Tom is an educator, organizer and activist based in Chicago. He's been a self-appointed Creativity Champion for over twenty years - as developer of community arts programming, advocate for the arts, teacher of arts and public policy classes and as a leadership trainer - preparing artists and creative professionals to run for local office. He believes creativity is a national value and should be a national priority. His web site is http://www.tresser.com. He is organizing a new citizen's effort to stop privatization and to defend and extend the commons at http://www.publicassets.us.