It’s wonderful to meet you. I know many of you from leading ABC’s professional development programs over the past two years. For those whom I haven’t met yet, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m an arts and culture appreciator and administrator since my high school years. That was when I discovered English and the arts were my favorite topics. That passion carried over into serving Black-, brown-, and Asian American community-based organizations that continue to set the pace for change across sectors.
Today I strive to create and be part of spaces that support deeper learning, awareness, and listening through a lens of curiosity. I seek aha moments in personal and professional growth for myself and others. Adrienne Maree Brown speaks to my intent in Emergent Strategy, “…what we practice at the small scale sets the patterns for the whole system…Transform yourself to transform the world.”
I’m THRILLED to be the Arts + Business Council’s next Director, and I’m celebrating this moment.
You may notice that ABC looks a little different. The new team – myself, our new intern Yair Farkas, and an incoming manager (we’re hiring, by the way) – will integrate into the Chamber’s Economic Competitiveness team. This shift will facilitate more collaboration, resource sharing, and cohesion between ABC and the Chamber. In addition, it will strengthen the important role that a thriving arts, culture, and creative economy play in attracting, retaining, and developing talent in the region.
There is so much in store this season. We’re recruiting participants and host organizations for the 2023 Business on Board program. Creative Strategist and Experience Designer Rachel Eve Ginsberg will demonstrate how game design frameworks build intentional and meaningful relationships at our next Digital Drawingboard workshop. We’ve also introduced a new Deep Dive Series that drills into topics like Succession Planning and Intentional Language.
Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, I’d love to get to know you and your work and ideate together on how ABC can support you.
Best,
Elizabeth (Liz) Thompson
Director
Arts + Business Council
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Liz brings more than 14 years of non-profit management experience with a focus on arts and culture organizations including expertly serving ABC for the past two years as its Programs Manager leading ABC’s Business on Board, Designing Leadership, and Digital Drawingboard professional development programs. Previously, she led operations and people management at Asian Arts Initiative, a multi-disciplinary and community-based arts center that advances racial equity and understanding through creative practice, and oversaw internal and external activities for the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership, which empowers the next generation of Asian American leaders in public service. Liz received her BA in Art History from Western Washington University and MA in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently serves on the Arts Administrators of Color Network’s board of directors and was previously on the board of the Spruce Foundation.
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