San Francisco Symphony Names David Chambers Chief Revenue & Advancement Officer

San Francisco Symphony (SFS) Executive Director Mark C. Hanson today announces the appointment of David Chambers as Chief Revenue and Advancement Officer. In this role, Chambers will serve as a key member of the Symphony's senior leadership team and will guide the institutional vision for the organization's philanthropic, audience, and volunteer development goals. Chambers begins his new post on October 22, 2018.

As Chief Revenue and Advancement Officer, David Chambers will plan and oversee the San Francisco Symphony's public-facing and revenue-generating activities, leading a dynamic team of fundraising, audience and volunteer development, special events, marketing, and communications professionals. He will also work closely with the Board of Governors and act as lead staff liaison for the Development and Marketing/Communications Committees as well as the Committee on Governors and Volunteer Council.

"I am delighted to welcome David Chambers in this new role as the San Francisco Symphony's Chief Revenue and Advancement Officer," stated SFS Executive Director Mark Hanson. "I had the privilege of working closely with David during my seven-year tenure at the Houston Symphony and I know first-hand what a passionate and skilled advocate he is for our art form. I look forward to David's leadership as we further align and strengthen the way the San Francisco Symphony communicates and builds lasting, meaningful relationships with our patrons and donors."

"I am honored that Sakurako Fisher and the Orchestra's Board of Directors, as well as Michael Tilson Thomas and Mark Hanson, have provided me the extraordinary opportunity to join the San Francisco Symphony family," commented David Chambers. "In addition to being one of the cultural beacons of the Bay Area, the San Francisco Symphony has long been a source of inspiration to me as it has innovatively carried out a bold vision for what a symphony orchestra can be and the impact it can have in the broader community. I look forward to working once again with Mark, and to joining with my new San Francisco Symphony colleagues as we look towards many exciting opportunities ahead."

David Chambers joins the San Francisco Symphony from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA), where he has been Vice President for Development since October 2017. During that time, he and the CSOA development team collectively secured $41 million in operating and endowment support for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Symphony Center Presents, and the Negaunee Music Institute at the CSO. Prior to his role in Chicago, Chambers served as Chief Development Officer of the Houston Symphony from 2011 to 2017, working closely with Mark Hanson, who at the time was Executive Director and CEO of that orchestra. Chambers' tenure at the Houston Symphony saw the achievement of significant fundraising initiatives related to a Sustainability Fund, the Houston Symphony Endowment, and funding that supported the Houston Symphony's comprehensive 10-year strategic plan. Following Hanson's move to San Francisco, the Houston Symphony appointed Chambers as Interim Co-Executive Director, a position he held for four months.

An accomplished fundraiser and public relations professional with more than 25 years of experience in the performing arts arena, David Chambers has also held positions at Houston Grand Opera leading Institutional Giving and in corporate giving, as National Publicist for Opera Australia, and as Publicist for the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Sydney and Playbox Theatre Centre in Melbourne. A native of Australia, Chambers holds a Bachelor of Business degree from the Victoria University of Technology in Melbourne. Chambers and his husband Alex Steffler-who got married in San Francisco in 2013-very much look forward to making the Bay Area home.

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