2018 Champion of Artists Awardee Spotlight: State Representative Cory Atkins

As we lead up to 12th Annual “Artists Under The Dome” Event* and the MALC 2018 “Champion of Artists” Awards on November 14, 2018, at the State House, we are highlighting each of the six “Champion of Artists” awardees. This post is highlighting State Representative Cory Atkins.

This is the third time MALC has given these awards, which will be part of the morning program. The award ceremony will begin at 10:30am in the State House’s Great Hall, located on the second floor. This ceremony, along with all the events that are part of the annual Artists Under the Dome event, are free and open to the public.  Although it is not required, we are urging people to register for the event.  For more information and to register: http://www.artistsunderthedome.org/annualevent.htm

This years awardees in alphabetical order:

• State Representative Cory Atkins, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development
• Adrienne Hawkins, Dance Artist, Master Teacher, Choreographer
• Julie Hennrikus, Founder of Your Ladders, Arts Advocate, Mystery Author
• Meri Jenkins, Cultural Districts Program Manager/Massachusetts Cultural Council
• Lou Jones, Photographer
• Save the Art–Save the Museum (STA-STM): Art advocates protecting the Public Trust at the Berkshire Museum

State Representative Cory Atkins is the current  House Chair of the State House’s Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development. MALC has had the pleasure of working with Chairwoman Atkins and her office on the Annual Artists Under the Dome event since 2013. She has been a steadfast supporter of artists of all disciplines and the work MALC does. This year she did not seek re-election. Therefore, this will be the last Artists Under the Dome event she will cosponsor and co-host.

MALC will miss working with her and her team. We will miss her energy and her welcoming smile.

Profile: State Representative Cory Atkins

Cory Atkins won the office of State Representative in the fall of 1999 in a special election. Since that time she has worked tirelessly on voters’ priorities concerning education, the environment, economic growth, local transportation, and the relationship between our communities and state government. Rep. Atkins was promoted to Chair of the Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development for the 2013-2014 legislative session where she has served since. In this role, Rep. Atkins leads committee members in considering all legislative matters pertaining to tourism, arts, and cultural development in the Commonwealth and promotes job creation in those industries.

Prior to this position, she was the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Rules for four years. In the 2011-2012 legislative session Cory Atkins served as the House co-chair of the Caucus of Women Legislators. As co-chair she has helped the Caucus to develop relationships with legislative leadership, the Commission on the Status of Women, and other agencies and groups. In addition she and the Caucus have worked together to support a number of bills that effect women’s lives including alimony reform, equitable coverage in disability insurance, and equal pay for equal work.

Before running for office, Cory was a political columnist for the Middlesex News (now Metro West News) and a travel writer for Outbound Traveler.  She taught courses on government at Middlesex Community College.  She also did extensive political work on the international scene.  She led a group of women to a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev at the 1985 Arms Summit in Geneva and served as a US delegate to several international meetings convened by Margarita Papendraou, the First Lady of Greece.  She also participated in fact-finding trips to refugee camps in South East Asia.

She attended UMass-Boston and graduated Magna Cum Laude in Political Science, prior to which she attended Burdett Business School and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Marketing Research. She is most proud of her family, and she is pleased that both of her children are raising their families in Concord.