Contact: Joshua Russell
Director of Communications & Emerging Initiatives
jrussell@1stact.org
408-200-2020 ext. 104

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

1stACT Silicon Valley Names Three Visionary Leaders to its Board of Directors

San Jose, CA, October 22, 2008 - 1stACT Silicon Valley, a network of business, civic and arts leaders working to improve the cultural vibrancy and aesthetic quality of life of Silicon Valley, has named the following three community leaders to its Board of Directors:

James MacGregor, Publisher, Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - James MacGregor became Publisher of the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal last September. Prior to that he was the Advertising Director with the San Francisco Business Times, an affiliate publication. James is a native of Toronto and graduated from Bishop's University in 1991. From 1995-1997 James worked for Rogers Broadcasting. He later joined Pattison Outdoor and then Obie Media where he became their Sales Manager on Vancouver Island. In 1999 he was transferred to St. Louis where he ran their operations in St. Louis and, later, in Kansas City. In 2002 he joined the San Francisco Business Times as Advertising Director. During his tenure, the paper grew its local advertising revenue by an average of 15 percent per year. James has been married to Oriana for nine years and they have a 15 month old daughter, Stella. They live in Willow Glen.

Karen Nagy, Assistant Vice President for the Arts, Stanford University - Karen Nagy was appointed Assistant Vice President for the Arts in April 2008. In this newly created role, she will help lead the Stanford Arts Initiative. Karen came to Stanford in 1986 to head the Music Library and Archive of Recorded Sound. She played a key role in planning and internal project management for the renovation of the Bing Wing of Green Library, which opened in the Fall of 1999 after a ten-year closure following the Loma Prieta Earthquake. From 2001 to 2008 she was the Executive Dean for the School of Humanities and Sciences. Additionally, she has spoken and published in the area of managing change in the academic environment. Kären served on the University Management Group and she is also on the Provost's Budget Advisory Group.  She has been on the core planning team for the University Arts Initiative and in that capacity is currently leading the effort to complete an Arts Facilities Master Plan for the University.

Carmen Sigler, Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, San Jose State University - In her capacity as Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Sigler provides leadership to the Division of Academic Affairs at San Jose State University which includes seven colleges, the University Library, and administrative offices such as Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies and Research, International and Extended Studies, Institutional Research, Faculty Affairs, Academic Technology, and the SJSU Research Foundation. As an active member of the community, Provost Sigler serves on the Board of Trustees of Montalvo Center for the Arts, Opera San Jose, and the Knight Foundation's San Jose Community Advisory Committee and is the Board Chair of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. She is a commissioner for WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and is a member of American Leadership Forum Class XIX.

Other members of the Board include: Bruce Chizen, former CEO, Adobe; Ned Barnholt, Chariman Emeritus and former President/CEO, Agilent Technologies; Hsing Kung, Acorn Campus Ventures; Rich Braugh, Senior Vice President, UBS; and Steve McCray, General Counsel, Hoge Fenton.

"In order to achieve 1stACT Silicon Valley's vision of making the region look and feel equal to the richness of our diversity and entrepreneurial spirit, we need a visionary Board of leaders," said Bruce Chizen, president of the 1stACT Silicon Valley Board of Directors. "Carmen, Karen and James are a welcome addition to the organization as we move toward this collective vision."

ABOUT 1stACT SILICON VALLEY
1stACT Silicon Valley is a network of cross-sector leaders who care about the cultural and aesthetic quality of life in Silicon Valley. We are working collectively to build: 1) and authentic sense of place that fuels community pride and investment; 2) a quality of mix of creative experiences that foster community, cross-cultural understanding and innovation; and 3) a cultural and aesthetic quality of life that attracts and inspires a creative workforce. For more information, visit www.1stact.org.