Opera Volunteers International

Since 1994-95, Opera Volunteers International, and its predecessor organization, Opera Guilds International, has honored over 80 individual members who have made outstanding contributions to their opera companies and to their communities. The presentation of the Partners in Excellence Award is an important event at our annual conferences. It consists of a lapel pin and a certificate.

To receive the award, candidates must be recommended, in writing, by their guild President, who in turn obtains supporting recommendations from the opera company’s General Director and Board of Trustees. Application forms will be mailed to member guilds prior to the annual conference. The name of any OVI member in good standing may be submitted. Board members are also eligible.

Guilds and support groups observing a significant anniversary or achievement may also apply for an award. To such groups we give a handsome certificate, suitable for framing and hanging on their office wall.

Please consider submitting a candidate for our next conference. There are many unsung volunteers whose work should be recognized and Opera Volunteers International would like to know about them. Help us spread the word about the diversity and quality of our volunteerism.

2005

Helen Baxter is President of the Board of Trustees of the Austin Lyric Opera Guild. She is a major fund raiser and steered the company through a difficult financial period. Helen has worked to make trustee/guild relationships run smoothly.

Orpha Harnish has served the Tulsa Opera Guild as President, Parliamentarian, patron and fund raiser. This year she produced a history of the guild for its 50th Anniversary. Orpha’s leadership skills are recognized by other arts organizations in Tulsa.

Suzanne Hasl has been with the Cincinnati Opera Guild for over 20 years, volunteering in numerous capacities such as education/outreach, dress rehearsals and tours. She has served on the Board of OVI. Suzanne and her husband Bob are generous financial supporters of the company.

Wendy Isbell of the Anchorage Opera Guild has chaired successful fundraising events. Wendy also hosts singers in her home when they are in Anchorage for a production.

Stuart Lewis of the Kansas City Opera Guild prepares the informative opera booklets which attendees receive at performances. He gives preview lectures, writes articles, and participates in the “At Ease with Opera” program.

Anne Matthew of the Festival Opera Guild of Walnut Creek, volunteers throughout the year keeping membership and donor lists and training volunteers. As Archivist, she keeps an album of each season. At the grand age of 85, Anne continues her daily work for the guild.

Shelley C. Page has served the Nashville Opera Guild since it began in l987. Her offices have included hospitality chair, vice president of marketing, and President. She has been on the company’s Board and Advisory Board. Shelley is a former OVI Regional Director and Board member.

Verna Parino serves the San Francisco Opera Guild as Chairman of the Preview Committee. She recruits speakers worldwide, thus giving patrons one of the best lecture series in the US. Verna is a proud nonagenarian, and supports opera programs in Marin County.

Judy Westacott volunteers for the Vancouver Opera Guild as newsletter editor. She improved the newsletter’s format, content and distribution. It is sent electronically to recipients with e-mail addresses. Judy also edits VOG Notes.

2004

Dana G. Anderson of the Anchorage Opera Guild is a volunteer of many talents, but is especially known for her computer skills.

Ursula Apel of the San Francisco Opera Guild raised more than $150,000 by arranging international packages for the Guild’s annual auction sales.

Betsy Bagby of the Sarasota Opera Guild has served as President and member of many committees. She donated her phonograph collection to the Guild’s archives.

Robert Baughman of the Lyric Opera Guild of Kansas City has served the local opera community for three decades. He has been supernumerary in the company’s productions, portraying a wide variety of characters.

Patte Comstock and Penny Parish of the Houston Opera Guild have brought their merchandising, lighting display and sales techniques to Houston Opera’s Boutique.

Jane S. O’Connell of the Milwaukee Florentine Opera Club has been President, served on numerous committees and chaired their Metropolitan Opera Auditions. Jane is active everywhere in the opera world.

Katharine Shields has served the Austin Lyric Opera Guild in every major capacity, including preparation of the By Laws early in the Guild’s creation.

Marilyn Strange of the Guild of Tulsa Opera is a leader in promoting opera in her community. An accomplished public speaker, she has been active in the Guild’s Speakers’ Bureau.

Maureen Szymanski of Nevada Opera Guild spends many hours in the Guild’s office, driving a distance to be there. She is a source of knowledge to the entire company on operatic history and lore.

Central City Opera House Association marks the 30th anniversary of its founding. The group maintains historic houses in the city, and has a well known summer festival and students training program.

Pittsburgh Opera Association marks the 50th anniversary of its Diamond Horseshoe Ball, a notable social event in the community and a fundraiser for the company.

Vancouver Opera Guild marks its 25th anniversary as an incorporated society.

2003

Peter Schram and Harry Ulmann of the Austin Lyric Opera Guild.
Susan Pennebaker and Ward Pennebaker of the Houston Grand Opera Guild.
Richard W. Byrum of the Kansas City Lyric Opera Guild.
Jaima Jackson of the Guilds of The Santa Fe Opera, Inc.
The Vancouver Opera Guild.

2002

Barbara Copanos of the Opera Society (Florida Grand Opera), founder and chair of the popular Diva-Impresario awards luncheon and a host of many other fund raising projects and artist support projects throughout the years.

Don F. Dagenais of the Kansas City Lyric Opera Guild, longtime publisher of the company newsletter (a service project of the guild), frequent opera lecturer and preview speaker, a teacher of opera classes and full-length courses for community groups, and a former president of both the guild board and the company board of directors.

Mary Dunkle of the Glimmerglass Opera Guild, a former guild president, a volunteer in the opera guild’s gift shop, a frequent chair of fund raising projects, the inspiration for the welcoming tent on the opera house grounds, and the leader for innumerable other guild projects.

J. Warren Perry of the Opera Foundation of Buffalo, the first education director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, who as a volunteer has spearheaded community outreach programs and who has also inspired the creation of a community-wide cooperative venture between various musical organizations in the city.

Dorothy “Dotty” Rutishauser of the Austin Lyric Opera Guild, its vice president of merchandising and the leader behind its extraordinarily successful opera boutique and gift shop, as well as a charter member of the guild and a former president.

Carolyn Sergeant of the Knoxville Opera Guild, a charter member of the guild, chair of its annual ball, chair of the Victorian Teas, and a tireless proponent of opera in the community.

The Camerata, the educational affiliate of Florida Grand Opera, upon the occasion of its tenth anniversary.

The Opera League of Los Angeles upon achieving its twenty anniversary. The organization is three years older than the Los Angeles Opera, the company which it supports.

2000

Nicholas Benton of the New York City Opera Volunteers Corps, a backstage tour guide, newsletter editor, strategic planner and presenter of a slide and narration show for opera outreach.

Amie J. Dexter of the Friends of the opera/Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota, a saviors of the opera when the company was unable to pay its bills.

Patricia Hancock of the Vancouver Opera Guild, whose volunteer energies span almost all of the guild’s activities, from fundraising events to providing refreshments during rehearsals to working at backstage parties to working as a receptionist in the opera company office.

Richard and Harriet Johnson of the Glimmerglass Opera Guild, leaders of its hospitality committee, editors of its newsletter, and supernumeraries for the company.

Helen Jones of the Arizona Opera League of Tucson, an organizer of major fundraising events.

Evelyn Lewis and Carole Simpsonof the Opera Guild of Dayton, organizers of opera study clubs.

Fran Peters of the Austin Lyric Opera Guild, a charter member of the guild, organizer of its visitor hospitality program.

Joan Wells of the Kansas City Lyric Opera Guild, who has greatly expanded the opera boutique and its profits during her tenure as its chair.

Dr. William O. Whetsell, Jr. of the Nashville Opera Guild, an opera producer, singer and volunteer, in addition to being a major fund-raise for his company.

Houston Grand Opera Archangels, a group of archivists who preserve the historical records of the Houston Grand Opera.

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lecture Corps, a group of 140 volunteers who give over 400 opera presentations per year to a variety of community and civic groups.

Summer Opera Guild of Washington, D.C., in honor of its 10th anniversary.

Twin Cities Opera Guild, Inc., in honor of its 50th anniversary.

1999

Audrey Baird of the Milwaukee Florentine Opera Guild, a frequent educational speaker and inspirational lecturer.

Happy Booker of the East Tennessee Opera Guild, a force behind the founding of the company and the guild.

Carole Butler of the Summer Opera Guild, a founder of the organization and manager of all guild communications.

Ann Craft of the Houston Grand Opera Guild, a longtime and frequent supporter of many guild activities and initiatives.

Roy Fisher of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, a leader of its volunteer lecture corps and a worker on many guild projects, including its radio marathon.

Elizabeth Flavin of the Glimmerglass Opera Guild, a tireless volunteer worker at many jobs including ushering and box office help.

Lee Goodman of the Kansas City Lyric Opera Guild, leader of its profitable trips program, the guild’s major fund raiser.

Patricia Worthington-Haworth of the Orlando Opera Guild, who reorganized the guild and increased its membership, doubling its contribution to the company.

Susan Le Page of the Vancouver Opera Guild, a volunteer and donor.

Donni Nowasell of the Des Moines Opera Guild, creator of the guild’s largest fundraisers in including “Peanut Butter and Puccini” and “Threads and Trills.”

Joan O’Brien of the Opera Omaha Guild, a volunteer of countless hours on behalf of Opera Omaha.

Gwen Springett of the St. Louis Opera Guild, a jewelry maker who creates original pins and earrings for the opera boutique.

San Francisco Opera Guild, in honor of its 60th anniversary.

The Opera Society of Fort Lauderdale, in recognition of its 20th anniversary.

1998

Sandra B. Dunn of the Seattle Opera Guild.

Ellen King and Jeanette Nassour of the Austin Lyric Opera Guild.

George P. Lucas of the San Francisco Opera Guild.

Pamela Myers of the Opera Colorado Guild.

Loretta Ver Valen of the Baltimore Opera Guild.

San Jose Opera Guild, in honor of its 50th anniversary.

Des Moines Metro Opera Guild, in honor of its 25th anniversary.

The Friends of the State Opera of South Australia, in honor of its 21st anniversary.

1996

Marian Billstein of the Toledo Opera Guild.

Marjorie Craig of the San Diego Opera Council.

Maxine Davis of the Mobile Opera Guild.

Thelma Dry of the West Bay Opera Guild.

Ann and Ellen Fusz of the St. Louis Opera Guild.

Jeanne Rape of the Cincinnati Opera Guild.

Dixie Reppe of the Tulsa Opera Guild.

Patricia Scarlett of the Eugene Opera Guild.

James Schwabacher of the San Francisco Opera Guild.

Rose Betty Williams of the Austin Lyric Opera Guild.

1995

Irma Cooper of the Opera Columbus Guild, who initiated a vocal competition and organized two support groups for the company.

Gina Ducloux of the Austin Lyric Opera Guild, an energetic supporter of guild activities and liaison with the company staff.

Nellie Mae Duman of the Opera Colorado Guild, a founding member of the guild who was involved in volunteer programs and educational initiatives.

Katherine Hopkins of the Dallas Opera Guild, the founder of three guild fund raising projects and chair of numerous guild events.

Mary Ann Horner of Opera Worcester, Inc., the company’s founder and also a volunteer for the Salisbury Lyric Opera company, with a focus on educational programs.

Beth Ingram of the Kansas City Lyric Opera Guild, founder and longtime leader of its profitable opera trips program, and also the first president of another of the company’s volunteer organizations.

Susan Jay of the San Diego Opera Advisory Board, who chaired and restructured the company’s docent program and volunteer training sessions.

Mary Anne Jones of the New York City Opera Guild, chair of the volunteers who produce the annual opera auction.

Virginia Miller of the San Francisco Opera Guild, manager of the guild’s annual rummage sale and coordinator of backstage opera tours.

Carla and Paul Peperzak of the Colorado Opera Festival, organizers of many volunteer projects and the founder of an antique show, the guild’s largest fund raising event.

Barbara Russell of the Opera Guild of Fort Worth, director of style shows which raise substantial funds for the company.

Bruni Thylin of the Opera Omaha Guild, a chair of many guild projects.

Patricia Wilson of the Baltimore Opera Guild, chair of many guild events including a spring gala, the company’s major fund raiser.

Central City Opera House Association Guild, a 500-member support organization observing its 20th anniversary.

Women’s Guild of Opera Columbus, one of Opera Columbus’ five support organizations.

OperaDelaware Guild, celebrating its 25th anniversary, whose major project is a designer’s show house fundraiser.

Houston Grand Opera Guild, a support group supporting the company in many educational and outreach activities.

Shreveport Opera Guild, supporting the Shreveport Opera.

The Craftsman’s Guild, a volunteer backstage work force which supports Opera Omaha.

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