(Credit: Minnesota Opera official website)

Minnesota Opera has announced the appointment of Lee Bynum as the new Vice President of Impact.

In this newly created position, Bynum will lead a team of seven members that receives feedback from the community in order to create mutually beneficial and lasting relationships through the power of opera. Furthermore, Bynum will oversee Minnesota Opera’s learning and training programs.

Bynum is the Senior Program Associate and Associate Director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and has also worked as Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race at Columbia University. In both positions he has worked to develop diversity, equity and inclusion grants to colleges and universities and other study programs.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to join the Minnesota Opera family at this critical juncture for our nation,” said Bynum in an official statement. “Mr. Floyd’s murder has underscored the urgent need to interrogate the ways in which so many communities have been excluded from the American Dream, and cultural anchors like Minnesota Opera play a vital role in ameliorating that reality,” added Bynum.

“At this pivotal moment, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Lee Bynum in this crucial role within the Company,” said Minnesota Opera President and General Director Ryan Taylor. “Our organizational journey to create this new role started in earnest more than three years ago, when Minnesota Opera embarked on a journey to explore how we can better foster equity, diversity and inclusion in our organization through the creation of a Diversity Charter. This year, we took another step and unveiled an updated charter, specially naming our organizational focus on anti-oppression and anti-racism,” added Taylor.

Bynum will take over his new position at the Minnesota Opera starting October 5, 2020.