Leadership
Amanda Delheimer
Artistic Director
Amanda Delheimer's scholarly and artistic work circles around the intersections of story, psychology, biases, and the body. She was chosen for the inaugural artEquity Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator cohort, funded by the Mellon Foundation and hosted by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015. Since then, she has actively engaged with the Theater Communications Group as a part of their anti-racism work, including presenting on “White Fragility and Social Location Theory” and “How to Break Down White Supremacy Culture” at their annual convening. For the Michigan Presenters Conference in Detroit, MI, she developed a workshop called “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion—What does that mean for Presenters?” As the Artistic Director of 2nd Story, she has facilitated trainings, workshops, and experiences for partners on a local and national level, including work with Comcast NBC Universal, Motorola, Fifth/Third Bank, Skadden Arps, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, the Gender and Sexuality Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the National Able Network, among others. (she/her)
Lilian Matsuda
Interim Managing Director
Lilian’s professional journey and passions have found a home at the intersection of the performing arts, communications, and social justice. She is committed to ending systems of oppression and leading with vulnerability. Most recently, Lilian was Director of Advocacy (Illinois Action for Children) where she focused on movement building and supporting equitable policy for the early childhood education and care workforce and families. She led a diverse statewide coalition that has been able to increase both legislative support for early childhood education as well as critical state funding to this underrecognized field. Prior to her work in advocacy, Lilian held marketing and communications roles with Viceroy Hotel Group and SVEDKA Vodka (Constellation Brands). Lilian is a proud nisei (second generation Japanese American) and energetic anti-food-waste advocate. Outside of work, she enjoys singing as a first soprano in the DePaul Community Chorus, eating noodles, and learning how to be a parent to a toddler. Lilian holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Otterbein University) and a Master’s in Public Health (University of Illinois at Chicago).
Staff
CAROLYN AGUILA
Manager of Relationships
Carolyn S. Aguila has served Chicago’s arts and cultural communities through her arts administration experience, which includes tenures with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (DCASE), Brooks Permissions, The Mercury Theatre, and the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre. She has also worked with Cinema/Chicago, Mark Kelly Smith, and supported numerous boards, committees, and panels. As a published poet, Aguila understands an artist’s creative process, the challenges of forming a career in a competitive field, and creating allies among one’s peers, among many other professional issues. (she/her)
Ali Drumm
Manager of Strategy and Operations
Ali Drumm is a Chicago based arts administrator, production manager, and event coordinator. When she’s not working for 2nd Story, Ali also works as a project manager for Handcrafted Learning where she helps develop e-Learning for Fortune 500 companies across retail, manufacturing, technology, and hospitality. In Chicago, Ali has worked with numerous other arts organizations, including Lookingglass, Steppenwolf, The New Colony, the House Theatre of Chicago, the Apollo Theater (with Million Dollar Quartet), About Face Theatre, and Pivot Arts. (she/her)
LIZ RICE
Manager of CURRICULUM AND EDUCATION
Liz Rice is an arts and education administrator experienced in working with emerging to established theater and non-profit organizations. Over the course of her career, she has worked with Chicago-based arts and community organizations, K-12 teachers, artists and teaching artists, and arts patrons. She has facilitated workshops for Chicago Public School teachers, including presenting at the 2017 CPS Arts Education conference, Illinois State University’s National Center for Urban Education and Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline. 2nd Story, and Goodman Theatre. (she/her)