PORTLAND, OR, April 07, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cathy DeForest, PhD, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. DeForest has established a distinguished career defined by her commitment to education, community empowerment, and the transformative power of art. Since 2015, she has served as the Founder and Executive Director of Visioning Beyond Violence, an organization empowering communities to address gun violence through art education and systemic change. Guided by its motto, "What we can imagine, we can create," Dr. DeForest inspires individuals to envision positive change and contribute to a safer, more resilient world, locally and globally.

Under her leadership, Visioning Beyond Violence, formerly known as Vision Quilt until its legal name change in 2025, has inspired individuals across the United States, engaging participants from age 3 to 96. The organization's nonpartisan approach includes police officers, veterans, survivors and grandparents, fostering dialogue and hope through creative expression.

Dr. DeForest's work with Visioning Beyond Violence is defined by innovative programming that weaves together art, poetry, and multidisciplinary curricula spanning the humanities, mathematics, science and the arts. She has empowered both youth and adults to see themselves as visionaries committed to creating safer neighborhoods, schools and families.

The organization's exhibitions have reached community centers, libraries, and public forums, including a landmark installation of 1.6 miles of banners along International Boulevard in Oakland — an area once plagued by violence — now reflecting the community's hopes and aspirations. This Installation will be viewed for seven years. Under Dr. DeForest's leadership, programs have expanded across 10 states, fostering systemic change through strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations.

Among Dr. DeForest's proudest achievements is receiving an Innovation Grant from the John Legend Foundation and the National Writing Project in 2018. This award supported the digitization of a three-month interdisciplinary curriculum made available nationwide at no cost. She also coordinated global artist participation in response to a bombing during the Iraq War, mobilizing printmakers for international exhibitions, and now housed permanently at Columbia University.

In 2008, Dr. DeForest founded Jubilation Press, where she continues to create artist books that incorporate photography, original content and hand-binding. Her works often feature letterpress printing or etching techniques. As the owner of Gallery DeForest in 2004, she provided a platform for artists while advancing her own creative practice. Earlier in her career, she founded Lafayette Gallery in the San Francisco Bay Area and served as the president of Creative Development Inc. from 1974 to 1990.

Dr. DeForest's expertise in organizational development was further honed during her tenure as an internal consultant at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she worked with scientists and engineers on team building and strategic planning initiatives. Following that work, she consulted with Fortune 500 companies as well as nonprofits and arts organizations.

At the outset of her professional journey, Dr. DeForest served as a high school English teacher in Pennsylvania and Florida, where she worked with both advanced students and those facing reading challenges. Her experiences as a teacher and Assistant Principal of a large high school, shaped her understanding of educational inequities and informed her later work addressing systemic barriers within communities.

Throughout her career, Dr. DeForest has been an active member of numerous professional organizations, including Women We Admire since 2015, Guild of Book Workers since 2010, Southern Oregon Photographic Association since 2006, California Society of Printmakers since 2000 and Pacific Center for the Book Arts since 1997. She has also contributed to the Bay Area Organization Development Network from 1978 to 2000, to Artist Conference Network, Inc. and to Kappa Kappa Gamma, and has served in student government at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. DeForest's academic background includes a Doctor of Philosophy in organization development from the University of Pittsburgh, earned in 1974. Her doctoral studies focused on systems change initiatives, a foundation that proved instrumental in her consulting work with Fortune 500 companies, school systems, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. She also obtained a Master of Arts and Education in English literature from Boston College in 1969 and a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh in 1968.

Beyond her organizational leadership, Dr. DeForest has served since 2009 as ambassador, book artist and fundraiser for Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here, a project honoring Baghdad's historic bookselling street. She has also mentored young people while supporting Black, Indigenous and people of color communities, as well as LGBT initiatives, and maintains strong connections with major gun violence prevention organizations nationwide.

Dr. DeForest's creative output includes contributions to film and documentary projects such as "The Missing Word," released in 2026, and "Addressing Gun Violence: Amplifying Visionary Storytellers and Change Makers," produced in 2025. She presented at the National Art Therapy Conference and contributed artwork to "Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here." Her artist book "Ink and Blood" was featured alongside works by 50 other artists at The American University in Cairo, Egypt, and is included in special collections at the Library of Congress, numerous university libraries and in private collections.

Dr. DeForest's achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including being named a Women We Admire Awardee in 2025, induction into the University of Pittsburgh's Hall of Fame, selection as Sweetheart of Sigma Chi and Winter Weekend Queen.

Born in Pittsburgh to a family shaped by resilience, Dr. DeForest was inspired by her father's commitment to education despite personal sacrifices. At 16, she became an American Field Service exchange student in Greece, a formative experience that deepened her empathy for others and broadened her understanding of the world.

Looking ahead, Dr. DeForest envisions Visioning Beyond Violence led by a Black, Indigenous and People of Color, expanding its training programs through new partnerships, increasing awareness via additional documentaries and securing further funding for outreach. She aims to broaden recognition for initiatives such as themissingword.org, which introduces the term "ollipsent" for parents who have lost children — a project developed with linguists, partner groups and affected communities to support healing and advocate for inclusion in major dictionaries worldwide.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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