John Lloyd Young Appointed to President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

President Barack Obama appointed seven new members of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. They will join 30 other private members appointed by the President and twelve federal representatives, whose agencies have cultural programs such as the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, U.S. Department of Education, the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Supreme Court with Justice Kagan presiding.

The President's Committee's commitment to cultural philanthropy, and its success in engaging the private and public sector, is made possible by the expertise and leadership of its members, who embody and represent the diverse elements of this nation's interdependent system of support for the arts and the humanities.

The new members include:

Stephanie Cutter, Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Stephanie Cutter is a Partner and co-founder of Precision Strategies and a host of CNN's Crossfire. Previously, she was Deputy Campaign Manager for Obama for America. Ms. Cutter worked at the White House from 2010 to 2012, first as Assistant to the President for Special Projects and then as Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor. She was Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama during the 2008 Obama for America campaign. Ms. Cutter founded the Cutter Media Group in 2006, and previously served as a senior advisor to Senators Harry Reid and Edward M. Kennedy, and as Communications Director for Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign. She serves on the boards of Organizing for Action, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. Ms. Cutter received a B.A. from Smith College and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Janet Keller, Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Janet Keller is the founder of Keller Consultants, a company she started in 1990 to provide strategic and fundraising advice to candidates and campaigns. She has been involved in politics and public policy for three decades at the local, state, and federal levels. In 2012, she served as a member of the Obama for America National Finance Committee. She was also a member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee, the Women's Leadership Forum, and was appointed by former Governor GRay Davis to represent San Diego on the California Regional Water Quality Control Board from 2000 to 2006. Ms. Keller received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of San Diego.

Kerry JameS Marshall, Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Kerry JameS Marshall is an independent artist with solo and group exhibitions, public projects, and public collections displayed in museums around the United States, including the National Gallery of Art. He works across a broad range of media, including painting, photography, video, sculpture, performance, and installations. He was a tenured professor at the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago until 2006. Mr. Marshall worked as production designer for the feature films Daughters of the Dust and Sankofa. In 1997, he received a MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He is a board member of the advisory board of the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Tiffany Foundation, and previously served on the advisory board of the Artadia Foundation. Mr. Marshall received a B.F.A. from the Otis Arts Institute.

Kalpen Suresh Modi, Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Kalpen Suresh Modi is an actor, writer, and producer. From 2009 to 2011, he was an Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement at the White House, serving as liaison to Young Americans, the Arts, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Before joining the White House, Mr. Modi worked as an artist and actor in Los Angeles and New York, and was also an Adjunct Lecturer in Asian American Studies, Film Studies, and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Obama for America National Arts Policy Committee in 2008 and as a National Campaign Co-Chair in 2012. Mr. Modi received a B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles.

Caroline "Kim" Taylor, Appointee for Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Caroline "Kim" Taylor is currently a Trustee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which encompasses the Tanglewood Music Center and the Boston Pops. During her 30-year tenure with the organization, she has held various positions including Senior Manager and Director of Public Relations and Marketing. She has performed as a singer with her husband, James Taylor, at venues around the world and acted in regional theater, television, and film. Earlier in her career, she was a freelance writer for the Boston Globe and Boston Magazine. Ms. Taylor received a B.A. in English Literature from Smith College.

Andrew J. Weinstein, Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Andrew J. Weinstein is the Managing Partner at the Weinstein Law Firm, a position he has held since 1996. He is a member of the Florida Panthers Advisory Board, the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice, and the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association Board. Mr. Weinstein is also Finance Chair of the Democratic Party of Florida. In 2011, he was listed among the Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine, and he has been named a Florida Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine. Mr. Weinstein received a B.A. from the University of Central Florida and a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University.

John Lloyd Young, Member, President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

John Lloyd Young is an actor and singer. He originated the role of "Frankie Valli" in the Broadway hit Jersey Boys from 2005 to 2007, and reprised that role in 2013. He has held lead roles in Spring Awakening, The Chosen, and Les Miserables. He has performed in venues across the country with guest appearances on television shows including Glee in 2009 and Vegas in 2013. Mr. Young won a Tony award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2006 for his work in Jersey Boys, and received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World awards. He has been involved with charitable organizations such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, AIDS Project Los Angeles, amfAR, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the United Service Organization. Mr. Young received a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Brown University.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos