Alice Kim, currently Director of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, begins January 16, 2007

CHICAGO –The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Alice Kim as the Director of the Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council as of January 16, 2007.

Ms. Kim will develop and implement programs for the Public Square at the IHC and manage and lead the staff. She will also provide leadership in strategic planning, relationship-building, audience development, fundraising, and evaluation for the Public Square at the IHC.

Ms. Kim will leave both her current position as the Program Director for the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and her work with the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (where she was previously the Consortium Administrator) to join the Public Square at the IHC on January 16th.

Ms. Kim earned her B.A. in English and Women’s Studies at Northwestern University and her M.A. in English from DePaul University. Over the years, Ms. Kim has collaborated with a wide range of social justice organizations and in 2004 she was a recipient of the Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World Award.

“Alice brings a wealth of experience in social justice, as well as solid background in management, administration, and the humanities. We’re thrilled to welcome her to our team,” said Executive Director Kristina A. Valaitis in announcing Ms. Kim’s appointment.

“At a time when cable news offers loud and limited perspectives in the name of debate and diversity of opinion, the Public Square at the IHC creates a space for people, representing a variety of perspectives, to think and talk about important contemporary issues in a truly substantive way.”

Formerly an independent non-profit organization founded in 2000, the Public Square formally became part of the Illinois Humanities Council in December of 2004. For further information about the IHC, please contact us at 312.422.5580 or visit our website at www.prairie.org.

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

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