JULIE A. RICHARD

Treasurer and Secretary

Julie Richard is the Executive Director of the Maine Arts Commission. Previously she held the position of President & CEO of the West Valley Arts Council in the West Valley of Phoenix, Arizona. Before that she was the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Arts Council in Greenville, South Carolina. She is noted for her ability to take organizations to the next level and has done that wherever she has worked. Julie earned BS degrees in Psychology and Music (Voice) and a MA in Business (Arts Administration) all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previous positions include managing director of Tulsa Opera in Tulsa, Oklahoma; managing director of Syracuse Opera in Syracuse, New York; executive director of the Cayuga Community College Foundation in Auburn, New York; and director of external relations at the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust in Oak Park, Illinois. She has extensive experience in development, strategic planning, arts education and organizational development. Julie was a member of Valley Leadership’s Class XXXI and a past chair and member of the National Arts Education Council for Americans for the Arts. She was most recently a member of the WESTMARC Board of Directors, the City of Avondale’s Municipal Arts Committee, the AZ Citizens/Action for the Arts Board of Directors, and the City of Surprise’s Arts & Culture Board. She was also on the research committee for AZ Town Hall. Her past board service includes the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau, South Carolina Arts Alliance, the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Greater Syracuse, Junior League of Syracuse, and the National Society of Fund Raising Executives (CNY Chapter).

SEVERIN M. BELIVEAU

Board Member

Severin is one of Maine's best-known attorneys and has significant experience in legislative and regulatory issues. He is a founding partner of Preti Flaherty and directs the firm's Government Affairs practice in Augusta, ME and Washington, D.C. His practice also involves public issues, environmental projects and international trade.Severin's private practice experience as a legal generalist, along with his work in public practice, the Maine Legislature and the U.S. Congress, make him uniquely qualified as a litigator concentrating in regulatory law and project development. His comprehensive understanding of every financing and regulatory agency in Maine allows him to employ creative, nontraditional legal solutions to problems by effecting changes in law as an alternative to litigation.Throughout his career, Severin has been a leader in national and international organizations, giving him perspectives that transcend state boundaries. As a former director of the bipartisan American Council of Young Political Leaders, he helped promote cultural and political exchange programs among NATO countries and Eastern Europe. His work took him to Moscow, Leningrad, Riga and Tbilisi in the former Soviet Union. He also served on political leadership committees dealing with U.S.-Canadian relations, European security, the environment and technological change.Severin was born in Rumford to a distinguished family of Maine lawyers and judges. His father, Albert J. Beliveau, Sr., was a justice of the Maine Supreme Court. His grandfather, Matthew McCarthy, served as the first municipal court judge in Rumford. His uncle, William E. McCarthy, was a Superior Court judge. His brother, Albert J. Beliveau, Jr., was Oxford County Judge of Probate and is a Member of Preti Flaherty.