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Corp Responsibility Workshop & the Segerstrom Center for the Arts

    So excited to interview the VP, Education and Community for the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Talena Mara. She’ll be speaking at my CR Workshop at Microsoft Store, South Coast Plaza. It’s happening this Thursday morning from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

    If you’re studying any elements of Corporate Responsibility (CR) that incorporate community engagement, arts, or education, then you’ll want to attend. Just read Talena Mara’s impeccable bio.

    Talena Mara, VP EducationTalena Mara joined the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in fall of 2008 as the Vice President, Education. She is the first person to hold the newly-created position with this nationally recognized arts organization. Mara is an accomplished, visionary, innovative leader with over twenty years of national and international experience in education, arts administration and urban community building.

    Mara is a noted speaker and was invited earlier this year to do presentations on cultural diplomacy and its effect on community building at United Nations events held in both New York City and in Washington. She has served as teacher and advisor to students from elementary through graduate level conservatory and served for 14 years as department chair and faculty member at The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program. As director of education and audience development for New York City Opera, she developed a comprehensive education program to accompany City Opera’s tour to Japan, among other noted accomplishments. Mara has provided leadership for public school reform projects in conjunction with Yale University, and she served as director of educational outreach at Manhattan School of Music, where she was also a member of the conservatory’s faculty. Under her direction, Manhattan School of Music led the way in developing distance learning through the use of video conferencing technology.

    Mara has served as advisor for a variety of educators, including teaching artists, classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, principals and school superintendents, all of whom shared an interest in building stronger academic connections between music and other subject areas. She was a consultant in the Education Through Music program in New York City and a faculty member at the City University of New York. Mara has also worked with many other arts organizations, both in New York City and across the United States, helping these groups better understand the powerful influence the arts have on learning. Mara has participated as a panellist for Opera America Conferences, at the Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education annual meeting and Education Through Music Leadership Conference.

    Mara holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Music in Education and Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Abilene Christian University. She is currently working toward a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership.

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