Julie Mancini, who "made a major mark on the Portland cultural scene thanks to her pioneering work with such organizations as Literary Arts, Mercy Corps, and the Writers in the Schools program," died on August 29 at age 73, the Oregonian reported. "
In 1985, Mancini became head of Portland Arts & Lectures, which in 1993 merged with the Oregon Institute for Literary Arts to become Literary Arts. Mancini left Literary Arts in 2000. She helped "transform Portland from a city that authors might consider a backwater into a destination that welcomed and celebrated writers, books, and the arts," and she put the organizations on solid financial footing.
In addition, Mancini helped launch Caldera, an arts and nature-focused program for young people, and was director for the Mercy Corps's Action Center, the international humanitarian organization's Portland headquarters.
Literary Arts executive director Andrew Proctor said in a statement, "Julie was a force of nature. She was smart and wry and funny and caring and pretty much unstoppable. She was radically creative. I feel incredibly fortunate to have known her, and feel the force of her professional accomplishments every day as I continue her work. I regret only that some of you never got the chance to know her."
Mancini's son Peter Bromka said, "She was a force. She poured every ounce of her energy into every day. She just pushed herself all the time. She wasn't an easygoing spirit who did yoga and drank tea. She was blasting rock music, and drinking Diet Coke."