PACE Announces First Campaign Cabinet Division Chair
Contact:
Cheryl Engstrom, for PACE, 425.487.0682, 
Colin Johnson, for Symetra, 425.256.5049, colin.johnson@symetra.com
BELLEVUE, WA. (Dec 6, 2006) – The capital campaign for Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE) takes another leap forward today with the announcement of its first division chair in the newly formed PACE Campaign Cabinet. Randy Talbot, president and chief executive officer of SymetraSM Financial, has been named to lead the division committee charged with raising funds for PACE from corporations and businesses.
Randy Talbot
The Campaign for PACE Co-Chairs Charles and Karen Lytle and Kemper and Betty Freeman are working to build a blue ribbon leadership team. Each division chair appointed to the PACE Campaign Cabinet will be responsible for leading the grassroots fundraising in one of three distinct campaign arenas: corporate/business, individuals, and community. The overall Campaign goal is $100M.
"I wanted to get involved with PACE because I believe adding a world class cultural and arts center in downtown Bellevue should be an important part of the Eastside's ongoing development," says Talbot. "I look forward to partnering with other members of our region's thriving business community to bring about this valuable facility and, in so doing, create a more vibrant downtown area."
As an expression of Symetra's commitment to PACE, Talbot also announced a $50,000 gift from Symetra. "Randy is an outstanding example of corporate citizenship on the Eastside," says Kemper Freeman. "He shares the vision that the City of Bellevue and many business leaders and individuals of the Eastside share—to bring world-class performances to our community. By giving his time and leadership to help us meet our financial goals, he is making a significant contribution to the community in which he and his employees live and work. We are proud to welcome Randy as our first Campaign cabinet division chair."
Talbot leads Symetra Financial, a company that provides people with retirement plans, employee benefits, annuities, and life insurance through a network of independent distributors nationwide. The company has a 50-year history in the Pacific Northwest, and began as an independent corporation in August 2004. The company is headquartered in the Symetra Financial Center located in downtown Bellevue.
In addition to leading Symetra Financial, Talbot is on the board of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the American Council of Life Insurers, and the Washington Roundtable, a nonprofit public policy organization that affects positive change on critical policy issues in Washington state.
About Symetra Financial
Symetra Financial is a family of companies with nearly a half-century of experience providing retirement plans, employee benefits, annuities, and life insurance through independent distributors nationwide. The company has more than $20 billion in assets and is owned by an investor group led by White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. For more information, visit the Symetra Financial website.
About Performing Arts Center Eastside:
Performing Arts Center Eastside is a 2,000-seat premier regional center for the performing arts. Its mission is to enrich cultural life with a wide diversity of live entertainment, arts, and education. PACE will stimulate the arts region-wide; attract new audiences; heighten arts awareness and education; provide a performance home for select area arts organizations; and serve as a cultural center for the Eastside.
PACE plans to open in 2009 and it will be located in downtown Bellevue on the corner of NE 10th Street and 106th Avenue NE. The $100 Million Capital and Endowment Campaign has raised nearly $16 million.