{"id":18746,"date":"2026-02-04T02:30:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T02:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsmidwest.org\/?post_type=update&p=18746"},"modified":"2026-02-04T02:30:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T02:30:31","slug":"meet-lynne-and-joshua-arts-midwests-newest-board-members","status":"publish","type":"update","link":"https:\/\/artsmidwest.org\/about\/updates\/meet-lynne-and-joshua-arts-midwests-newest-board-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Lynne and Joshua, Arts Midwest’s Newest Board Members"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Arts Midwest is excited to welcome two new arts leaders to our Board of Directors: Lynne Chambers, CEO and Founder of Legacy Training, Inc<\/a>., and Joshua Davis-Ruperto, Executive Director of the Illinois Arts Council Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spoke with Lynne and Joshua to hear what\u2019s inspiring their work right now, their hopes for the Midwest, and learn why Midwestern creativity matters to them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lynne, tell us a little bit about yourself.<\/h3>\n

Hello! I’m Lynne Chambers, and I am the CEO and Founder) of Legacy Training, Inc. in Marion, Illinois.<\/p>\n

My work as an attorney and community advocate is focused on expanding access to arts, culture, and civic engagement \u2014 and I\u2019m also the one you\u2019ll find dancing in the aisles or sitting in front of a canvas, in deep dialogue. I love all things art and all things living, unabashedly and unapologetically.<\/p>\n

My career has centered on nonprofit leadership, community-centered program development, and cross-sector collaboration, with a particular focus on strengthening rural communities through the arts and humanities.<\/p>\n

I was born in Chicago and raised in southern Illinois by a family who believed that education is the antidote for poverty \u2014 and who believed in me. Their legacy, and the power of the arts to build connection and community, guides everything I do.<\/p>\n

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Joshua, tell us a little bit about yourself.<\/h3>\n

Hey everyone! My name is Joshua Davis-Ruperto, and I have served as Executive Director of the Illinois Arts Council since 2017, following previous roles as the agency\u2019s Deputy Director and Program Manager.<\/p>\n

Prior to this work, I taught undergraduate courses at Brandeis University, worked in board development at Steppenwolf Theatre, and contributed to urban planning projects for the architecture firm SOM.<\/p>\n

At the National Endowment for the Arts, I helped run the Education Leaders Institute, a national initiative aimed at strengthening arts education through collaboration with legislators and policy leaders.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also spent many years as a theater artist, performing with companies such as the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Goodman Theatre, and Chicago\u2019s Second City.<\/p>\n

I have an over-zealous doodle puppy named Violet and an unhealthy love for terrible reality television.<\/p>\n

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“I love all things art and all things living, unabashedly and unapologetically.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lynne Chambers, Legacy Training, Inc.<\/cite>\n <\/blockquote>\n\n