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Les Kniskern
Family and Community Engagement Specialist at Chicago Public Schools
Professional Background
Les Kniskern is a dynamic professional with a multifaceted career that beautifully intertwines the realms of art, community engagement, and public service. With extensive experience in both the arts and community development, Les has worked tirelessly across various positions that showcase his leadership skills and dedication to making a positive impact. Currently, he serves as the Family and Community Engagement Manager at Chicago Public Schools, where his efforts focus on fostering strong relationships between families and educational institutions to help enhance student success.
Prior to his role at Chicago Public Schools, Les accumulated an impressive array of experiences in political campaign management and community service. As the Chief Logistical Officer and Deputy Director for Operations during a Mayoral Campaign, he honed his organizational skills and strategic planning abilities, working diligently to ensure campaign efficiency and effectiveness. His commitment to volunteer services is evident from his time as the Director of Volunteer Services during the Cook County Assessor Campaign, where he oversaw and organized volunteer efforts that contributed to the campaign's success.
Les's experience as the Executive Director of Neighborhood Nutrition Centers is a testament to his dedication to community development and public health. He worked tirelessly to promote nutrition assistance programs and initiatives that support families throughout his community, making a notable difference in their well-being. Further enhancing his community engagement efforts, Les served as the Outreach Director at the Tax Reform Action Coalition, advocating for equitable tax policies to benefit underrepresented communities.
With a wealth of experience in government operations, Les excelled in various roles within governmental offices, including serving as Chief of Staff to Illinois State Representative John Fritchey. His ability to navigate complex political landscapes while ensuring effective constituent services speaks volumes about his leadership capabilities and commitment to serving the public.
In addition to his extensive background in community engagement and public service, Les has a rich history in the arts. He has held various significant positions in theater production, including Production Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager, and Associate Production Manager at esteemed institutions such as Goodman Theatre and Pittsburgh Public Theater. His deep understanding of the performing arts, combined with a commitment to community service, positions him uniquely within both fields, allowing him to bridge gaps and create impactful programs that resonate with diverse audiences.
Education and Achievements
Les Kniskern’s educational background lays a strong foundation for his impressive career. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from Carnegie Mellon University, where he honed his artistic talents and developed a passion for the performing arts. His educational journey also includes a Master of Arts in Community Development from North Park University, equipping him with the knowledge and skills necessary to address community challenges and promote sustainable development practices.
In addition, Les has pursued studies in Illinois Legislative Process at the University of Illinois Springfield, enhancing his understanding of governmental operations and public policy. His academic experience began with an Associate of Arts from Highline Community College, where he likely first explored the intersection of education and community building.
With a diverse skill set and a passion for both the arts and community advocacy, Les has made significant contributions throughout his career, marked by numerous achievements. His ability to organize and execute large-scale events, manage teams, and connect with individuals across all sectors has made him a valued member of the communities he serves.
Achievements
Throughout his expansive career, Les Kniskern has achieved numerous successes that reflect his dedication to public service and the arts. His leadership in various community programs and initiatives has not only improved the lives of many but has also set the standard for excellence in community engagement. Les has been recognized for his ability to bring together diverse groups such as families, schools, and community organizations, fostering collaboration and mutual support.
Moreover, his work in theater as a Production Stage Manager and other roles has achieved critical acclaim and contributed to the artistic landscape of the regions he has served. His capacity to manage production logistics and support prolific artists in bringing their creations to life speaks to his professional versatility and commitment to his craft. These achievements showcase Les's unwavering dedication to both the arts and public service, making him an exemplary figure in both fields.
Les Kniskern's strong commitment to the community is evident in his efforts to create inclusive environments and promote civic engagement. His work in public service and the arts highlights the transformative power of community involvement and the importance of supporting diverse voices.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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