Concord woman joins county art commission

Joan D’Onofrio of Concord is the new commissioner of the Arts & Culture Commission of Contra Costa County.

Her responsibilities include promoting, growing and advancing the arts in the county through education and preservation of cultural expression. She is currently working with the Concord Veterans Center and Diablo Valley College to provide art programs for veterans.

D’Onofrio began her career in legal publishing in New York at Oceana Publications. After 16 years, she moved to educational publishing for EMC Publishing in St. Paul, Minn.

After retiring from a 29-year career, she moved to Concord and opened four Curves for Women fitness franchises. When they closed in 2008, she founded the Michelangelo D’Onofrio Arts Foundation. The nonprofit presents monetary awards and scholarships to public school students who demonstrate outstanding talents in the visual and digital arts.

She is also a member of the Clayton Valley/Concord Rotary Club, serving as newsletter editor.