Is this a big career change from the publishing world?

It doesn’t feel that way to me, because we’re talking about directing a group of creative people with a mission to make life better, working in a community that is full of advertisers and communities that are full of customers, a very diverse audience. There’s creative expectations here too, very high expectations of excellence. It’s also about marketing, about balancing the books, about personnel, so there are a lot of similarities. Regardless of which magazine I was working on at Meredith, every magazine was a new product, and every one of our operas is a brand-new product. I love that.

What drew you to the opera?

It’s something I think I was looking for in a position that would take advantage of what I’ve learned by being a creative leader, by being a communicator, looking at marketplaces differently, and I was looking for a position in nonprofit, so this was a wonderful marriage of those things.

What are some goals you have?

The goals are very clear. First and foremost, make sure that this is a 40th anniversary about the next 40 years. So to build on this wonderful foundation of great performances, a high creative level, but also a testimony to people who just really passionately love opera. This is a very high-end opera. So we have a lot to celebrate here. To get the word out is a major, major goal.

What from your time in publishing has prepared you for this job?

I think a lot of this – my expectations, the board’s expectations – has to do with leadership. I have been in a leadership role from age 27 on. I think I’m really drawn to challenges, and to challenges that have missions I believe in. I believed in the missions of our magazines, I believed in Meredith. I believed in the mission that I had through my company at Reader’s Digest Association. And I believe in the mission of this organization.

What should people in this area know about the opera?

First of all, it’s only 17 miles. So please take the time and effort to come down and see us. I think that people don’t realize how close it is, how world-class it is, and how wonderful it is even if you’ve never been before. It is for everybody, and it is a life-changing experience. We have a theater that is so intimate, you feel like you are in the opera. It’s very, very special.

Why are the arts important?

I think that anybody who can imagine life without the arts would understand how essential it is. We are visual, emotional people. We can imagine life without it, and it’s not as pretty or enjoyable or fulfilling. I don’t think it has to be one kind of art. I think the idea is it’s very personal. And that’s what opera is. You really are there as a crowd of 500 people, but you’re having your own experience.

What are the biggest challenges facing the opera?

I think the biggest challenge facing this particular company and certainly some of the other opera companies that are around the country is the financial stress. The economic environment has changed a lot the last three years, and some of the constraints of people being able to support their favorite causes, that has weakened. We don’t see that coming back, so that is going to be a constant challenge. … We work really hard here to make sure we’re not taking away from the quality of the product; that’s the first and foremost thing we want to do.

What do you do outside of work?

I’m on the advisory council for the Greenlee School of Journalism (at Iowa State University) and prior to that I was on the (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) Dean’s Advisory Council. I’ve been also on the women in philanthropy committee at Iowa State. So Iowa State is big on my list of organizations that I want to support and continue to support. And it has to do with education, and education is really key to what we do here and that aligns well with that. I also really believe in sharing what you’ve learned and passing it along to the next generation. Beyond that, I love to do things that are creative. I’m always decorating or cooking or gardening or something that doesn’t fall very far from my career path.