James Mulally and Vina Spiehler elected to LA Opera board of directors

(Los Angeles) April 3, 2019 — James Mulally and Vina Spiehler were elected to the LA Opera board of directors at a recent meeting.

James Mulally has a broad taste in music and has been a supporter not only of LA Opera, but also the LA Chamber Orchestra and LA Master Chorale. His travels have taken him as far away as Madagascar. He is a fixed-income portfolio manager at Capital Group, where he has worked since 1980. Earlier in his career, as a fixed-income investment analyst at Capital, he covered non-U.S. sovereign fixed-income markets. Prior to joining Capital, he was a research associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He holds an MBA from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College. He is a trustee of his alma mater, Saint Thomas Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Vina Spiehler is passionate about classical music. She travels around the world to experience opera performances and serves on the boards of the Long Beach Opera and the Baroque Music Festival Corona Del Mar. Dr. Spiehler is a forensic scientist specializing in pharmacology and forensic toxicology. She is an elected member of the International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and she represents the United States to the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. Although retired from the laboratory, she continues to consult and testify in Superior and Federal Court cases. She was a Fulbright Scholar at the UK Home Office Forensic Science Service and an early protégé of the pioneering chemist and inventor Dr. Arnold O. Beckman. As Technical Director for Drug Testing Products at Diagnostic Products Corporation, she had the privilege of working with Sigi Ziering and Marilyn Ziering (a longtime LA Opera board member). 

"Our new board members are joining an organization that is energized, successful and breaking new artistic boundaries," said Placido Domingo. "I am grateful to have them on our team as we continue to strengthen LA Opera's prestige as a world-class opera company."

"Jim and Vina bring dedication, expertise and energy to the table," said Marc Stern, chairman of the LA Opera board of directors. "I can't wait to collaborate with them as we get to work on our ambitious plans for the company's future."

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LA Opera is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.