Staff

The Chicago Poetry Center’s phenomenal staff has over 80 years of shared nonprofit education, arts and culture experience. Our team are leaders in their field and are award winning creative professionals, too. They have founded and edited literary magazines, hosted reading series, worked as teaching artists and workshop facilitators, and presented on topics in the field locally, nationally, and internationally. Our staff believes in building arts equity across the field while living personally and professionally creative lives. The Chicago Poetry Center staff are award winning poets, Lit 50 Hall of Famers, content creators and illustrators. Through their dynamic skill sets, our staff brings innovative ideas to advancing creative literacy for the public, arts equity for professional poets and young people alike, and institutional models that create community-wide engagement.

Helene Achanzar, Director of Programs, Chicago Poetry Center staff

Helene Achanzar

Director of Programs

 Esther Ikoro, Content Strategist

Esther Ikoro

Content Strategist

 Samuel Johnson, Programs Assistant, Chicago Poetry Center staff

Samuel Johnson

Programs Assistant

 Marty McConnell, Director of Strategy & Innovation

Marty McConnell

Director of Strategy & Innovation

 Portrait of the Chicago Poetry Center executive director B. Metzger Sampson

B. Metzger Sampson

Executive Director

 Rinnah Shaw, Operations and Resource Manager, Chicago Poetry Center Staff

Rinnah Shaw

Operations and Resource Manager

 Megan Ha, Communications Intern

Megan Ha

Communications Intern

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