Rachel Westerlund is a marketing professional and lifelong musician with a passion for storytelling, design, and building meaningful connections. As Marketing Manager at the Institute for Therapy through the Arts, she brings a strategic and creative lens to her work—supporting ITA’s mission through thoughtful brand development, digital outreach, and community-centered communications.
Rachel earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with a focus in Piano from Illinois State University. With over 15 years of experience as a piano instructor and accompanist, she brings a human-centered, collaborative approach to her marketing practice. Her work is grounded in creativity and accessibility, helping organizations communicate with authenticity and purpose.
She holds certifications in Google Analytics, email marketing, digital advertising, social media marketing, and project management, and is currently pursuing further training in full stack web development and UI/UX design.
Outside of ITA, Rachel enjoys hand embroidery, crocheting, reading, playing piano, and listening to podcasts. She lives in the northwest suburbs with her husband, Kevin, and their two energetic Australian Shepherds, Milo and Max.
Pronouns: she/her/hers