The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently announced the appointment of Patrice Walker Powell as the agency’s acting chairman. In this position, she will provide oversight for agency grant-making and day-to-day agency operations and supervise administrative activities. She assumed the role on January 29. Former-NEA Chair Dana Gioia announced last September he would be leaving the post in January 2009.

In 2008, Powell was appointed deputy chairman for states, regions, and local arts agencies. In that role, Powell is responsible for managing the agency’s grants and special projects involving a national network of governmental and nonprofit partners; small grant programs such as Challenge America Fast-Track; and the NEA’s AccessAbility activities that are also carried out in conjunction with state and regional organizations. Powell has been a staff member at the NEA since 1991.