Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

270 MILLENNIUM M arion Andrus McCollam’s interest in the arts was inspired by her mother, who was an interior designer, and her father, who played the clarinet. She turned her interest into a career when the mayor of New Orleans, who was teaching her last graduate course at the University of New Orleans, asked her to work for him. Because of her immense experience in the arts, he asked that she create a department of arts and cultural affairs to reflect life in New Orleans. Upon graduating with a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, she became a human affairs coordinator and later the arts coordinator for the Office of the Mayor in the city of New Orleans. Her experience there led her to serve as director of planning for the Duncan Plaza design project and the Downtown Development District. Ms. McCollam continued to progress in her field, becoming president of Andrus and Roberts, Inc, executive director of Arts Council New Orleans, and executive director of the Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County. Ms. McCollam is a member of several organizations, including the American Leadership Forum, and has served on its curriculum and collaboration for public education committees. She has also served as president of the United States Urban Arts Federation and as vice chairman of the board of directors for Americans for the Arts. Her diligence has allowed her to garner many awards, though her greatest achievement is being president of McCollam Consulting, LLC. Ms. McCollam is making headway and breaking new ground as she continues to flourish in her career by keeping a sharp eye on the future. She is learning to be an agent of change and hopes to find others who are open to innovative development in creative arts, believe in the economic benefits of the arts, and appreciate the rich cultural differences in the arts. Marion Andrus McCollam Consulting Firm Executive, Educator McCollam Consulting, LLC Houston, TX