Chelsea Ridley

About Chelsea Ridley

Experienced non-profit and arts professional working at the cross section between community engagement, arts, and education.

Experience

1. Director of Community Engagement

   Open Books

   Jun 2023 — Present

   Impact: Created the vision that contributed to measurable third-grade reading score increases in North Lawndale that outpaced district-wide gains and generated over in new revenue for the organization.• Designed and implemented a multi-year strategic roadmap aligning marketing, engagement, programming, and evaluation toward community-wide literacy outcomes.• Secured philanthropic and community investment to acquire and launch a new office, bookstore, and community hub in North Lawndale.• Partner with Development leadership to identify diversified revenue streams, including corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and grant opportunities.• Bring the voices, ideas, and perspectives of community members to the organization in order to guide programmatic and book access strategy.• Create equity centered metrics for evaluation and continuous improvement including internal and external tracking and reporting tools.• Lead hiring, management, and professional development of engagement team; serve as member of senior leadership team.• Advise on long term organizational strategy as member of Board Strategic Visioning Committee.

Education

• Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago

  Civic Leadership, Civic Leadership Academy (CLA)

• University of Illinois Chicago

  Master’s Degree, Museum and Exhibition Studies (MUSE)

• Associated Colleges of the Midwest

  Urban Studies Program

• Illinois Wesleyan University

  BA, History, Russian Language, Culture, and Literature