Marc Chalifoux
Against the Grain Theatre 
Association for Opera in Canada Honoree

Marc Chalifoux is vice president, digital and enterprise capabilities, at Thomson Reuters, where he leads the team responsible for digital sales and servicing at the world’s foremost provider of AI and technology solutions for legal, tax, and accounting professionals. Prior to this role, Chalifoux held senior positions at TD Bank in both Canada and the U.S., focusing on digital, fintech strategy and partnerships, communications, and corporate citizenship. 

With a background that bridges business, policy, and public service, Chalifoux has served as a senior communications advisor to both corporate and political leaders. He also played a leading role in the merger and integration of Canada’s largest charities dedicated to history and civic education. His board experience includes roles with the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition, the Sarcoma Cancer Foundation of Canada, and the Banff Forum, where he served as treasurer. Chalifoux holds an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. 

A passionate supporter of the arts, Chalifoux proudly admits that his only artistic talent is as an enthusiastic audience member. After being deeply moved by Orphée+, he reached out to Against the Grain Theatre to volunteer and soon after joined the Board of Directors in January 2019. He became chair in March 2020, stepping into leadership during the earliest days of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Jeffrey Cunard
Washington National Opera 

Jeffrey Cunard is a retired partner of the international law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, where he served as managing partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and was a partner since 1989. Over the course of his distinguished legal career, he led the firm’s corporate intellectual property, cyber law, information technology, and e-commerce practices. He also practiced in the areas of copyright litigation, media, publishing and the arts, and communications law and was a member of the firm’s Data Strategy and Security practice. During his career, he advised numerous museums, arts and cultural institutions, and a broad range of other nonprofit organizations. 

Cunard is the co-author and author of several publications on communications, the internet, and intellectual property law, and he has spoken widely on those topics and been recognized for his thought leadership in those fields. Outside of his professional career, for decades he has been a passionate, active, and generous supporter of the arts and, more broadly, cultural heritage and the humanities. He has previously served, and currently serves, on the boards of numerous arts and cultural organizations, reflecting his deep and sustained commitment to those sectors.

Since joining the Board of Trustees of Washington National Opera in 2014, Cunard has served on the WNO Executive Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee, the Finance Committee, and two iterations of the Strategic Planning Committee. Cunard was unanimously elected president of the WNO board in 2018, a position he held for six years. He was instrumental in the development and negotiation of WNO’s newest affiliation agreement with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He has been, and continues to be, a close counselor to WNO leadership. Since joining the board, he has been a relentless and tireless advocate for the development and implementation of policies and initiatives that have had and will continue to have a positive and consequential impact on the long-term financial health and stability of WNO.

Janet Farrell
IN Series 

Janet T. Farrell, IN Series board president, is a former banking executive. She retired as group vice president of M&T Bank’s Education and Not-for-Profit Banking Group, where she served from 1991 to 2021, capping a 50-year banking career. In that role, she led regional teams of commercial bankers serving educational institutions and nonprofit organizations from Richmond to Buffalo to Boston, helping to strengthen mission-driven enterprises through strategic financial guidance, financing, and general banking and investment management.

A longtime IN Series supporter, Farrell joined the IN Series board in 2020 and was elected board president in 2022. In those roles, she has focused on building organizational capacity, growing and diversifying the board, and strengthening board governance, all in support of the artistic vision of Artistic Director Timothy Nelson.

Beyond her career in finance, Farrell has made lasting contributions to community and cultural development, particularly within her areas of passion: the arts, education, community development, and the Latino community.  Her various board leadership positions over the years have included Washington Performing Arts treasurer, GALA Hispanic Theatre board chair, Cultural Development Corporation co-founder and treasurer, Hispanic College Fund treasurer, and the Latino Economic Development Corporation chair. Farrell is also an active supporter of the Irish Arts Center in New York City.

Farrell is a proud Goucher College alumna with a B.A. with high honors in Spanish and an M.B.A. from Loyola University of Maryland. She currently serves as treasurer of Goucher College’s Board of Trustees. Additionally, she is vice chair of BoardStrong, a nonprofit focused on providing tools to strengthen nonprofit board governance.

Throughout her career, Farrell has exemplified thoughtful leadership and deep civic engagement. Whether advancing economic opportunity, supporting cultural institutions, or guiding future leaders, she brings clarity, compassion, and a strong sense of purpose to every role she undertakes. Her “retirement” years are also blessed by the opportunity to travel extensively with her husband, Joe Drach, and her daughter, Gloria Candamo. Finally, in her spare time, she continues working with her voice coach, Lindsey Paradise, and singing in the Georgetown Chorale and in her church choir at Our Lady of Victory in Washington, D.C.

Erin Flannery 
Experiments in Opera 

Erin Flannery first connected with Experiments in Opera as a singer — drawn to its spirit of invention and commitment to redefining what opera can be. Inspired by the organization’s support for composers and performers working beyond the constraints of traditional opera, she later became one of the original board members when EiO became a nonprofit four years into its existence. Over the past 12 years, Flannery has helped the organization expand its reach and impact, and she is passionate about how Experiments in Opera, with a modest budget, creates bold, genre-pushing work while generating opportunities for dozens of performers each year.

A seasoned leader in cultural programming, fundraising, and arts management, Flannery brings over 15 years of experience in senior roles at nationally recognized nonprofits, including Minnesota Opera, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Radio, and WNET/Channel Thirteen. She was associate producer on Tony Award-winner Gavin Creel’s Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice and continues to collaborate with artists to expand their practice across disciplines.

Known for her ability to connect people and ideas, foster creative partnerships, and lead with vision and warmth, Flannery also serves on the boards of Women Winning, the Oratorio Society of New York, and The Casement Fund, a private foundation focused on poetry and the literary arts. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Liz Kathman Grubow
Cincinnati Opera 

Liz Kathman Grubow is a visionary creative leader whose decades-long career has left an indelible mark on Cincinnati’s cultural and civic landscape. She is a champion for creativity and an unwavering advocate who has worked to break barriers, spark progress, and make Cincinnati a more diverse and vibrant place.

From 1980 through 2024, Grubow led creative excellence and storytelling at LPK, the global brand and innovation consultancy that helped cement Cincinnati’s status as an epicenter for brand building. In her most recent role as VP, managing creative director, Grubow helped shape powerful brands for a diverse roster of clients.

Beyond the corporate sphere, Grubow has been a powerful force in the arts and philanthropic communities. After many years as a dedicated volunteer, supporter, and patron of Cincinnati Opera, she was elected to its board in 2006 and later served as its president (2019–2022) and chair (2022–2024). She also chaired the Opera’s most recent search for a general director and CEO, which culminated in the hiring of Chris Milligan, whose tenure began in March 2020. In addition to her years of service to Cincinnati Opera, Grubow has also been a longtime leader with the Cincinnati Art Museum, and her board service includes roles with concert:nova, the Baker-Hunt Art and Cultural Center in Covington, KY, and CoMADE, a startup incubator for makers and entrepreneurs.

Grubow’s leadership extends nationally and regionally through her involvement with OPERA America’s Trustee Council, the Women’s Capital Club, ArtsWave’s Women’s Leadership Roundtable, and the Contemporary Arts Center’s Womxn initiative. She is also a member of the Tocqueville Society and the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati.

Through every chapter of her career, Grubow has combined strategic vision, artistic passion, and civic dedication to inspire progress and deepen the impact of culture in Cincinnati and beyond.

Robert Milne
Pacific Opera Victoria
Association for Opera in Canada Honoree

Robert (Bob) Milne has been a member of the board of directors of Pacific Opera Victoria since 2005 and served as president for seven years. He has served on all of the board’s standing committees and many task forces, including multiple capital campaigns. He has had an active role in the board’s selection of current CEO Ian Rye, the previous two CEOs (Patrick Corrigan and David Shefsiek), and the current artistic director, Brenna Corner. Milne also serves as a trustee of the Pacific Opera Victoria Foundation.

Nationally, Milne is a member of the Association for Opera in Canada (formerly Opera.ca) and has participated in its conferences and colloquiums, including as a panel participant. He is also a member of OPERA America’s Trustee Council and participates in its Trustee Forums and annual conferences.

Professionally, Milne is a practicing business lawyer, now associate counsel at JB Lawyers LLP, where he was a senior partner for many years. His clients include many nonprofit housing and arts organizations. As a long-time resident of Victoria, he has had the privilege of serving on the boards of a variety of arts and community service organizations, including Dance Victoria, Theatre SKAM, Victoria Literary Arts Festival, AIDS Vancouver Island, and Royal Roads University. 

Mel Weingart
OPERA San Antonio

Mel Weingart is a distinguished cultural leader whose decades-long career has significantly shaped the artistic landscape of San Antonio. A passionate supporter and champion of the arts, he has dedicated his life to enriching the community through visionary leadership and unwavering advocacy. Weingart is a trained singer who studied for four years at the Juilliard School before returning to Texas in 1973. He went on to serve as general manager of The Argyle, San Antonio’s historic private club, for 27 years.

He currently serves as chairman of the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund, an organization committed to supporting theater arts initiatives locally and nationally. Under his leadership, the Fund helped develop and sustain the prestigious Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize through OPERA America along with the Director-Designer Showcase. The Fund also collaborates with the McNay Art Museum to preserve, enrich, and showcase the renowned Tobin Theatre Arts collection of the late opera patron Robert L.B. Tobin.

At OPERA San Antonio, Weingart has served as founder, board chair, general manager, artistic director, and chair emeritus. He has brought both artistic excellence and bold vision to the company’s programming. He helped introduce important new works — such as Tobias Picker and Donald Sturrock’s Fantastic Mr. Fox — as well as beloved classics like Madama Butterfly, expanding access to opera and deepening its relevance in the community.

Weingart’s contributions have left a lasting imprint on San Antonio’s cultural fabric, inspiring audiences and elevating the performing arts across the city.