Mariam Thiam is an active creative producer of public programming currently serving as the  Program Director of Performing Arts for the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and  Special Events managing a creative team and an expansive portfolio of dance, music and theater programs and special initiatives in Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and neighborhood activations. Mariam Thiam has held previous roles as the Community Arts Engagement  Manager at The University of Chicago Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Manager of  Curricular Enhancements for the Academy for Urban School Leadership, Program Manager of Arts in Sacred Places for Partners for Sacred Places, Education and Outreach Coordinator for  Luna Negra Dance Theatre  and has led two nonprofits as  Executive Director, Blessed Sacrament Youth Center and the Hyde Park School of Dance. Mariam  Thiam is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in  Dance and minor in African American Studies, completed a Masters of Science in Nonprofit Management with a focus on Human Services Administration from Spertus College in Chicago and  holds a Certificate in Digital Marketing and Integrated Communications from The University of  Chicago.