[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4757]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DONNA DOWLESS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 24, 2014

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History 
Month, to recognize Donna Dowless, Chairman of the XOXO Media Group. 
Dowless is an instrumental and creative force in her community and in 
the entertainment industry. She is an experienced executive and strong 
community leader that is goal oriented and results driven. She fosters 
powerful partnerships with diverse groups to cultivate positive change 
and create economic impact and sustainability.
  Prior to starting her own Orlando-based entertainment media and arts 
consulting company, Ms. Dowless served as Executive Vice President of 
Industry Relations for Ticketmaster, a position she held for 18 years. 
She has over 30 years of experience in sports and live entertainment. 
She has directed and managed sports arenas, theaters and concert venues 
and worked with professional sports leagues, prominent live event 
producers and numerous political and presidential event directors. Ms. 
Dowless was recently recognized by Venues Today Magazine as one of the 
``Top 5 Women of Influence in the Entertainment Industry.'' In 2005, 
she was honored with a lifetime achievement award for distinguished 
service from the International Association of Venue Managers.
  As Chairman of XOXO Media group, Dowless is dedicated to delivering 
results-driven programs for her arts and entertainment clients. Her 
specialty services range from event development, public relations, 
branding, and customer relations management to strategic insights for 
growth and sustainability. Additional services include career and 
business development, public speaking, mentoring and motivational 
programming. Her clients, who include the Ticketmaster Corporation, 
Atlantic Hill Music, Churchill Development, Castaneda Studios, Florida 
Artists Registry, Kosmo Creative Studios, and select arts and 
entertainment venues, have achieved great success under her direction 
and counsel.
  Ms. Dowless is an award-winning contemporary artist creating 
compositions of balance and harmony which express affirmations from the 
heart. Her art is featured in collections worldwide. Over the years she 
has encountered many unique individuals and entertainers, including the 
Beatles, Elvis, Tina Turner, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling 
Stones, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. All of these entertainment 
icons left her with inspiring memories that continue to stir her desire 
and passion to create each day. An early 1970's encounter with Andy 
Warhol left her with these defining words: ``If you are in an artist in 
your heart, so be it.''
  Dowless currently serves on the Executive Board of the Downtown 
Orlando Arts District and CityArts Factory, the Executive Board of See 
Art Orlando, the Orange County Public Art Review Board, the Executive 
Board of After School All Stars, and Full Sail University's 
Entertainment Advisory Board. She has been an arts advocate and 
supporter, community leader, executive volunteer, mentor, and 
philanthropist for over 25 years. Because of her inspirational efforts 
to spread the meaningful message of love through arts and culture, 
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appointed Donna as Orlando's official 
``Ambassador of Love'' in October, 2007. Dowless' impact is sure to be 
seen and cherished for decades to come.
  I am happy to honor Donna Dowless, during Women's History Month, for 
her contributions to the Central Florida community.

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