San Francisco Opera has announced the election of Barbara A. Wolfe to the position of Chair of the Board.

She takes over for John Gunn this August and becomes the first new person to hold the chair in 16 years; Wolfe is also just the seventh person to hold the position in the San Francisco Opera’s 101-year history.

“It is with great pride that I take on the Chair of the San Francisco Opera Board,” Wolfe, who has been a long-time board member and champion of new opera productions at the company, said in an official press release. “The Opera has been a huge part of my life for many years, both as an audience member and a board member. It’s been so meaningful to me to be a part of the creation of a number of new productions in the past few years including ‘Traviata’ and ‘Tosca,’ in which I have been able to see first-hand the extraordinary talents of the Company at work. This is one of the great creative houses in America, and I am excited to work with Jack, Matthew, and our extraordinary Music Director Eun Sun Kim as we shape the Company for a bold future. That future is so important to all of us in the Opera community. We all believe in the importance of art and culture as a defining part of society, and I am so grateful to John Gunn for his leadership for the last sixteen years. I look forward to carrying forward his devotion to the Opera in my time as Chair.”

Gunn will become Chair Emeritus and continue his service on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.