Friday, October 20
9:00 AM - 9:40 AM
Starting off the gathering for ACD46: WAYS, we are excited for you to meet our hosts representing organizations, communities, and various professions from around Chicago! They have invested their time as volunteers since February 2023 to bring together speakers, panelists, and representatives from around the country to make a meaningful experience for all attendees:
Maria Bergh of We Build Agency, Emma Jasinski and Clio Lyons of Design Trust Chicago, Jason Terrell Minter of Justice Assistance, Dave Pabellon of Columbia College Chicago, Liezel Pimentel of WJW Architects, Craig Stevenson of OAC Chicago, Traci Wile of Good City Group, and Kelsey Zlevor of MUSE Community + Design.
Land Acknowledgment
Melodi Serna
Artist
Melodi Serna is a Fellow at the American Express Social Justice Leadership Academy and an Owner at MSK Consulting LLC, where she applies her nearly 20 years of experience as a
Business and Tribal Consultant. She is passionate about empowering Native-led organizations and communities, promoting Native American rights and values, and decolonizing business practices and policies.
As a fifth-generation Native veteran, Melodi draws on her military and medical background to advocate for developmental disability equity and awareness, especially for Native youth. She is also a Youth Council Advisor for Chicago’s Indigenous Tribal Youth Council, which won the Unity Inc. Youth Council of the Year Award. Melodi has created and implemented multiple campaigns and curricula to combat lateral violence and foster lateral kindness within Indian Country. She is a recipient of several awards and honors, including the 2022 Outstanding Community Leader of the Year and the 2023 Alice BigPond Roach Memorial Award.
Welcome by Commissioner Erin Harkey!
We are also honored to be officially welcomed to the City of Chicago by Commissioner Erin Harkey of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)!
Erin Harkey is the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) — appointed to the post by Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot in November 2021. She holds 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit and government sector helping individuals and communities succeed through the arts.
Commissioner Harkey has served the City of Chicago since 2016 as Projects Administrator, then Deputy Commissioner for Programming, then First Deputy Commissioner and Acting Commissioner at DCASE, following the retirement of Mark Kelly. In her dual role as Senior Policy Advisor for Arts in Culture in the Mayor’s Office, she advised on cultural policy and arts strategy across all City departments and agencies. She previously managed public art programs at Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Arts Council for Long Beach. She holds two master’s degrees in Public Art Administration and Urban Planning from the University of Southern
California (USC) and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Howard University.