At a press conference yesterday, the Performing Arts Center of Wenatchee and Numerica Credit Union announced a ten-year partnership that includes the naming rights to the theatre. The agreement will change the PAC’s name to the NUMERICAPERFORMING ARTS CENTER, along with a payout of $500,000 over the next ten years, effective today.

The naming-rights sponsorship will be in full effect starting with the PAC’s 2014-2015 Season, but the transition begins today. Signage will be placed on the building facing Wenatchee Avenue this summer, PAC logos will be renewed, and every mention of the Performing Arts Center of Wenatchee will be changed to Numerica Performing Arts Center, at the Stanley Civic Center.

What does that mean for the Performing Arts Center? “We are able to be a functioning Performing Arts Center,” says the Performing Arts Center’s Board President Jeff Ostenson. “For the first time, we can really look forward and say ‘where are we going to be ten years from now?’ and ‘what can we do to make a bigger impact for more people on a larger scale?’”.

Both the Wenatchee Mayor, Frank Kuntz, and Numerica’s CEO and President, Carla Altepeter, agree on the importance of arts in a thriving community. “You can judge the character of a community by what they do with the arts,” says Altepeter. “It’s well known that the arts promote prosperity, foster creativity, improve academic performance, strengthen the local economy, and have a positive social impact leading to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare and lower poverty rates, and because of this Numerica is so very proud and excited to partner for 10 years with the PAC and to help it grow, get stronger, and fulfill its mission.”

Numerica Credit Union currently has over 100,000 members throughout Central and Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho and $1.3 billion in assets. It offers a full line of financial products and services, including mortgages and business products. Membership is open to anyone who lives or works in the State of Washington or the Idaho Panhandle.