Title: President
Company: Arts and Design Society
Location: Fort Walton Beach, Florida, United States
Helen C. Harris, president of the Arts and Design Society, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Artists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in art and nonprofits.
With an education in history and an accomplished career in airline travel behind her, Ms. Harris has embraced her true passion for art. Beginning in 2009, she has served as the president of the Arts and Design Society, a nonprofit organization that promotes the arts through programs for students, art competitions, lectures and a free, public art gallery. As president, Ms. Harris manages the Arts and Design Society’s day-to-day operations and leads monthly board meetings. She aids the group in pursuing grants, promotes collaboration with other art organizations, and serves as a primary point of contact for any issues that arise during event planning.
Among her many accomplishments with the Arts and Design Society, Ms. Harris is particularly proud of her ability to balance leadership responsibilities with artistic pursuits. She especially enjoys fostering a love for art in children during the organization’s art camp events. Ms. Harris thoughtfully introduces new and inexperienced students to art, both adults and children, through her classes. She has developed an approach to encourage experimentation that helps move young artists past their initial anxiety and embrace their work.
In addition to the Arts and Design Society, Ms. Harris opened an art gallery named AK Arts with her husband in 2015. This gallery showcases her own artwork while also providing space for other local artists. Ms. Harris and her husband run monthly gallery events and fundraisers for other nonprofit organizations. They also help organize an annual arts event at the Okaloosa County Fairgrounds.
Prior to launching the Arts and Design Society, Ms. Harris established herself in the airline travel industry. She worked as a customer service agent with United Airlines beginning in 1972 and later helped open that organization’s White Plains office. In 1983, Ms. Harris joined Lufthansa, remaining with the company until her retirement from full-time work in 2005. Her academic background includes an associate degree in arts and sciences with a focus on fashion buying and merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Mount Union College in 1966.
An esteemed volunteer within her local community, Ms. Harris seeks ways to contribute outside of her artistic interests as well. For several years, she held the position of curriculum chairman for the Center for Lifelong Learning, where she taught a history class focused on the contributions of women during the Civil War. Further showcasing her love of history, Ms. Harris maintains membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, a nonprofit devoted to preserving and celebrating American history. She was a founding member of a local chapter of 100 Women Who Care, connecting her with other professional women in the area for support and encouragement.
In celebration of her accomplishments, Ms. Harris was inducted as a Woman of Honor by the Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women. When she’s not creating art, she spends time with her extended family and her dog and reads history. Though she is approaching 80 years old, Ms. Harris intends to stay active with the Arts and Design Society, as well as AK Arts. She hopes to continue demonstrating work from new artists while finding more time to relax with her nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
For more information, please visit:
Who’s Who of Professional Women
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