Miller will be stepping into the position of executive director, held by Gaye Evans for 14 years. Miller has served as the development director of ACF for the past three years, and as the interim director since Gaye’s departure in June of 2011. In her time as development director she raised more than $540,000 to support social justice work in Central Appalachia. Miller is a daughter of Appalachia, born and raised in East Tennessee, grew up in Knoxville, graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in broadcast communications. Miller remained in Knoxville after graduation working as a community organizer, facilitator, project director and administrator for a number of key social justice organizations, including the Highlander Research and Education Center, the Southern Partnership Fund, Project Change, the Southern Rural Development Initiative, Amnesty International and the Kellogg Foundation. In addition to these affiliations, Miller has worked extensively with cultural activism and artistic expression of Appalachia. Through her work with the Carpetbag Theatre, a professional, multigenerational ensemble group committed to keeping the black experience alive in American theater, and her involvement with national groups like Alternative Roots and the National Performance Network, Miller has developed a deep commitment to art as a powerful tool for organizing and uniting communities. Darryl Cannady, ACF Board Chair says “We are excited to announce the appointment of Ms. Miller as Executive Director, her enthusiastic charm, her ability to cultivate donors, and her leadership makes for a great executive director. We look forward to the future of ACF and the challenges of a changing Appalachia and we are sure that Ms. Miller will face those challenges with insight, fairness, and an overall love for the work she does in social justice and community change.”

Margo Miller has been named Development Director of ACF. "It's my desire to make a positive difference and change through my work here and to be back in Appalachia where I was born and raised" Miller said.A cultural activist who sees art as a powerful tool for organizing and uniting communities, Miller brings a passion for social justice and cultural activism to her new role with ACF. In the Knoxville area, she worked for several years as a professional actor and arts administrator for the Carpetbag Theatre, a professional multigenerational ensemble company. Miller is excited to be back in Appalachia and working for ACF. "I'm grateful to be back in the community that has played such an important role in shaping my views, and I'm proud to work with an organization that is supporting systemic change in this region I call home."

Board Member, Executive Committee, Annual Meeting Stage manger and Photographer

Since the Network formed in 2010, it has created the space and support for relationships to grow, common analysis and vision to develop, and collaborations to form. It has generated five working groups that build community capacity, leverage resources into the region, advance food and agriculture systems, promote clean energy and protect natural resources, and support a culture of health. Members recognize that the more relationships, common analysis, and vision we have, the more we can align our strategies to make lasting impact on the root cause challenges holding back the region from greater prosperity.

The Art x Culture x Social Justice Network believes that art and culture advances social justice by inspiring collective action across identities, issues, sectors, geographies, and power imbalances. The network is unique in bringing together artists, activists, cultural bearers, and philanthropists.Visit our website for more information about the network, our blog, and other resources: artculturejustice.org.Our structures and practices draw on the work of June Holley in the Network Weaver Handbook. Like Holley, we believe that to change systems, people need to work together in new ways. Our network brings together participants across a broad range of art forms and cultural expressions to create effective and respectful change-making collaborations.Please share the information and inspiration you find here with partners and allies creating positive and inclusive social change. We believe change happens through building relationships, self-organizing and working together on achievable action goals with high impact.Our facebook group is a space for people working at these intersections to connect and share information and resources. https://www.facebook.com/groups/artculturejustice/

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