Ra Joy began his appointment as Chief of Staff at the National Endowment for the Arts on the first day of the Biden Administration, January 20, 2021. He brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in the arts, public policy and nonprofit management to the National Endowment for the Arts. Prior to his appointment, Ra served as a consultant and advisor to a broad range of philanthropic and nonprofit entities including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, More Equitable Democracy, among others.Ra previously served as executive director for CHANGE Illinois, a nonpartisan coalition leading systemic political and government reform. From 2007 to 2015, he served as executive director of Arts Alliance Illinois, one of the nation’s most prominent statewide arts advocacy and service organizations. In this role, Ra championed the arts as a public policy asset and civic priority at all levels of government.From 2001 to 2007, Ra served as a senior staffer for U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky, specializing in appropriations, community development, education, youth development, and the arts. He is a frequent writer and speaker on issues at the intersection of culture, the arts and participatory democracy.