Toledo Opera’s Executive Director Suzanne Rorick has announced that her retirement is to take place on May 31, 2024.

Rorick has worked in the nonprofit sector in Toledo for over 25 years. She first joined the staff of Toledo Opera in 2001 as the Director of Development – a role she served in for a decade. In 2011 she was named Executive Director, making her the fifth chief executive in the company’s 65-year history.

During her tenure, Toledo Opera has operated under a set of principles known as “Sound Vision,” which has granted the company many success, including sold-out houses, high quality productions, thriving education programs, and a growing community of subscribers and donors.

Ms. Rorick is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University. She completed a Certificate in Fund Raising Management form the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University in 2010 and maintains the industry certification in fundraising, CFRE credential. In November 2015 Suzanne was named Professional Fundraiser of the Year by the Northwest Ohio Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) of which she is a member. In 2021 she was honored for her outstanding contributions in the Arts with a YWCA Milestone Award.

“After nearly thirty years of working in the non-profit culture sector, and leading Toledo Opera for over a decade, I still believe that the arts have a role to play. Opera takes us on a journey outside of ourselves. By bringing us together, and inviting us to immerse ourselves in its powerful storytelling together, opera can expand our collective imagination in ways that endure long after we leave the theater. I am so grateful to the people of Toledo Opera and the greater Toledo community for being a part of the common project of building a thriving, equitable, and inclusive company,” shared Rorick in a press release.

Rorick is succeeded by co-Artistic Directors James M. Norman and Kevin Bylsma as General Director and Artistic Director respectively.