The Wexford Festival has announced that Dr. Mary Kelly has been elected as the incoming Chairperson for the festival and will take over the position starting on Jan. 1, 2019.

Kelly will succeed the current Chairman, Mr. Ger Lawlor, whose term comes to an end at the close of 2018.

Kelly has served on the board of the Wexford Festival Trust since 2017 as well as Director Generation Environmental Protection Agency. She also completed a seven-year term as Chairperson of An Bord Pleanála.

The Festival is just days away from opening with its first performance scheduled for Oct. 19.

This year’s festival will feature such operas as Mercadante’s “Il Bravo,” the European premiere of William Bolcom and Mark Campbell  “Dinner at Eight,” and will close out with the double bill of “L’Oracolo” and “Mala Vita.”