The Lyric Opera of Chicago Board of Directors has unanimously elected Samir Mayekar and Nancy Santi to board.

“We are thrilled to welcome Samir and Nancy to our Board of Directors,” said Board Chair Sylvia Neil in an official press statement. “Their expertise and commitment to the arts align perfectly with Lyric’s mission to present world-class opera and engage audiences, and the whole of the community we serve, in transformative experiences.”

Samir Mayekar, former deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development in the city of Chicago, boasts a background in finance, management consulting, and entrepreneurship. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and previously served in the Obama administration. Mayekar was recognized in 2019 as one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management, where he was a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. As the co-founder and CEO of NanoGraf Corporation, a global manufacturer of advanced materials, he led the company’s growth in Chicago for nearly a decade.

Nancy Santi, a highly regarded philanthropist and civic leader, brings a background in education and extensive involvement in charitable organizations. She has served on the women’s boards of such institutions as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Santi has been a member of the Boards of Directors of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and PAWS Chicago. She obtained her B.S. in Education from the University of Cincinnati, where she is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the University of Cincinnati Foundation. After joining Lyric’s Women’s Board in 2015, she was elected President in 2022.