Florida Grand Opera Announces New Board Members

Florida Grand Opera (FGO) held its Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors on Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at its Doral Center office. At the meeting the Board elected the new slate of officers for the coming year.

David Treitel, Chairman
William H. Hill, Immediate Past Chairman
Caroline B. Pierce, Chair Elect
Arlene Mendelson, Vice Chair
Robert C. Gang, Treasurer
Robert B. Glick, Assistant Treasurer
Kristin Podack, Secretary
Olga Figueras, Assistant Secretary
Armando Olmedo, Representative to the Arsht Center Trust

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

In addition the following individuals were appointed to the Board.

Linda Balent

Linda is a retired ophthalmologist and practiced with her husband in Fort Lauderdale from 1982 to 2004. She has had season tickets to the opera in Fort Lauderdale since 1983. She first attended the FGO Board meetings as the President of the Opera Society from 2005 to 2007.

From 2007 to 2012, she was an FGO Board member. She is very glad to have been invited back because she loves opera and because she believe that FGO is one of the most important cultural institutions in South Florida. She is honored to be able to help keep it thriving in our community.

Barbara Copanos

Barbara has been involved with the Opera Society of Fort Lauderdale and with Florida Grand Opera for more than 28 years. Her love of music dates back to her childhood in Baltimore, where her father was one of the founders of the Baltimore Opera. She is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Music and studied with Arturo di Filippi. Barbara was also a Greater Miami Opera Young Artist and sang professionally for many years. Barbara was a Florida Grand Opera Crown Jewel for 15 years and is delighted to be rejoining the Board of FGO.

Stephen Pierce

Stephen has considerable experience in the nonprofit field. He has been chairman of a large private library, treasurer and board member of a major private charity hospital, treasurer and board member of an American foundation at the University of Paris, vice-president of a chamber music orchestra organizing annual foreign tours, and member of the executive committee of a contemporary dance company in Cambodia performing worldwide. Stephen understands the working of nonprofits in the arts. He is dedicated to opera and has demonstrated his commitment to FGO.

Bob Werner

Bob has been married to Florence for 64 years to date, and they have four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He is a metallurgical engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who spent his business career in a family business, Werner Company, known for their Werner ladder products. Bob retired as senior vice president and chief technologist of the firm.

Upon retirement in 1997 Bob has worked in a wide range of nonprofit organizations as a volunteer, board member, president, chair, secretary, and treasurer. Bob has been on about 12 boards and several key nonprofit committees. Bob enjoys employing his vast range of business and nonprofit experience to improve the success of nonprofits.

He is delighted to be joining the Florida Grand Opera Board and looks forward to making some significant contributions.

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