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Kim Chestney Elected to Americans for the Arts’ Advisory Council

[caption id="attachment_3258" align="alignright" width="299"]Kim Chestney Kim Chestney leads up the Pittsburgh Technology Council's Creative Industries Network.[/caption] Members of Americans for the Arts have elected Kim Chestney as a member of their advisory council for the Private Sector. Chestney will advise Americans for the Arts’ staff on developing programs and services that will build a deeper connection to the field and the network membership. In the Private Sector Council, Chestney will work with fellow arts leaders to develop and implement private-sector advocacy programs and serve as leaders to other local arts agencies seeking to connect with the private sector. Chestney has spent the last 10 years building a network to empower the intersection of creativity and business. As the Director of Creative Industries Acceleration at the Pittsburgh Technology Council, she founded the annual CREATE! Festival and the Co-CREATE Business Ignition Program to support the growth of artists and creative entrepreneurs. She also led critical industry research, with the University of Toronto and Carnegie Mellon University, to demonstrate and levitate the valuable economic impact of art, culture and innovation.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Americans for the Arts leadership council. This work is so important to our regional, national and global communities,” said Chestney, “It is an honor to have the opportunity for our success in Pittsburgh to affect change on a national level, and to learn from this stellar group of national trailblazers how our region can take our own creative economy to the next level.”
“Americans for the Arts strives to cultivate the next generation of arts leaders in America, and I am pleased to welcome Kim Chestney to our advisory council,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “These leaders are willing to dedicate their time and expertise to work with peers across the country to shape national programs and messages and help craft services for states, communities, and local organizations. I applaud Ms. Chestney for her valued contribution and commitment that will undoubtedly improve the state of arts in America.” Potential council members were nominated in mid-September and were voted on by members of Americans for the Arts through November 14, 2017. Chestney will serve a three-year term, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. “I am thrilled to be joining the Americans for the Arts leadership council. This work is so important to our regional, national and global communities,” said Chestney, “It is an honor to have the opportunity for our success in Pittsburgh to affect change on a national level, and to learn from this stellar group of national trailblazers how our region can take our own creative economy to the next level.” Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 55 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.