Nick Roman (he/him)
Director of Development
Nick Roman is fiercely passionate about the inclusion of arts education in the classroom and its transformative impact on the whole student. A nonprofit executive, leader, artist, singer, and former educator, he has dedicated his career to expanding access to essential resources—including the arts—for people of all backgrounds. Drawing on lessons learned early in his career in arts education, Nick brings the heart of a teacher and mind of a business leader to the nonprofit fundraising sector, aligning mission-driven strategy with meaningful community impact.
Nick has extensive experience in the social services, education, and arts and culture sectors. He was most recently Chief Development Officer at Center on Halsted where he led substantial growth in individual giving and major gifts for the Chicagoland LGBTQ+ community, followed by oversight and leadership of all sources of private revenue. Prior to Center on Halsted, he was Senior Manager of Volunteer Boards and Events at Lyric Opera of Chicago and served in multiple roles for over four years. He has also worked at Columbia College Chicago and held a Board position with Big Noise Theatre. During his time in the classroom, Nick was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2016 from Tindley Accelerated Schools in Indianapolis.
In continuous pursuit of a challenge, Nick is a proud marathon runner with TEAM 2 END AIDS with AIDS Foundation Chicago, and a member of Apollo Chorus of Chicago. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Choral/General Music Education from Butler University and Master of Science in Leadership for Creative Enterprises from Northwestern University.