Deborah Obalil has 20 years of 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 currently serves as the President & Executive Director of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD), leading the organization in achieving its mission of strengthening and connecting its member schools, thus advancing art and design education.

Prior to her appointment with AICAD, Deborah operated a successful boutique arts management consulting firm, Obalil & Associates. 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 has included leadership roles with the Alliance of Artists Communities, Arts & Business Council of Chicago, and the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. She has served on numerous non-profit boards of directors including Res Artis, the international network of artist residency centres; New Urban Arts, one of the country’s premier youth arts organizations, and Rhode Island Citizens for the Arts, a statewide advocacy organization, among others. In addition to the Foundation, Deborah currently serves on the board of Clinica Esperanza, a free clinic in Providence, RI that provides linguistically appropriate, culturally sensitive care to those in need.

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.