2012 Creative Leadership Award Recipients

In October 2012 the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation announced the first recipients of the Creative Leadership Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations embodying "Bright Spots Principles":

• A clear purpose and compelling vision
• Commitment to their greater communities
• The ability to realistically assess circumstances and see possibilities where others do not
• Flexibility about how to realize their mission
• Transparent leadership in their organizations

The awardees were Sandra Jackson-Dumont, deputy director of education and public programs at Seattle Art Museum, and Deidre Holmberg, principal at Delta High School in Richland, Washington. Also honored were Literary Arts and Portland YouthBuilders, both in Portland, Oregon. Each awardee's nonprofit organization received $50,000 from the Foundation.

The awardees were selected from 134 nominations made through a public process and open to individuals and organizations in five northwest states.

"We were looking for organizations that are successfully adapting in light of financial and other challenges that face many nonprofits," said Susan M. Coliton, vice president of The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. "They have found ways to thrive in this new environment by taking risks."

"Creative leadership is an orientation that says nothing is too precious to change, or too difficult to tackle, as long as it advances your mission and enables you to serve your goals," Coliton said.

		Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Deputy Director of Education & Public Programs of Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, Washington) Sandra Jackson-Dumont, who came to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) in 2006, is regarded as a bold, original curator of participatory art experiences for people of all ages. To engage young people who want to invent and share experiences, Sandra produces programs that blend the intellectual and creative with the social. READ MORE...
		Deidre Holmberg, Principal at Delta High School (Richland, Washington) Delta is a public high school funded by three local school districts with supplemental funding from local private/public partnerships. Deidre Holmberg has been part of this successful initiative since she joined the Core Planning Team as a science teacher representative in 2008. She successfully coordinates and nurtures the challenging and sometimes conflicting agendas of these three school districts, while at the same time building relationships to ensure that Delta High School students have experiential opportunities in the field. READ MORE...
		Literary Arts (Portland, Oregon) Literary Arts has thrived amidst the economic downturn by focusing on mission alignment across all of its programs and reinventing itself as a community literary center. Instead of simply scheduling more events, it chose to reallocate resources to sustain and bolster its mission. READ MORE...
		Portland YouthBuilders (Portland, Oregon) In the midst of a major downturn in the construction industry and in a state with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, Portland YouthBuilders (PYB) has positioned itself to weather the economic headwinds and benefit when the economy improves. READ MORE...