Lyric Opera Of Kansas City Welcomes New Chief Development Officer Ashley Parks

Lyric Opera of Kansas City General Director and CEO Deborah Sandler Kemper has announced a new appointment to the company's senior staff. Ashley Parks started her new position as Chief Development Officer on Jan. 3, 2025.

Sandler Kemper stated, “I am delighted to welcome Ashley to our Lyric Opera family. She is an outstanding professional who brings a deep wealth of opera experience and philanthropic accomplishments.   I know she will have a lasting impact on Lyric Opera.” 

Ashley Parks is an experienced fundraiser and arts administrator with over fifteen years of opera industry knowledge and nonprofit expertise. She recently served as the Director of Development at Arizona Opera, leading a team of fundraisers and volunteers in achieving the company's overall contributed income goals. Highlights of her tenure include the successful completion of a $10 million capital campaign, a doubling of the annual fund, and substantial increases in special events revenue and participation. 

With a breadth of experience in opera companies of all sizes, Ashley has previously held positions in both development and artistic administration at North Carolina Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, The Peace Center for the Performing Arts, and Brevard Music Center. She is an alumna of Opera America's 2016 Leadership Intensive program and has served as a session panelist at multiple Opera America conferences. 

A classically-trained pianist and lifelong opera lover, Ashley has a Bachelor of Music in Music Theory from Furman University in Greenville, SC, and a Master of Arts in Arts Management from American University in Washington, DC. 

Parks stated, “I am honored to join the Lyric Opera of Kansas City team as it embarks on its next chapter of growth and artistic excellence. Kansas City is thriving, both culturally and economically, and I am excited to contribute to this important work and connect with the community through this art form that I love.”