Tom Tresser is a consultant, producer, educator and trainer who can help individuals, companies and communities leverage and amplify their creative assets in order to solve problems, create economic value and trigger civic engagement. His web site is www.tresser.com. He recently designed and produced training experiences for the provincial government of Saskatchewan and Business Retention and Expansion International on using culture for local economic development. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, producing innovative and experiential strategic executive learning programs. He was director of cultural development at Peoples Housing, in northeast Chicago, where he created a community arts program that blended the arts, education and micro-enterprise. Tom has acted in some 40 shows and produced over 100 plays, special events, festivals and community programs. He was an arts activist, having organized support for pro-arts candidates and voter registration drives. In 2003 he was appointed Visiting Fellow in Arts and Culture at the DePaul University College of Commerce’s Ryan Center for Creativity and Innovation. Tom was elected to the Abraham Lincoln Elementary School’s Local School Council and served from 2004 to 2006. He is teaching a number of classes on art, creativity and civic engagement for Loyola University, DePaul University and the School of the Art Institute. He is currently acting as strategic planning and audience development consultant for Collaboraction Theater, one of Chicago's most innovative young performing arts groups.