Wenatchee’s Marcine Miller elected to Humanities Washington board

WENATCHEE — Marcine Miller of Wenatchee has been elected to the Board of Trustees of Humanities Washington, a statewide nonprofit that supports public programs exploring history, culture, and civic life.

Humanities Washington is governed by a 22-member board made up of business, cultural, and community leaders from across the state, including four appointed by the governor. Trustees serve three-year terms.

Miller is the executive director of communications, marketing, and media relations at Wenatchee Valley College, where she leads institution-wide communications, public programming, and a faculty speaker series focused on scholarship and civic engagement in North Central Washington.

She brings a background that spans higher education, arts administration, and community-centered humanities work. Before joining Wenatchee Valley College, Miller held senior leadership roles at The New School in New York, where she worked on university-wide initiatives highlighting faculty research, creative practice, and social impact. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade at Anthology Film Archives, a center for experimental and independent cinema, working in publicity, grant research, and audience development.

Julie Ziegler, CEO and executive director of Humanities Washington, said Miller is joining the board at a moment when cultural work faces real uncertainty.

“Federal funding for independent, authentic, and honest humanities programs is in serious jeopardy, and we need strong leaders like Marcine to ensure continued access to programs that explore current events in the context of our history and various community perspectives,” Ziegler said. “As an artist and communicator, she will undoubtedly bring a fresh perspective to our Board and connections to the North Central Washington area.”

Miller said she knows how important Humanities Washington programs can be in a region like Central Washington and is eager to help support that work.

“Having seen firsthand the impact Humanities Washington has in rural communities like Wenatchee, I’m deeply excited by the opportunity to support an organization that connects people through big ideas, dialogue, and storytelling,” Miller said. “Joining the Board of Trustees feels like a meaningful way to give back to my adopted home while advancing a mission that aligns so closely with my values around community-building, access, and lifelong learning.”

Miller was elected alongside Polly Yorioka of Seattle and Janice Cummings O’Mahoney of Freeland.

Humanities Washington recently lost federal funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and has since canceled some programs and reduced staff. The organization has launched a fundraising campaign aimed at stabilizing operations and restoring programs.

Humanities Washington partners with more than 300 organizations statewide each year and offers public programs on topics ranging from Washington history and philosophy to contemporary social issues, with most events free and open to the public.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media