OPERA America, the national service organization for opera, has named Dr. Ruth W. Orth, chair of Pensacola Opera’s Board of Trustees, the recipient of the 2014 National Opera Trustee Recognition Award. In its seventh year, this award honors outstanding trustees of U.S. opera companies for exemplary leadership, generosity, and audience-building efforts on behalf of their respective opera companies. Dr. Orth will be honored along with three other recipients at an awards dinner hosted by OPERA America and Bank of America in New York City on Friday, February 21, 2014.
Each year, OPERA America professional member companies are invited to nominate one of their trustees for this award. Honorees from each of the four OPERA America budget levels are chosen by an adjudication committee through a competitive selection process. Dr. Orth represents the Level 3 companies, those whose operating budgets range from $1-$3M. These honorees represent a significant range of accomplishments, generosity, and a deep devotion to promoting opera in their communities.
The National Opera Trustee Recognition Program is part of OPERA America’s larger commitment to excellence in governance. The National Trustee Forum will convene during this same weekend in New York City to discuss governance issues in the opera field.
Dr. Orth works as a rheumatologist in Pensacola. Her mom and Aunt Carolyn instilled in her a love of opera when she was growing up as a child in Shreveport, Louisiana. She has two adult children, Roger and Robyn. Beyond her deep involvement with Pensacola Opera, Dr. Orth served on the board of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus for many years, and she was also on the founding board of IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area.