Nora Gainer

Nora Gainer is an accomplished professional in civic relations, partnerships, and marketing within the arts and hospitality sectors. Currently serving as the Executive Director of Civic Relations and Partnerships at the Art Institute of Chicago since October 2022, Gainer previously held multiple roles at the institution, including Director of Partnerships and Tourism and Director of Tourism Marketing. Gainer's innovative initiatives include the development of the Project Windows retail partner contest and the China Ready program. Prior to the Art Institute, Gainer worked as a Principal Consultant at NGD Ventures, focusing on market feasibility and brand management for clients like Preferred Hotel Group and Hyatt Corporation. Gainer also served as Vice President of Marketing at Preferred Hotel Group and as Director of Marketing for Swissotel in The Americas. Gainer earned a Bachelor of Science in Art History with an Italian minor from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and studied at Scuola per Stranieri in Siena, Italy.