Deborah Obalil has over twenty years experience as a leader in the national arts and culture industry, having led multiple highly acclaimed organizations and served as a well regarded management consultant to the field. She was appointed the Executive Director of AICAD in June 2012 and as President of AICAD in fall 2015. As President & Executive Director she leads the organization in achieving its mission of strengthening and connecting its members schools, thus advancing art and design education.

Prior to her appointment with AICAD, Deborah operated a successful boutique arts management consulting firm, Obalil & Associates, for four years. The firm provided consultation and facilitation in strategic planning, marketing research and planning, and board development for non-profit arts organizations, independent artists of all disciplines, and creative for-profit ventures.

Deborah’s career within arts organizations placed her most recently as the Executive Director of the Alliance of Artists Communities, an organization dedicated to the advancement of America’s creative vitality through supporting the field of artists’ communities, based in Providence, RI. The Alliance acts as the collective voice of the field while providing a variety of advocacy services and educational programs. During her six-year tenure as Executive Director, the Alliance’s membership grew by more than 20%, the annual budget tripled, and new relationships developed with the Ford Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation and the Joyce Foundation directed more than $2 million of re-granting funds through the Alliance. She also served on the board of directors of Res Artis, the international association for artist residency programs.

Deborah received a Bachelor of Arts from Illinois Wesleyan University in History and Dance, and a certificate from the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders – Arts at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Joanne Kersh has two decades of experience conducting research, managing data, and working in higher education settings. Joanne joined AICAD in June 2013 as Assistant Director of Research Services, and became Director of Research in July 2019. As Director of Research, Joanne oversees all data and research related activities for AICAD. These activities include the collection and dissemination of institutional benchmarking data, the coordination of consortial participation in large national surveys, and the development of strategic research initiatives that support the interests of AICAD’s member schools and its overarching mission.

Prior to joining AICAD, Joanne was a senior research associate at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she worked closely with public schools and educational non-profit agencies to develop and evaluate programs that promoted equitable educational opportunities. She has a PhD in developmental psychology from Boston College, a Master’s degree in educational research from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor’s degree from New York University.

Ryan O’Keefe joined AICAD in February 2019 as Assistant Director of Programs & Operations. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Ryan graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing, then completed an MBA from Assumption College. Ryan started his career at the Harpoon Brewery, where he cut his teeth in marketing and events before moving into the higher education field. He’s spent the past 5 years working in the admission departments for Assumption College and Bryant University, traveling and recruiting students from over 30 states, while working with marketing on design, branding, and developing new initiatives to drive enrollment. Outside of work, Ryan continues to use his creative skills as a leather worker, hand sewing bags, wallets, belts, and other accessories under the name Mack + Hound, as well as being an accomplished trombone player and vocalist.