Poetry Foundation Appoints New Trustee
CHICAGO, June 11, 2019—The Poetry Foundation, an independent literary organization and publisher of Poetry magazine, appoints a new board member, Andrea Wishom, president of Skywalker Holdings, LLC. A storyteller for her two-decade career, Wishom produced people-driven programming for Oprah at Harpo Productions, and explores grand themes at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
“Andrea Wishom understands that arts institutions must continually evolve if they wish to build strong legacies,” said Henry Bienen, Poetry Foundation president. “Her commitment to dynamic stories and human connections, in Chicago and beyond, is a great strength, and we are excited to work alongside her to promote and celebrate poetry.”
Wishom leads Skywalker Holdings, LLC, and serves as vice president of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a groundbreaking institution focused on visual storytelling, art, and film. Before joining Skywalker in 2015, Wishom worked for Harpo Productions for 22 years, beginning on The Oprah Winfrey Show and later for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. As an executive at OWN, she helped to grow the company into its own cable network with projects like Oprah’s Next Chapter, a globetrotting interview program, and Super Soul Sunday, which won a GLAAD award for the interview with Janet Mock.
Wishom brings her expertise in supporting impactful expressions of the human experience to the Poetry Foundation.
“Poetry is personal to me; I fell in love with it as an English major at Berkeley, and now share a love of poems with my children,” said Wishom. “There’s a recent wave of fresh energy around and accessibility to poetry, and I’m excited to support the work of the Poetry Foundation to continue this momentum.”
Wishom also serves on the advisory board of Spokin, an application that connects people who are navigating food allergies, as wells as a board member for CASEL (Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning), the Make-Believe Association, and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. She earned her B.A. in English from The University of California, Berkeley.
She joins the 16-member Poetry Foundation Board of Trustees which ensures the Poetry Foundation is managed as a well-run organization that supports poetry in our culture.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs.
Follow the Poetry Foundation and Poetry on Facebook at facebook.com/poetryfoundation, Twitter @PoetryFound and Instagram @PoetryFoundation.
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