Georgia Appoints New Leaders To State Positions In Arts, Music, Entertainment

ATLANTA, July 5, 2011—Three top positions in the arts and entertainment industries in Georgia have been filled by new leaders, the Georgia Department of Economic Development announced today.  Lee Thomas, former interim director of the agency's Film, Music and Digital Entertainment division has been promoted to Director. In addition, Lisa Love, formerly director of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, becomes Director of Music Marketing and Development for the state. Both appointments were effective July 1, 2011. Also on July 1, the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) moved under the GDEcD's operational umbrella on that date and its interim director, Karen L. Paty was named Director by Gov. Nathan Deal. The GCA's alignment with Georgia's economic development agency was legislated by House Bill 264, and recommended by Gov. Deal as an enhancement of the state's cultural identity and a way to tie together the arts with tourism and entertainment endeavors, both housed in Department of Economic Development. 'These are three very experienced, highly qualified people who are deeply rooted in their respective fields. Their insights and the partnerships they've developed will be a huge asset to Georgia,' said Commissioner Chris Cummiskey. 'These changes are important steps in fulfilling the Governor's vision to not only increase the number of jobs within the arts and entertainment industries, but to grow our cultural assets around the state that are so important to the quality of life companies seek.' Lee Thomas has extensive education and experience in the film industry and has been with the Department for 15 years as a locations specialist and as interim head of the division. She has assisted hundreds of productions and helped facilitate the dramatic rise in film productions generated by the Entertainment Industry Investment Act of 2008. Georgia is now among the top five states in the nation for film and TV production, with an economic impact this year of more than $2.1 billion, up from $244 million in 2007. Thomas received a B.A. in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Georgia and a Master's in Film Studies from Georgia State University. She also attended the Tisch School of the Arts Doctoral Program in Cinema Studies at New York University. As Director of Music Marketing and Development for the state, Lisa Love will assist in the retention, expansion, development and growth of Georgia's music industry. Love served the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in various capacities over the past 13 years, including the position of Executive Director for the past five. During her tenure, the museum received numerous awards, including Museum Exhibition of the Year from the Georgia Association of Museum and Galleries for the 'Otis Redding: I've Got Dreams to Remember' exhibit. Love is also the founding editor of Georgia Music Magazine, a quarterly publication celebrating the state's legends, landmarks and unsung heroes. A graduate of Valdosta State University, she has worked in music and tourism throughout her career and is a member of Georgia Music Partners, the Atlanta chapter of the Recording Academy, the Country Music Association and the National Association of Recording Industry Professionals. Karen L. Paty has been promoted to director of Georgia Council for the Arts. Since 2004, Paty has worked with the Arts Council in successive positions as program manager, grants director and interim director, and has been responsible for developing policies and procedures as well as analyzing grantee and organizational performance to ensure the Council's compliance with all state mandates and federal reporting requirements. Paty has been involved in the arts and community development in New York and Atlanta for more than 15 years. She has written several publications instrumental to the nonprofit arts community, such as the Arts Council Development Handbook. Prior to her position at GCA, she was Associate Director of Civic Engagement at Hands On Atlanta. Paty holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Metropolitan Studies from New York University, where she was a recipient of the university's President's Award for Service. About GDEcD The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts events and location for art, film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.