CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is pleased to announce new staff member Jessica Besser-Rosenberg, who will join the Council as Program Officer, and the promotion of  Margaret (Maggie) Berndt to Communications and Audience Development Manager from her previous position as Communications and Program Coordinator.

Ms. Besser-Rosenberg joins the IHC on June 23. Her duties will include working on the IHC’s Community Grants program and overseeing the IHC Road Scholars Speakers Bureau. A native of Canada, she received a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, where she studied Political Science and Theater.

Ms. Berndt has been promoted to Communications and Audience Development Manager, effective on July 1. She joined the IHC as Communications and Program Coordinator in May 2007.  Her new duties will include overseeing all Illinois Humanities Council communications and media relations, as well as increasing public awareness and visibility of the IHC’s mission and programs.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to the IHC and congratulate Maggie on her promotion," said Executive Director Kristina A. Valaitis. "They both bring a love of the humanities, as well as a variety of communications and administrative skills, to their new positions."

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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