Ms. Arnold’s proudest professional achievement is in opening a new children’s museum for her community during her decade-long tenure in the museum industry.
LOMBARD, IL, September 16, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ — April A. Arnold has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Arnold is an expert in external affairs and management who has been the executive director of the Associated Colleges of Illinois in Chicago since 2022. She supports independent colleges and universities in this role by securing funding and opportunities through individuals and corporate and foundation partnerships. Ms. Arnold also focuses on utilizing talents from these institutions along with a network of caring board volunteers to help underrepresented students.
In addition to her leadership role at Associated Colleges of Illinois, Ms. Arnold has served as an independent consultant, focusing on her work as a strategist, idea generator, relationship builder and revenue driver.
Leveraging decades of former success, Ms. Arnold’s early work centered around arts and culture. She was the assistant to the director of marketing and public relations at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra before becoming the assistant to the president until 1996. She then transitioned to the Illinois Arts Alliance (now Arts Alliance Illinois) as the director of development and membership. Ms. Arnold’s passion for museum work led her to roles such as director of development and marketing at DuPage Children’s Museum where she was a key partner in the opening and operations of the museum, as co-founder, owner and senior partner at Museum Explorer Inc., and director of development and marketing at Elmhurst Art Museum.
In higher education, Ms. Arnold held several critical positions at Elmhurst University, including senior development officer, director of corporate relations and director of institutional giving. She then moved on to alma mater Northern Illinois University as the director of corporate relations and foundations.
In preparation for her career, Ms. Arnold received a Bachelor of Arts in theater from Northern Illinois University. She also holds several professional designations that have bolstered her career, including credentials as a certified fund-raising executive from CFRE International and a Lean Six Sigma green belt through the Chicago Deming Association. Additionally, Ms. Arnold completed a course in nonprofit leadership through The Allstate Foundation.
Ms. Arnold’s commitment to her professional community has included memberships in the Publicity Club of Chicago, Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officers, the West Suburban Philanthropic Network, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Her civic engagement is evident through her current role on the alumni board for Metropolitan Family Services. Previously, Ms. Arnold was a board member for Family Shelter Service, a domestic violence shelter, and a board member and chairperson of the development and stewardship committee for Metropolitan Family Services DuPage. Other community involvement includes participation in strategic planning for the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau, focus group work to establish a local arts council initiative and additional board service for the DuPage Convalescent Center.
Ms. Arnold’s proudest professional achievement is in opening a new children’s museum for her community during her decade-long tenure in the museum industry. This accomplishment reflects her passion for developing meaningful projects that benefit families and children by providing non-coercive learning opportunities. In light of her community contributions, the West Suburban Philanthropic Network recognized Ms. Arnold as Outstanding Volunteer in 2019. She attributes her professional and civic success to her resilience, persistent effort to help others, continuous pursuit of knowledge and receptiveness to opportunities and connections that others may not readily see. She has tremendous gratitude for the network of mentors and colleagues that have supported her over the years and strives to pay the same kindness forward every day.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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