By Janelle Gelfand
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Norma Petersen does not spend much time gazing out the windows of her contemporary Mount Adams home.

‘‘My computer is on my desk, and that’s really where I spend my time,’’ the busy volunteer says over coffee in her living room, which faces an expansive view of the Ohio River.

Lately, Mrs. Petersen has been devoting her energy to the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center — Cincinnati Pops conductor Erich Kunzel’s project to create a top-notch School for Creative and Performing Arts near Music Hall.

‘‘It’s been my responsibility to hold it together,’’ says Mrs. Petersen, the project’s executive director.

‘‘When Erich asked me to help, my involvement had to do with my love for education and children and the city — the area of Over-the-Rhine — because I feel the potential is there for everybody.’’

Two major passions

‘‘Norma is the last person to ever expect anything in return for her efforts,’’ writes John Zurick, executive director of Cincinnati Ballet, who nominated Mrs. Petersen for Enquirer Woman of the Year.

He points to her ‘‘full-time management, visionary leadership, remarkable consensus-building skills and indefatigable spirit’’ as qualities essential to the success of the Arts and Education Center.

The center blends two of her strongest passions: arts and education. But her organizational skills have been honed over a lifetime devoted to a kaleidoscope of activities, from schools and musical organizations, to her community of Mount Adams, AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, the Society for the Preservation of Music Hall and the Over-the-Rhine Coalition.

For the Over-the-Rhine Foundation, she oversees the Over-the-Rhine Lighting Project in memory of her late husband, Gerald C. Petersen.

‘‘Name a worthy board, and she either is on it, was on it or ought to be on it,’’ says Marcella Hsiung, past president of the Chinese Music Society, which Mrs. Petersen helped found.

Mrs. Petersen characterizes her volunteerism as ‘‘just one opportunity after another.’’

When Mrs. Petersen moved to Cincinnati with her husband and six children in 1962, she first became active in Hyde Park School. There, her leadership abilities surfaced as president of the PTA.

But her school involvement soon expanded to Music Hall in Over-the-Rhine, where she became an ardent worker for the CSO. Her first job was selling CSO subscriptions for the Women’s Committee (precursor of the Cincinnati Symphony Association, the CSO’s volunteer arm).

When Mrs. Petersen was vice president of sales in the 1974-75 season, subscriptions skyrocketed from 11,000 to 17,000. The women not only sold tickets, but formed a tremendous network for the orchestra across the city.

‘‘They were public relations, they were subscribers, they were donors — and they sold the tickets,’’ she says. ‘‘The women of the Policies Board of the Women’s Committee were my inspiration, because of their community involvement and dedication.’’

During the two years she was president of the Women’s Committee (1977-79) she presided over many successful fund-raising projects, such as Treasure Isle and Septemberfest — the predecessor of Riverfest.

In 1981, the CSO hired Mrs. Petersen to be its director of volunteers, a position she held for six years. The professional contacts she made prepared her for her next volunteer job: executive director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (1987-94).

‘‘I had no idea what I was getting into,’’ she says.

Music business savvy

The orchestra was in severe financial difficulty. Mrs. Petersen used her experience with the CSO and the Women’s Committee (‘‘we were very frugal’’) to help keep the orchestra afloat.

‘‘It was a team effort,’’ she says. ‘‘We relied on the friendship of many artists. We brought (the violinist) Jaime Laredo here to conduct and perform with the orchestra for $500. We never paid over $1,000 for an artist.’’

Her savvy about the music business resulted in the hiring of Keith Lockhart (now conductor of the Boston Pops) as CCO’s music director. The board president wanted someone else. ‘‘My feeling was, the chamber orchestra needed someone here to help with the visibility of the organization,’’ she explains.

Under Mr. Lockhart, who completed his tenure last season, the orchestra’s ticket sales more than doubled, the season expanded, the orchestra cut its first album and made its New York debut.

These days, arts education is her primary concern because, says Mrs. Petersen, who remains on the Chamber Orchestra board, ‘‘that guarantees an audience for the future.

‘‘Audience is the key to survival for the arts.’’

My involvement has to do with my love for education and children and the city - the area of Over-the-Rhine.