Cincinnati Opera Reveals New Board Officers, Trustees, and Associate Members

Cincinnati Opera has announced the election of officers for its board of trustees for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, as well as the addition of nine trustees and two Cincinnati Opera Board Associates.

Officers were elected at Cincinnati Opera’s Annual Meeting on September 18, 2024, and will serve one-year terms. They include:

• President Ronald T. Bates, Managing Director, 1919 Investment Counsel
• Chair Melanie M. Chavez, Partner, Chavez Properties
• Treasurer Robert Bitter, Partner, Deloitte & Touche
• Secretary Charles E. Baverman III, Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl

Also as of the Annual Meeting, new trustees and new members of the Cincinnati Opera Board Associates, a subsidiary of the board of trustees composed of young professionals, began their three-year terms. 

New trustees include:

• Aine Baldwin, Senior Attorney, The Kroger Co.
• Onassis Caneris, M.D., interventional pain management specialist, Riverhills Neuroscience
• Kristy Davis-Mustain, Employee Engagement and Internal Communications Manager, Johnson & Johnson MedTech
• Mike Kelly, founder and principal advisor, Kelly Financial Planning, LLC
• Helen Kemp, R&D Director, Disruptive Innovation and Feminine Wellness Platform, Procter & Gamble
• Bo-Kyung Kim Kirby, retired, Northern Kentucky University
• Tarita Preston, professional life and leadership coach
• Cristina Rugg, Senior Brand Manager, Procter & Gamble
• Ann Santen, retired, 90.9 WGUC

New Board Associates include:

• Sawyer Clifton, Account Executive, Integrity Express Logistics
• Nicolette Rader, Engagement Officer, Cincinnati Parks Foundation