Resume
DEBORAH M. SEMER
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
Atmosphere Artist Management & Consulting LLC
Owner, August 2004 – present
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/207012_tf210.html
• Artist management and consulting company representing musicians, fine artists, music businesses and not-for-profits.
• Founder of Operation Ward 57, a national volunteer support effort for amputee Service Members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In partnership with the Think Big Foundation. www.operationward57.org
Pacific Northwest Chapter of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Executive Director, November 1998 – April 2004
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002178859_grammy13.html
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Feb/13/il/il01a.html
“Deborah Semer took us from being a very small branch in the hinterlands to being a fully fledged chapter with as much power as the other chapters in the rest of the country,” -Seattle studio owner Glenn Lorbecki, who served as chapter president.
- This organization is internationally known for presenting music’s highest honor, the GRAMMY Awards. It is a 501c6 membership organization with two 501c3 charitable arms, the GRAMMY Foundation (music education programs) and the MusiCares Foundation (musician emergency fund). As Executive Director I worked on behalf of all three organizations in the PNW.
- Managed two FT employees, an intern program, a 15-20 member Board of Governors that included two national Trustees, 6-10 standing and ad-hoc committees and a paid membership base of 700 music businesses/artists. Territory covered the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, ID, MO), state of Hawaii and British Columbia. Chapter operating budget approximately $285K, programming budget approximately $200K. Produced 15-35 annual events throughout the region and a quarterly newsletter.
- Primary objectives: increase membership, produce high-profile, innovative programming, local and national advocacy, sponsorship development, cultivate and grow leadership and volunteers, increase organization visibility, develop community partnerships.
- Key accomplishments: recruited and retained the highest profile musicians and industry players in the PNW, created the first Hawaiian Music GRAMMY category, successfully lobbied Mayor Greg Nickels and Seattle City Council to create a city music office to promote the music industry during a years-long budget crunch, worked within the new music office to create the first Seattle music industry economic impact study, achieved National Chapter status by increasing membership from 200 to over 750, launched the first annual IMPACT Awards, which the Seattle PI deemed, “the most stylish and well-produced event of its kind in Seattle’s history”, successfully lobbied the Seattle City Council to overturn the Teen Dance Ordinance – an 18 year-old anti-business law, established the ongoing annual NW Studio Summit, increased the profile of the MusiCares foundation in the region to have the most activity per membership ratio in the country.
The Millionair Club Charity
Program Manager, 1992 – November 1998
- An 85-year old 501c3 charity that helps the homeless with employment, food, clothing and shelter. Throughout my tenure I served in several positions; counselor to clients, job readiness/employment specialist, created a Women and Family Center, ended with doing special projects for the Executive Director; developed and implemented a client survey, revamped policies and procedures and fundraised.
CITY OF SEATTLE VOLUNTEER HISTORY
The Seattle Arts Commission
Arts Commissioner, Chair of Education Committee, 2003 – present, Vice Chair 2007
http://www.seattlechannel.org/news/detail.asp?ID=4922&Dept=28
- Appointed by Mayor Greg Nickels to serve one two-year term, with a second reappointment in 2005 and a third in 2007. Main objective as Chair of Education Committee is to work closely with community organizations, Seattle Public School District and the State’s Superintendent of Public Instruction to reestablish quality arts education in Seattle Public Schools. Key accomplishments: created an annual “State of the Arts Education” public forum with key stakeholders, created an election-year public forum for Seattle School Board Candidates Forum, submitted arts education goals into the SPS 5-year plan which were adopted by the School Board in 2005.
Seattle Office of Film and Music
Advisory Board Member, 2004 –2006
- Worked through my position at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to establish this office. The official launch of the office was held at our annual GRAMMY Awards night party. Key accomplishments include creating a branding slogan for the music industry, creating a tourist and marketing tool, “the Seattle Music Map”, partnering with for and non-profit businesses and organizations to create the first organized City of Seattle presence at the most important music industry conference in the nation, SXSW.
Mayor’s Economic Opportunity Task Force
Music Industry Representative, 2002
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/mayor/issues/pdf/EOTFreport_June02.pdf
- Newly elected Mayor Greg Nickels assembled leaders from 38 industries along with government and labor to develop an action agenda for Seattle’s economy within his first six months in office. This was the first time the music industry had a seat at the economic table.
Executive Master’s in Not-For-Profit Leadership, Seattle University, 1997
Bachelor of Arts, Western Washington University and Fairhaven College, 1992