Ariel Van Cleave

Ariel Van Cleave is Chicago Public Media’s Deputy Director, Operations and Strategy. She has experience as a managing editor, news director, reporter, producer and host. Ariel had her first brush with public radio while working at WCBU as a student at Bradley University. After graduating, she moved to Springfield to work as a statehouse reporter for the Illinois Radio Network while earning her master’s in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Ariel has worked across the public media system for two decades and is now focused on training, strategy, workflows, and newsroom culture and management. Ariel is also the founder and executive director of HostCon Fund, a nonprofit organization focused on providing training for public media hosts/anchors and producers from across the country.