Ximena Varela is a researcher, educator, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in international cultural policy, management practice, marketing strategy, arts management research, and culturally sustainable development. She has worked with and advised international organizations, national and regional governments, city agencies, as well as private and nonprofit organizations in arts funding and arts policy. She has published, lectured and taught extensively in the United States, Latin America, Europe and China. Currently, she serves on the board of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, is Co-Chair of the Research Council of the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE), and has been a board member of the Latin American Institute of Museums since 2000. Formerly, Prof. Varela served on the boards of the Bach Sinfonia and the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE) and the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Arts Management. She holds an MA in Arts Management for Drexel University, has course PhD studies in Comparative Politics from Temple University, two undergraduate degrees in Business and Finance from the Catholic University of Uruguay, and is a certified Teacher of English to Students of Other Languages. Ximena teaches courses in Museum Management, Marketing, International Cultural Management, Art and the City, Research Methods, and is Chair for the Arts Management theses.