Randy Engstrom, the founding director of the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in Delridge, was named the interim director of Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs by Mayor Mike McGinn on Sept. 27.

Here is the full announcement from the office:

We are thrilled to report that Mayor Mike McGinn has announced Randy Engstrom as the interim director of Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. Engstrom is founder and president of Reflex Strategies, a cultural and community based consulting services business, and is known for his work as the founding director of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. He will begin as interim director on October 3.

"I am extremely humbled and honored to have this opportunity. I look forward to an exciting year of building off of the work of an engaged and talented staff, a deeply connected arts commission, and a committed and supportive arts community in order to best leverage the important work of the office," said Engstrom. "I am grateful to the Mayor for giving me this opportunity"

Our Office is busy with a number of important projects at the moment. The Mayor has proposed that our Office take over the administration of Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center from the Parks Department in his 2013-2014 budget. The proposed budget also includes funds to continue the partnership with Seattle Public Schools in the area of arts education. Additionally major infrastructure projects such as the Central Seattle Waterfront mean major commissions for the public art team, and the office will continue to support local arts and cultural organizations through the investment of over $2.2 million in the Cultural Partnershipsprogram.

Engstrom has deep experience and success working in the Seattle arts community. He has over a decade of grassroots arts and culture experience beyond consulting, having founded Static Factory Media, a multi-media artist development company, and acted as the founding director of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. He has also served as chair to the Seattle Arts Commission, and is currently a board member of One Reel and board president at Washington Bus Education Fund.

A number of accolades support his past work—City Arts Magazine named him "The Advocate" in December of last year, he was an Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader in 2009 and was also named to Puget Sound Business Journal's "40 under 40" in 2009.