The Board of Directors of the Institute of Cultural Affairs in the USA (ICA USA) is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Nino Tillman as its new Executive Director. His hiring is the result of a broad-scale national search that yielded a diverse array of prospective candidates. Mr. Tillman is a proven leader and brings 20 years of professional nonprofit operations, finance, program, and strategic planning experience to ICA USA.

He has been an Executive Director with the YMCA system and two community development corporations. His experiences include being a Project Manager for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for the Chicago Games, an eight-day multi-sport and cultural event. Most recently he has been a strategic and financial consultant for the University of Chicago, A Natural Harvest Health Food Stores, Partners in Charity and Bottomless Closet.

He has received several awards acknowledging his service, including the award for Outstanding Contribution to Community Development and the Community Service and Leadership Awards from the City of Atlanta and Miami, respectively.

He graduated from the University of Maryland and holds an MBA from Northwestern University's, Kellogg Graduate School of Business and has provided training to various community groups on cultural sensitivity, human resources and grant-writing/oversight. Mr. Tillman stated that he is excited and honored that he will be able to continue ICA USA’s mission of facilitating positive social change, being a resource for research and using best practices to empower the community. He lives in Chicago with his wife and their two children.
Carolyn Houpt Antenen, ICA USA Board President said, "Because ICA USA has such a wide base of constituents, programs and complex intellectual property, our selection criteria was    demanding. Mr. Tillman has the superior management skills and personal warmth to connect with our spectrum of stake holders. ICA USA friends will discover that he possesses leadership qualities that resonate with ICA values and the business talents to develop our national program collaboration strategy".

The ICA USA is a private, not-for-profit social change organization. Its primary objective is to catalyze positive change in communities, organizations and individual lives in the US and around the world by helping people find their own solutions to problems and the means to implement those solutions. The ICA USA uses highly participatory techniques to foster creative thinking, consensus-based decision making and team building. Its methods generate ownership, create clear goals, open lines of communication, broaden perspectives and motivate people to adapt to their changing environment while honoring the cultural traditions and diversity of all involved. Current programs include the Technology of Participation (ToP) curriculum, The Learning Basket parenting skill curriculum, Youth As Facilitators, and Neighborhood Academy.