Abu Ansari is the Executive Assistant to the President and Executive Vice President. In his role, he provides administrative support and assists in all areas of the senior executives’ work, from membership and events to policy initiatives.

Prior to the Civic Committee, Abu worked at Enlivant, where he supported the CAO and CHRO and spearheaded employee engagement efforts. He also served as the Internal Communications Manager at Ounce of Prevention Fund and as an executive assistant at @properties and Guaranteed Rate.

Abu performed in theatres across Chicago for twenty years as a professional actor, and his current passion lies in using interactive theatre and performance for social change. In his time away from work, he facilitates interactive workshops focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion, origin stories, loneliness, and deconstructing historical narratives, among other topics.

Abu received his BFA in Theatre (Acting) from Texas State University and an MA in Applied Theatre from Goldsmiths University in London. He delights in being an uncle to his pandemic-born niece, a surrogate uncle to a village of friends’ children, and traveling across the world to be with friends and family.