Eastside Leader Makes Second Major Donation for Performing Arts Center Eastside
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cheryl Engstrom, for PACE, 425.487.0682 or 
BELLEVUE, WA. (June 29, 2006) – The Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE) announces today a $500,000 donation by Skip and Debra Rowley. Rowley is chairman and chief executive officer of Rowley Properties, Inc. and also serves as chairman of the PACE Board of Directors. He and his wife Debra are long-time and passionate advocates for the arts. Their first donation of $250,000 came in 2002, early in the formation of PACE. Their second gift brings the Campaign total to $15M in gifts to date. According to Rowley, "With its 2,000 seats, PACE will provide an expanding, diversified Eastside population with world-class entertainment close to home. Debra and I believe that PACE will be a cultural asset and expand audiences for all the arts in general. Ultimately, we hope this additional gift will inspire giving in others."
In addition to his role with PACE, Rowley is a member of the Board of Directors of Overlake Hospital, First Mutual Bank, ArtsFund, and the Issaquah Historical Society. Previously he has served on the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation, was Chairman of the East King County Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition, and was President of the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce.
Among Rowley's honors are the 2005 Eastside Business Awards' Corporate Citizenship Award and 2004 Issaquah Schools Foundation Golden Apple. Rowley received a degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington. A native of Bellevue, currently living in Sammamish, Rowley and his wife, a former development director for The Village Theatre, have three daughters and two grandsons.
Rowley Properties, Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned property management and development firm headquartered in Issaquah.
"Skip, a founding member of the Board of Directors, has played an invaluable role in the start-up and advancement of PACE. His generous gift is only one example of his dedication and commitment to the project, which, as chairman of the board, also requires a huge donation of time as well. We are sincerely grateful," says Kemper Freeman, Jr., member of the PACE board and co-chair of the $100 Million Capital and Endowment Campaign.
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 $15M with 100% board participation and the gift of land valued at $8M.