Palm Beach Opera Announces Staff Promotion and New Hires

Palm Beach Opera just announced the promotion of Natalie Parker to the position of Individual and Planned Giving Manager, as well as three new staffing appointments: Alexandra Richter to the position of Individual Giving and Grants Manager, Alyse Landers Keller to the position of Special Events and Corporate Relations Manager, and Abbey Ward to the position of Education and Community Engagement Associate.

"We are thrilled to expand our team with new members whose expertise will strengthen the company's commitment to artistic excellence, growth and sustainability, and impactful relationships with all local and national stakeholders," said General Director Daniel Biaggi.

In her first season with the opera, Ms. Parker successfully launched initiatives to increase the company's annual fund support and donor base, as well as assisted with company granting requirements. With strong interest for increasing planned giving efforts from the company's leadership and senior management, Ms. Parker will now also lead the company's planned giving initiatives as the Individual and Planned Giving Manager.

Ms. Richter will be responsible for assisting all annual fund efforts, as well as managing all government, foundation, and individual granting requirements in the newly created Individual Giving and Grants Manager position. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Richter worked at the American Heart Association in New York City where she managed the major gifts program. Alexandra has a background in classical piano and ballet, and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Public Relations, with a minor in Art History, from the University of Florida.

As the newly created Special Events and Corporate Relations Manager, Mrs. Keller will be responsible for managing all aspects of the company's special events, as well as securing new corporate sponsorships and underwriting for company events and programming, including any corporate granting requirements. Mrs. Keller has extensive experience working with managing boards and arranging their high-end meetings and events, both nationally and internationally, most recently with The International Council of Shopping Centers. Alyse graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Business Administration from the University at Albany.

Having recently served as one of Palm Beach Opera's Teaching Artists, Mrs. Ward as the company's newly created Education and Community Engagement Associate will be responsible for managing the company's Palm Beach Opera Studio and Story Time Series programs. She will also assist in managing and growing company programs that engage K-12 students. Abbey received her Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Wheaton College Conservatory, IL.

"With these new team members and strategically constructed positions, we are able to continue structuring the company in the right ways, allowing us to more deeply work in as many important aspects of education, engagement, and fundraising as possible," said Managing Director David Walker.

Additionally, Palm Beach Opera congratulates Dr. Jourdan Laine Howell who, after enjoying great success with the company for three seasons, is expanding her career with other opportunities. As the Education and Engagement Manager, Dr. Howell managed the company's Goldner Center for Children's Opera Education, which under her leadership experienced significant expansion of programming and a 46% increase in participation. Jourdan also invested in noteworthy accessibility measures, garnered national recognition for initiating the company's Opera OUT Loud program, and elevated the participation, quality, and impact of the company's Studio training program for high school students.

"We are deeply appreciative of Jourdan's extraordinary work. We are very proud of the enhancements and participation increases in our programs, as well as the success of additional engagement initiatives, made possible by her dedication and efforts. We will miss her as part of our opera family, and we wish her continued great success," said Biaggi and Walker.

Palm Beach Opera is dedicated to producing live opera at an international standard of excellence and to enriching the life of the communities it serves with a diverse offering of educational programs. Founded in 1961, the fully professional Palm Beach Opera presents main stage performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach and is a proud member of OPERA America and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.

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