firm in Issaquah, founded in 1954. Skip's community involvement is unsurpassed. Skip is Chairman of the Board of Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE), Co-Chair of the Regional Transportation Leadership Group, and is a member of the Eastside YWCA Advisory Committee.

He is a Member of the Board of Directors of First Mutual Bank, Overlake Hospital, ArtsFund, and the Issaquah Historical Society. Previously Skip has served on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation, was Chairman and Founding Member of the East King County Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition, and was President of the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce. Skip's community service and corporate involvement awards include the 2005 Eastside Business Awards' Corporate Citizenship Award, 2004 Issaquah Schools Foundation Golden Apple Award, 2002 Environmental Excellence Award presented by the Association of Washington Businesses, 1996 Pacific Lutheran University "Best in the Northwest" Family Business Award, and Issaquah Citizen of the Year. Skip received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington.

Ron Sher
Medina, WA - District 6
Ron Sher has been instrumental in creating third places throughout the region, those community hubs outside of work and home offering the public a place to gather, browse, and relax. He is the northwest managing partner of Metrovation, founder of Metrovation Capital, Third Place Books, and Islander's Bank. He has developed and managed commercial real estate including Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue and Elliott Bay Book Company. Ron holds an MBA from Columbia University and Ph.D in Economics from Washington State University.

Sher is proud of is his commitment to creating and sustaining community. Crossroads Shopping Center is just one of several local examples of his efforts. He has been invited to speak and participate in the US Congress of Mayors; the American Association of Museums; the Sierra Club; the American Planning Association; Sustainable Seattle; National Endowment for the Arts; and the Urban Land Institute. He has served on the Mayor's Downtown Parks Task Force; the City of Seattle's Civic Center Programming Focus Group; the boards of the Project for Public Spaces; the Cascade Land Conservancy; and Youth Eastside Services. Currently, he is spearheading the formation of the Great Places Forum, an organization that aims to celebrate, inspire, propagate, and enhance community gathering places, big and small.

Dale Smith
Kent, WA - District 5
Dale Smith has been the Community Investment Manager Northwest Region for the Boeing Company since October of 2000. His responsibilities include community investments in the areas of Arts, Culture, Civic and Environment.

Mr. Smith has been active on Board and Committees and has encouraged community and philanthropic collaborations. He has represented The Boeing Company of the Neighbor to Neighbor Fund at the Seattle Foundation; Capacity Building Fund at Impact Capital; ArtsFund in King and Pierce counties; ArtsUnited in Snohomish County; Standing Ovation in East King County; the Cultural Council of Greater Tacoma Community Foundation; Cascade Dialogues advisory council; and the Puget Sound Regional Council's Properity Partnership initiative, among many others.

Prior to his current position at The Boeing Company, Mr. Smith has served in many other community-related roles at the Company, including Community Initiatives Manager (5/98-10/00); Community Loaned Executive, including a four month stint as the interim CFO of Cornish College (1/97-4/98); Process Architect for Information Support Services (1/96-12/96); and Lead Cost Accountant (6/88-12/95).

Paul Toliver
Seattle, WA - District 2
Paul Toliver, of Seattle, has been elected to his first term as Treasurer of 4Culture's Board. Toliver is a long time supporter and activist in the King County arts community. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Art Museum, the Chair of the Seattle Art Museum's African Arts Council, a member of the Seattle Art Museum's Contemporary Arts Council, a past chair and member of the Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas and a co-founder of the Seattle Jazz Offering (a community based organization dedicated to the preservation of the history of Northwest jazz legends and their music). Toliver served as Director of the Department of Transportation for King County, Director of Transit for Seattle Metro, and Deputy General Manager of Operations for the San Francisco Municipal Railway. As an entrepreneur, he has his own company, New Age Industries, which focuses on the marketing of new and emerging technologies.

Stephanie Toothman
Treasurer - Seattle, WA - District 2
A resident of Seattle, Stephanie Toothman was elected to serve as 4Culture's Board Secretary, having served previously as Treasurer and also as the Board's Executive Committee Member at Large. Toothman earned a Ph.D. in American Civilization from University of Pennsylvania in 1978. She is currently Chief, Cultural Resource Programs for the National Park Service (NPS) Pacific West Region. She has worked for the National Park Service in the Pacific Northwest since 1981. In addition to her thirty years experience working on programs to preserve cultural resources, Toothman serves on the 4Culture Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, and brings the Board a regional and national perspective on historic preservation issues. She was a member of the NPS team that negotiated an agreement with the City of Seattle and Historic Seattle to rehabilitate the historic Cadillac Hotel in Pioneer Square; and served on a Committee of the State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to develop the next five-year state historic preservation plan.

Bill True
Seattle, WA - District 2
Bill True is the Chairman of Gull Industries, until recently a petroleum wholesaler and retailer. Gull Industries is primarily an investment company today. Mr. True has been employed by Gull Industries, a family owned business, since high school.

He has a long history of civic participation, having served on numerous Boards and Advisory Committees at the local and national level. He is a founding member and former President of the Pike Place Market Foundation Board of Directors. Since 1982, he has been a Board member of the Henry Art Gallery, serving stints as Board President and Chairman. He will serve as a member of the national advisory board of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, which opens this year. He is a former Board member of the Seattle Art Museum, Empty Space Theatre and Artist Trust in Seattle. He is a former Board member of the Contemporary Committee of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

In May of 2004, Bill and his wife, Ruth, opened Western Bridge to exhibit and promote contemporary art.

Judith A. Whetzel
Vice President - Seattle, WA - District 4
Judith A. Whetzel was elected to a second term as 4Culture’s Board Vice-President.  Whetzel is a resident of Seattle, past Director of Annual Funds and Major Gifts for Pilchuck Glass School 1999-2001 and past Executive Director of PONCHO, 1981-1995.  She was the Lobbyist for Washington State Arts Advocates, 1979-1981.  Whetzel was an initator and organizer in securing a city of Seattle ordinance allocating 1% of capital construction funds for Art in Public Places and initiator and organizer for the state legislation allocating ½% of capital construction funds for Art in new Washington State buildings.

She currently serves on the board of Seattle Opera, on the Advisory Board of the Early Music Guild and is a co-chair of Saint Mark’s Cathedral Master Planning Task Force. Whetzel served from 1986-1996 as a committee member on The Arts Fund working with the National Arts Stabilization Fund to assist organizations in achieving operational stability and promoting a better understanding among donors and organizations of the financial needs and priorities of Arts organizations.  She was the founder/organizer of The Arts Roundtable.  Whetzel served on the Seattle Arts Commission and was a member/chair of the WA State Arts Commission.  She is a past chair of the board of the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, and on the board of Allied Arts of Seattle and on the board of the Seattle Center Foundation .  She served as a member of Task Forces for the Arts for Mayor Paul Schell, Mayor Charles Royer and Governor John Spellman.  Ms. Whetzel attended the University of Washington.