Mark Kelly, the appointee to take over the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), will face his official confirmation hearing Monday afternoon. Kelly replaced Michelle T. Boone, who moved on to Navy Pier after five years at DCASE, and has been serving in an interim capacity since August 15.
Kelly carries a long list of arts credentials: founder and chair of Columbia’s Wabash Arts Corridor, artistic director of the Halloween Gathering (which launched last year), and member of the Arts Alliance Illinois Board, the Chicago Loop Alliance Board, and America’s Urban Campus Committee. He has been Vice President for Student Success at Columbia College Chicago for more than 30 years. He told Columbia’s student newspaper he was not on the market for the DCASE position, but “jumped” at the opportunity.