By Aileen Alon, OLCDC

Members of Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, have elected Aileen Alon as a member of their national advisory council for the Emerging Leaders Council (ELC). Alon 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 Emerging Leaders Network, Alon will work with fellow arts leaders to assist in developing programs and resources to promote professional development and networking opportunities for emerging arts professionals nationwide. She is one of five new ELC members and the only one from Florida out of the ELC’s 15 total members.

Ms. Alon is drawn to projects promoting the arts, civic engagement and sustainable communities. In her role as Arts & Creative Industry Manager, she has managed the integration of the arts into neighborhood revitalization strategies and raised over $1.8 million in arts funding for the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation(OLCDC) in Opa-locka, Florida, since 2011. For these efforts, she was awarded a 2013 Local Arts Scholarship from Americans for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts’ Exploring Our Town initiativeshowcased Opa-locka as a national case study for best practices in community development and creative placemaking.

Alon is the project and grants manager for OLCDC’s two awarded Knight Arts Challenge ideas: the recently concluded 3^rd Art of Transformation – an exhibition and festival in Opa-locka featuring African Diaspora artists – and a recently awarded grant to transform a main thoroughfare into an engaging large-scale public art project.

“The success of our organization is dependent on leaders in the arts and culture industries, such as Aileen Alon, who are willing to dedicate their time and expertise to work with peers across our country to shape national programs and messages, as well as help craft services for states, communities and local organizations,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “We are grateful for Ms. Alon’s dedication to promoting and cultivating the arts and arts education nationwide.”

Potential council members were nominated in early October and were voted on by members of Americans for the Arts through November 12, 2014. Alon will serve a three-year term, from Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2017.

“It’s an honor to serve my community by building bridges between people and places through the arts,” said Alon, “As a new council member, I look forward to sharing knowledge from Opa-locka and greater South Florida, while exchanging ideas to innovate in the field and help build more culturally accessible and creative communities.”

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 50 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.