Obama Appointments George Stevens Jr., Margo Lion, Mary Schmidt Campbell to Arts and Humanities Committee

President Obama announced today that veteran film and television producer and playwright George Stevens, Jr. and Broadway Producer Margo Lion will serve as Co-chairs to the Committee of the Humanities and the Arts. Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean at Tisch School of the Arts, will serve as Vice-Chair.

The purpose of the Committee is the encourage and promote private investment in the arts. First Lady Michelle Obama serves as an honorary board member.

George Stevens, Jr. is most well known for founding the American Film Institute in Los Angeles and producing the annual television broadcasts including the Kennedy Center Honors and American Film Institute Presents. He is the author of the acclaimed Broadway show, THURGOOD. He is the son of Oscar Award-winning director George Stevens.

Margo Lion is a seasoned Broadway producer whose credits include ANGELS IN AMERICA, HAIRSPRAY (the film of which she also produced), CAROLINE OR CHANGE, RADIO GOLF, THE WEDDING SINGER, and the upcoming CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, which had its recent premiere in Seattle. Combined, her productions have won 20 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize.

Mary Schmidt Campbell, Dean of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts since 1991 has also served as the New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs (1987 - 1991). She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and sits on the boards of The American Academy in Rome, the New York Shakespeare Festival, and the United Nations International School. She holds honorary degrees from The College of New Rochelle, Colgate University, City University of New York, and Pace University.