The Los Angeles Opera has announced that Keith Leonard will be the new Board Chair.

Leonard has been a board member since 2015 and has served as the chair of the executive committee and vice chair of the campaign committee over the last year.

He is an executive in the biotechnology industry and has been a passionate opera lover since his childhood. He worked in Europe with the Navy and later for Agmen and has contributed to the LA Opera for over a decade alongside his wife Nanette.

Leonard will take over for Marc Stern, who was on the Board for 30 years, 20 of which were served as chair. Stern announced in March that he would be stepping down; per a press release, he presided over 100 full board meetings.

“While working alongside Keith, it quickly became clear to me that he would make an outstanding chair and the board agreed,” said Stern in a press release. “He has the necessary business and management experience along with a deep commitment and keen love for the opera, which makes him the perfect person to lead LA Opera as it reopens its doors to live performances at full capacity in September.”

Stern has been named to the newly created position of honorary chair member.

Finally, the company announced that Carol Henry, a founding board member and board president between 2005 – 2012, would replace Leonard as the chairman of the executive committee.