Mark Cardwell

Executive Director, Ohio Marketing Association

Mark Cardwell is the principal consultant for Cardwell Communications, a full-service marketing consultancy as well as the founder of the Ohio Marketing Association(OMA). OMA is a nonprofit association dedicated to professional development and networking opportunities for Ohio marketing practitioners. A distinctive mission of OMA is to strengthen nonprofit impact through marketing education. 

Mark is a member of the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations and serves as a member of its council of consultants.

Mark is a member of the Americans for the Arts; National Arts Marketing Project Steering Committee. Mark is currently on faculty with the Americans for the Arts project ARTS U as well as a board member for Indiana based non profit, multi-store retailer Global Gifts.

Mark has 20 + years of experience in arts marketing, operational leadership, executive level management, media sales and communications. 

Mark has a long history of board level community service and has been recognized for his work with local and national awards.

Mark is also an artist and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art and Design.

Patrick Fisher

Executive Director, Erie Arts & Culture

Patrick Fisher is the Executive Director of Erie Arts & Culture. He returned to Erie in 2018 to lead the agency. Born and raised in Cochranton, Pennsylvania, Patrick has additionally lived in the states of Alaska and Florida. Prior to returning to Northwestern Pennsylvania, Patrick worked for the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, which served as his introduction to working for a cultural non-profit organization. 

Patrick graduated from Penn State Behrend in 2008 with a degree in Business Management. He also holds a dual Associate Degree in Sport and Entertainment Promotional Management and Business Administration from Northwood University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and Salutatorian. 

Patrick holds many roles in the Erie community, including serving on the Erie Downtown Partnership's Board of Directors, the City of Erie's Better Together Council and Active Transportation Plan Steering Committee, Erie County's Destination Erie/Emerge 2040 Steering Committee, the Hamot Health Foundation's Board of Corporators, and the Awesome Foundation's Our West Bayfront Chapter as a founding trustee.

Jessyca Holland

Executive Director, C4 Atlanta

Jessyca has worked as an arts administrator for over 15 years in Atlanta. Before joining the world of nonprofit arts administration, Jessyca was an independent actor performing in Greater Atlanta. Jessyca participated in the Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative 2007 Leadership Program, the 2011 Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta, a 2011 Judith O’Conner Scholar, BoardSource, named Alumni of the Year by the University of West Georgia Theatre Company in 2013 and received an Achievement Award from her Alma mater, April 2014. She has been on arts panels for Georgia Forward, Gather Atlanta, and the Association of Performing Arts Service Organizations and serves on the Downtown Master Plan Working Group. Jessyca earned her B.A. in Theatre in 2000 from the University of West Georgia, and Masters of Library Media in 2009 from Georgia State University. Jessyca is currently an MPA graduate candidate at GSU with a focus in urban planning & economic development, and is proudly  serving on the Old 4th Ward Economic Security Task Force. 

Mark Nerenhausen

President/CEO, Hennepin Theatre Trust

Mark Nerenhausen is the President/CEO of Hennepin Theatre Trust. Prior to the Trust, he served as founding director and professor of practice of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program at Syracuse University. Before that, he served as president and CEO of the $354 million AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, where he secured AT&T as a naming sponsor, raised more than $4 million in the first year of operations, created a governing board and instituted an integrated business information platform. He also brokered strategic partnerships with regional and national organizations, several of which were devoted to minority arts, and initiated the Jazz Roots series.

From 1998 to 2009, Nerenhausen led the Performing Arts Center Authority in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with responsibility for managing the multi-venue Broward Center for the Performing Arts and five other performing arts venues, fashioning it into a catalyst for tourism, economic development, education, industry innovations and cross-cultural exchange. Under Nerenhausen’s tenure, the Broward Center’s main concert hall consistently ranked in the world’s top 10 venues for ticket sales, according to Pollstar and Venues Today magazines.

Nerenhausen has held other major positions at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului, Hawaii (1993-98); the Oshkosh Grand Opera House in Wisconsin (1990-93); the Bijou Theater Center in Knoxville, Tenn. (1987-89); the Milwaukee Performing Arts Center in Wisconsin (1985-87); and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville (1983-85).

Robert L. Lynch

President and CEO

Robert L. Lynch is president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. With more than 45 years of experience in the arts industry, he remains motivated to empower communities and leaders to advance the arts in society and in the lives of citizens.

In 1996, Bob managed the merger of the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies, where he had spent 12 years as executive director, with the American Council for the Arts to form Americans for the Arts. Under his 35 years of leadership, the services and membership of Americans for the Arts have grown to more than 50 times their original size. During his tenure at Americans for the Arts, Mr. Lynch has overseen six mergers including the Arts and Business Council, Inc. and the Business Committee for the Arts into Americans for the Arts. He has also created the Americans for the Arts Action Fund and its connected political action committee to establish arts-friendly public policy through engaging citizens to advocate for the arts and arts education.

Mr. Lynch is a frequent press commentator in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, National Public Radio, CNN, and social media. He has personally reached audiences in more than 2,000 locations spanning all 50 states and more than a dozen nations, with diverse constituencies ranging from Native American tribal gatherings to the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe to the President of the United States.

Under his direction, Americans for the Arts has become a leader in documenting and articulating the key community development role played by the nonprofit arts and culture industry, and its audiences, in strengthening our nation’s economy. Bob also has been instrumental in creating a strong portfolio of projects and information about the transformative power of the arts in non-arts areas such as civic dialogue, social problem solving, and arts and military.

Mr. Lynch currently serves on the board of the American Craft Council and the Commission on the Arts of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has served two terms on the board of the Independent Sector and two terms on the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, a position appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. In 2017, he was the inaugural recipient of the JFK Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. In 2014, he was awarded the Sidney R. Yates Award for Outstanding Advocacy on Behalf of the Performing Arts, and he was selected as one of the 50 most influential executives in the nonprofit sector for five years: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019 as part of the NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50.

Mr. Lynch earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and enjoys playing the piano, mandolin, and guitar. He lives in Washington, DC.

Nina Ozlu Tunceli

Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs & Executive Director, Americans for the Arts Action Fund

Nina Ozlu Tunceli is both Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs at Americans for the Arts as well as the Executive Director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund. Since 1993, Nina has served as the chief policy strategist for Americans for the Arts’ federal, state, and local public affairs work, grassroots advocacy campaigns, policy development, and national coalition-building efforts with cultural and civic organizations to advance the arts in America. In 2004, she also became the executive director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund, a separate 501(c)(4) organization with a connected Political Action Committee—the only dedicated arts PAC in the country. Nina now mobilizes the political and legislative efforts of more than 420,000+ citizen activists in advancing arts policy issues to legislators and candidates seeking federal public office. She is a graduate of George Washington University and the University of Richmond School of Law.

Narric Rome

Vice President of Government Affairs and Arts Education, Americans for the Arts

Narric Rome serves as Vice President for Government Affairs and Arts Education at Americans for the Arts.  In his role he manages federal, state, and local government advocacy, grassroots campaigns, policy development, and national coalition-building efforts with cultural, civic, and private sector organizations with the goal of influencing public policies that advance direct and indirect support for the arts and arts education.

Narric is responsible for promoting the Americans for the Arts’ message to Congress and the Trump Administration. He serves as the senior lobbyist for the Americans for the Arts legislative portfolio where he researches and pursues untapped federal funding opportunities. Additionally, he is editor of a dozen resource guides connecting cultural projects and initiatives to federal funding programs.

Narric’s responsibilities include leading the policy development for the annual National Arts Action Summit, including Arts Advocacy Day, which involves coordinating over 85 arts organizations as national partners. Narric oversees the Americans for the Arts education program that seeks equitable access to the arts and includes the State Policy Pilot Program, and advocacy programs at the national, state and local levels. Most recently, Narric has launched a national campaign to boost the creative economy by building support for the CREATE Act (S.661, HR1649) in Congress. Narric has 20 years of experience in the public policy and congressional arena.  Prior to joining Americans for the Arts, Narric worked on the policy staff of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign in Vermont and served as a legislative aide to Secretary Riley at the U.S. Department of Education where he received the Peer Recognition Award in 1999.  Earlier in his career, Narric worked on Capitol Hill, at the Podesta Group and on several state and national political campaigns. He is the immediate past-president of the Vermont State Society.

Peter Gordon

Director of Federal Affairs, Americans for the Arts

Peter joined Americans for the Arts in January 2019. Prior to joining Americans for the Arts, Peter served as the Associate Director of Government Relations for the Council on Foundations, where he focused on tax policy and advocated on behalf of foundations on Capitol Hill. Before joining the Council, he was a Government Relations Specialist for the National Association of College Stores in Washington, DC. Previously, Peter worked on Capitol Hill in both the Senate, as a Staff Assistant for former Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL), and the House, as a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA).

Peter grew up in Massachusetts and holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and a BA in History and Political Science from Williams College. During college, he worked at the ’62 Center for Theater and Dance, where he developed a deep appreciation for the arts. Peter loves to visit museums and attend theater performances. He lives in DC with his wife, Corey, and their daughter, Alex.

David Reid

Senior Policy Advisor, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

David Reid brings a wealth of on-the-ground policy and finance experience to his government relations work with Brownstein. He combines his experience in both business and politics on building, funding and setting the strategic direction for advocacy campaigns and political action committees. A seasoned campaign veteran, David joins the firm from Hillary for America where he was the Washington, D.C., and PAC finance director. His efforts raised a record-breaking $30 million from the D.C. and PAC community during the last election. Before joining Hillary for America, David was the Mid-Atlantic finance director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, ran the political finance operation of a Fortune 100 global healthcare company and served as the deputy finance director of the Democratic Governors Association. David advocates on behalf of a wide range of clients, representing arts and public health funding coalitions, health care organizations and hospitality and telecom companies. He also remains active and engaged with the Democratic Party and campaign committees. Over the course of his career, David has amassed an in-depth network of industry contacts both on Capitol Hill and within the business and association communities. He also serves on the firm's Pro Bono Committee.

Jay Dick

Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Americans for the Arts

Jay Dick is the Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs at Americans for the Arts where he works to educate and inform elected officials about the value of the arts and culture.  As an twenty-year veteran of K Street, Capitol Hill, the private sector, and federal, state, and local campaigns, Jay possesses a tremendous body of knowledge in the field of arts policy, government, the legislative process, and grassroots advocacy.  He is a nationally recognized speaker on these topics having designed and overseen many initiatives.  Jay is regularly interviewed by the media and testifies in front of legislative bodies as an expert on these topics and on Americans for the Arts’ legislative positions.

With the mandate to positively affect the policies that promote State and Local funding and expansion of the arts, Jay works closely with the Americans for the Arts’ fifty State Arts Advocacy Captains, Local Arts Groups, and the State Arts Action Network and Council to accomplish this goal.  Further, he oversees Americans for the Arts’ Public Partnerships and works closely with the members and staffs of the National Governors Association, National Lt. Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislators, National Association of Counties, The United State Conference of Mayors, and the National League of Cities. 

Jay has worked at Americans for the Arts for ten years.  Prior, he worked for Capitol Advantage, a high-tech advocacy company; the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); and the Society of Plastics Industry (SPI).  Jay spent the 1996 campaign cycle working as the Field Director for a congressional campaign in Iowa’s 3rd District and began his career with the United States Senate where he served on the personal staff of Tom Harkin (IA) and then Frank Lautenberg (NJ). 

Jay was recently appointed by Virginia Governor McAuliffe to serve a five-year term as a Commissioner for the Virginia Commission for the Arts.  He also serves on the Board of the Arts Council of Fairfax County where he chairs their advocacy committee

Lauren Cohen

Government Affairs and Grassroots Manager, Americans for the Arts

At Americans for the Arts, Lauren works with the Federal Affairs team in federal lobbying and government affairs activities, including composing position statements, monitoring federal legislation, drafting legislative proposals, coalition building with the Congressional Arts Caucus and other Congressional staff.  She enjoys teaching others how to become compelling arts advocates and how to pursue strong arts policy.  Prior to joining Americans for the Arts, Lauren worked for a member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives for over two years where she managed the arts, humanities, and museums portfolio.  Before coming to Washington, DC, Lauren worked for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia.  There, she held positions in the Education Outreach, Historical Interpretations, and Curatorial departments.  Lauren earned her Master of Arts degree in Public History from James Madison University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Tennessee.  Lauren's passion for the arts began at age three when she first started ballet lessons and continues to this day as she enjoys dance and theater performances, museums, and art shows.

Paul Farber

Director, Monument Lab

Paul M. Farber, PhD is Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Monument Lab.  Farber is author of A Wall of Our Own: An American History of the Berlin Wall and co-editor with Ken Lum of Monument Lab: Creative Speculations for Philadelphia. He also currently serves as Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Public Art & Space at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design.

Instagram: @Paul_Farber; @Monument_Lab

Patricia Eunji Kim

Director of Communications and Assistant Curator, Monument Lab

Patricia Eunji Kim is Communications Director and Assistant Curator at Monument Lab and also serves as Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study and a Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow at New York University.

Kanyinsola Anifowoshe

Curator

Kanyinsola Anifowoshe is a curator and writer pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in History of Art at Yale University. In the In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens series (Chicago, 2019), she curated an exhibition and workshop series honoring Black women’s intergenerational and historically marginalized creative legacies. Kanyinsola has been editor-in-chief of Wahala Zine, a platform for the creative work of young people across the Nigerian diaspora, and host of The Now podcast, which highlights youth artists and activists. She was a Monument Lab Foundation Youth Fellow (2019) and her work has been featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

Laurie Allen

Director of Research, Monument Lab

Laurie Allen is a Philadelphian and was the founding research director at Monument Lab. She has worked as a librarian for 20 years, with a longstanding interest in the ways that cultural memory and civic data are used by and for (and sometimes against) people in cities. She worked in academic libraries for many years, most recently as the Director of Digital Scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania, and her current day job is as a Program Analyst in the office of Digital Strategy at the Library of Congress.  

Allison Nkwocha

Graduate Researcher, Monument Lab

Allison is from California's central coast and graduated from Scripps College with a degree in Environmental Analysis in 2013. Her professional background is in architectural salvage and historic restoration. Prior to beginning her graduate studies at Penn, Allison was working as a carpenter and building tiny houses with teenagers at a Seattle youth design-build nonprofit. In her graduate work in Landscape Architecture and Historic Preservation, she focuses on the intersection of Black American landscapes and memory.