Randy Cohen is Vice President of Local Arts Advancement at Americans for the Arts, the nation's advocacy organization for the arts. Randy is charged with ensuring that every community and arts organization in America is served by a local arts agency—and that every community in America is an environment where the arts can thrive. Combining the strengths of research, advocacy, professional development, and member services, Randy leads a team of 17 who strengthen the nation’s network of 5,000 local arts agencies. A member of the staff of Americans for the Arts since 1991, Randy is among the most noted experts in the field of arts funding, research, policy, and using the arts to address community development issues. In January 2010, Randy released The National Arts Index, the first ever annual measure of the health and vitality of arts in the U.S.  He published the two premier economic studies of the arts industry—Arts & Economic Prosperity, the national impact study of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences; and Creative Industries, an annual mapping study of the nation’s 680,000 arts establishments and their employees. Randy led the development of the National Arts Policy Roundtable, an annual convening of leaders who focus on the advancement of American culture, launched in 2006 in partnership with Robert Redford and the Sundance Preserve.  Randy has given speeches in 48 states, and regularly appears in the news media—including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and on CNN, CNBC, and NPR.  His board work includes the Takoma Park Arts & Humanities Commission, a municipal agency which he chaired for three years.