The LA Opera Announces Six New Board Members

LA Opera General Director Plácido Domingo announced that six new board members have been elected to the company's Board of Directors since the opening of the 2014/15 season.

"I am delighted to be collaborating with these newest members of the LA Opera family," said Mr. Domingo. "LA Opera's incredible artistic achievements simply would not be possible without the essential and much appreciated leadership of our board members. I am deeply grateful to them for their support for LA Opera and our artistic vision."

"It is an honor for LA Opera to welcome such an esteemed group of leaders, from our city and from across North America, to our board this season," said Marc Stern, Chairman of LA Opera's Board of Directors. "They are a great testament to the ever-expanding reach and influence of our company and I look forward to working with each one of them."

About the New Board Members

Beatrice Bennett is a longtime supporter of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Five Acres, Boys and Girls Club, and many schools, including the Colburn School. She was the President of Art Center 100 and has been a docent at the Huntington Library. She is a member of Orphanage Guild, The Blue Ribbon and the Library Foundation.

Dr. Carol E. Cass is Professor Emerita of Oncology and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Alberta. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the recipient of numerous research awards. Dr. Cass served as Chair of the Department of Oncology at the University of Alberta from 1996 to 2007 and Director of the Cross Cancer Institute, the tertiary cancer center for Edmonton and northern Alberta, from 2003 to 2010.

Linda Pascotto is the President of the Board of Directors of The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF), an L.A.-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to helping people around the world discover the words of Prem Rawat, known also as Maharaji, and to improving the quality of life for those most in need. She is Trustee Emeritus of Viewpoint School in Calabasas. She supports directly and through her private foundation many charitable organizations that promote specific cultural, social and educational work.

Susan Shapiro is a retired partner of the Boston law firm of Ropes & Gray, where her practice areas were in estate planning and settlement. She is currently active as a principal of PMR Venture LP, a trust management firm. She serves on the Board of the Boston Lyric Opera, the Nantucket Land Council, Inc., and the Nantucket Yacht Club. She previously served as Trustee of the New England Conservatory of Music, is a former board member of The Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Inc., and was a past officer of the Harbor Point Community Task Force, Inc.

Geoffrey P. Wharton is the former COO of the Los Angeles Dodgers and former President of the John McCourt Company, the real estate and construction arm of the McCourt Group. He previously was with Apollo Real Estate Group, where he oversaw the master planning and entitlements for Sunset La Cienega in West Hollywood and the Columbia Square project in Hollywood. Prior to Apollo, he led Silverstein Properties' role in developing a master plan for the World Trade Center. He was also President of Douglas Elliman, one of New York City's largest residential real estate brokerage firms.

Zev Yaroslavsky has helped to initiate a number of innovative programs that allow the community to experience LA Opera performances, including the radio broadcast series LA Opera on Air,the live video broadcast series Opera at the Beach, and performances in community venues, such as Great Opera Choruses.He recently retired from his position as Los Angeles County Board Supervisor, representing the Third District. He has been an ardent supporter of the arts and culture across the County, leading initiatives to expand many of the major music organizations, museums and cultural institutions during his tenure at the County, as well as his past position as a Los Angeles City Councilman.

LAOpera.org

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