Lyric Young Professionals Board

Joe Michalak joined the LYP Board in 2017 after having joined the LYP in 2013. He joined the LYP Board in order to help introduce Lyric to the next generation of opera fans, and give back to the arts community in Chicago. Joe is an Associate Managing Director at CIBC, and also serves as the Treasurer of the Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project (ChiMOP), a nonprofit organization which seeks to affect positive social change in young students with limited access to the arts.

Neil joined the Lyric Young Professionals Board in 2019, after having been a member since 2016. He has attended performances at Lyric since 2007 and has come to depend on the drama, passion, and virtuosity to get him through the winter months. This year, he is most excited to meet new members of LYP and learn what draws them to this art form. In his professional career, Neil is a certified public accountant who specializes in audit and employee benefit plans. Otherwise, he loves trying new foods and visiting Chicago’s lakefront.

Sunny joined the Lyric Young Professionals Board as a Member At Large for the 2020/21 Season. Music has been a lifelong love for Sunny. She grew up with opera thanks to her father who sang tenor arias around the house. She played the cello and piano and sang in various school and church choirs. At Cornell University, she was one of the original members of Hearsay, an all-female a cappella group. She hopes to help the LYP expand the reach of opera to new generations and help increase the accessibility of opera for diverse communities and audiences. Sunny earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a graduate degree in Global Affairs from New York University. After more than five years as a Human Resources professional, Sunny earned her law degree from Loyola University Chicago. Sunny is the Assistant General Counsel at Griffith Foods International Inc., a global food seasoning company. She is also on the board of the Korean American Bar Association of Chicago and Hanul Family Alliance, a local non-profit providing comprehensive community-based services to Asian American and immigrant seniors and families in the Chicagoland area.

Sara works at TMC, a division of CH Robinson. She has great passion for Opera, and Lyric specifically; attending performances at Lyric from a young age. She has a deep passion for introducing new audiences to the opera, and embracing the idea of “Opera for All.” Notably, Sara has a history of bringing her friends to their first performance, and changing perspectives on the operagoing experience. Sara has a history of volunteerism and civic involvement dating back to high school, and most recently working with The Simple Good Chicago on event planning, fundraising, and corporate partnerships.

Natalie recently joined the Lyric Young Professionals Board as a Member at Large in 2018. Natalie attended her first opera at Lyric in 1998. In her professional life, Natalie works for Amazon as Director of Strategic Partnerships. Prior to Morningstar, Natalie worked as a Regional Sales Director at Morningstar, at Northwestern Mutual as Director of Recruitment and Development, and pursued her MBA at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. She has volunteered for many nonprofits in the past such as Young Life and HFS and is excited to bring her experience in fundraising to the Young Professionals. Aside from opera and finance, Natalie is an aspiring golfer, skier and an avid traveler.

Ben is new to the Lyric Young Professionals Board in 2020, having been a member for several years prior, but has been regularly attending Lyric Opera performances since 2012 (his favorite opera is Rigoletto). He played both trumpet and piano through high school in the suburbs of Detroit, MI, but best connected with the carillon (a tuned tower bell instrument played by means of a keyboard), playing throughout his time at the University of Florida, where he studied accounting. Ben is currently a Senior Manager with the Washington National Tax office of RSM US LLP, specializing in the taxation of partnerships and financial instruments, having been with the firm since 2012. Outside of work and Lyric, Ben enjoys camping, cycling, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. Ben looks forward to working with the rest of the Lyric Young Professionals Board to advance LYP’s mission throughout this most difficult and unusual time.

Orlando is a Digital Strategist at Bosch, and a long standing LYP member. Orlando’s digital, communications, and social media skills, along with his passion for Opera and the arts will make him an invaluable asset to LYP as a potential successor to Lauren Wood. Orlando has expressed a passion bringing new audiences to Lyric. Additionally, Orlando is an active member of Bosch’s LGBT@Bosch Employee Resource Group.

Sara has been a member of Lyric Young Professionals since 2016 after returning to Chicago from her residency in New Orleans. As a medical student at Rush Medical College, she found a great amount of joy and solace in going to Lyric to not only escape from medical textbooks for a couple of hours, but also to delight in the wonders of a Lyric performance. Once returning, Sara knew she wanted to continue her involvement with Lyric and became an LYP Member at Large in 2019. Her favorite opera is Pagliacci, which goes to show that great experiences can come in small packages. Outside of attending operas, Sara is an obstetrician and gynecologist and recently relocated to San Diego to join Sharp Rees-Stealy medical group. She enjoys travel, culinary adventures, and can always be found post-yoga.

Linda joined the Board of Lyric Young Professionals as a Member at Large in 2021. Linda’s love of opera originated in the pages of her favorite mystery story, The Phantom of the Opera. Intrigued by its parallels to the legend of Faust, she was transformed into an opera devotee by the discovery of a recording of Gounod’s Faust which remains the cherished favorite of her music collection. In 2008, she realized a long held dream when she attended her first opera, Bizet’s Carmen, at Lyric Opera of Chicago and has since become a loyal subscriber. She works as a teacher, librarian, and tech-specialist at Carol Stream Elementary School and has devoted herself to the pursuit and advocacy of arts and education having earned her B.A. in English Literature and Theatre Performance from North Central College and graduated with merit from the University of Leicester with an M.A. in Victorian Studies, specializing in Gothic and Romantic Literature. Her natural affinity for the string section of the orchestra has inspired her to become an amateur violinist and harpist. She is also a passionate admirer of Hector Berlioz and his music.

 Natasha has been a member of the Lyric Young Professionals since 2020 and a member of the board since 2021. Her earliest memory of opera was hearing Pavarotti at home, and her most memorable performance was at the Teatro Amazonas in Manaus, Brazil. Natasha is a native Washingtonian and loves connecting with other arts advocates in Chicago and beyond.

 Brian Shumaker may have fallen asleep at his first opera (Madama Butterfly) at age 14, but no worries, he's a huge fan anyway. A native of Louisville, KY, he first joined LYP in 2011. As a "retired" classical tenor, he loves interacting with new people at all stages of their opera development through LYP and being an ambassador for the art form. He performs regularly with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago and even still sings professionally on occasion. He works in learning design and development for a corporate training firm.

Joan has always had a love of music and learned to read sheet music before she could read words. Growing up, she took regular piano and ballet lessons. The first opera she attended was The Marriage of Figaro at age 11, and she’s been a regular opera-goer ever since. Joan does her best to embrace her inner nerd and has self-guided study sessions before she watches a show, but she also just really loves sitting back and enjoying the music. Her favorite aria is “Madamina, il catalogo è questo” from Don Giovanni. Joan currently works at BP, marketing jet fuel. She recently relocated to Houston where she’s trying not to let her new baby get too much in the way of the opera season, birding, and her continual exploration of new hobbies.