Welcome to Our New Board Members

Tom Orlando is a founding shareholder at Foran Glennon, concentrating on insurance and appellate law. Before pursuing a legal career, Tom was a Certified Public Accountant for the accounting firm Price Waterhouse. He previously served as a governing member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and as a board member of Classical Music Chicago, previously known as International Music Foundation, where he served as board chair from 2014 to 2020.

Tom joined the GPOA’s board of directors in 2021. He served as the Vice Chair of the board from 2024 through 2025, and chaired the Festival’s Music Director search, leading to the hiring of Giancarlo Guerrero as the Festival’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor in October 2024.  He also served on the Festival’s Nominating and Governance committee (acting as its chair in 2025), as well on the Government Affairs, Finance, and Investment committees. Currently, Tom is the Chair of the Festival’s CEO Search Committee.

"Tom takes the helm at a time when the Association has seen significant growth, including a successful $15 million endowment campaign and new artistic leadership in Giancarlo Guerrero," said Grant Park Music Festival President and CEO Paul Winberg. "His guidance will be crucial as we look ahead to the Festival's centennial in 2035."

Along with Tom Orlando, new Association officers were elected on December 17, 2025, including LaRue Robinson, Partner, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, LLP (stepping up to Vice-Chair from Secretary); Virginia Willcox, Human Resources Consultant, Commonwealth HR Consulting (newly appointed as Secretary); and Jerry Goldstone, President (retired) BCR Enterprises, Inc. (continuing as Treasurer).

New GPOA board directors include Fred Boelter, Risk Scientist and Engineer, RHP Risk Management; Nancy Garfien, Civic and Arts Leader; Julie Giese, President, NASCAR Chicago Street Race; Dennis Holtschneider, Nygren Consulting, and Eric Zwick, Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Economics and Finance and Charles E. Merrill Faculty Scholar, University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

The Association board has strategic and fiduciary oversight of the Grant Park Music Festival and is composed of a diverse group of leaders representing Chicago’s corporate, government, legal, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities. Directors are elected for a term of three years.

The new directors join a distinguished group of community leaders who comprise the Festival Board of Directors. They include: Phillip Acevedo, Amy Boonstra, Penny Brown, Robert J. Buford, Amber Carpenter, Kate Donaldson, Hon. Rhoda Sweeney Drucker, Michael S. Ferrell, Eileen Friestad, Jerry Goldstone, Adam Grais, Freddi L. Greenberg, Tom Hanson, Matthew Hinerfeld, Malcolm S. Kamin, Sandra Kamin, Jill Mueller, Shellane Mulcahy, Julian Oettinger, Thomas Orlando, Eligio Pimentel, Hedy M. Ratner, LaRue Robinson, Lou Sandoval, Brian Sedlak, Stephen Smith, Ramon T. Stewart, Lauren F. Streicher, Maureen Sullivan Taylor, Lisa K. Tesarik, Andria van der Merwe, David H. Whitney, Virginia Willcox, Ruth D. Williams and Karen Zupko. 

The Grant Park Orchestral Association board and staff also thanked retiring board directors for their outstanding service to the organization, including Nancy Dehmlow, Vice President/ Secretary, Composites One LLC; Sheli Rosenberg, Principal, Roselin Investments; and La’Mont Williams, Chief of Staff and General Counsel, Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry.

Fred Boelter:  With a background in environmental engineering and science, Fred currently works as a risk scientist leading his own consulting practice, RHP Risk Management. Fred has previously served in a board leadership role with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. He and his wife, Phoebe, are Festival Circle Members and Impresario Society Donors, and have supported the Festival Forever Campaign as lead donors. Fred offers the following statement: “The arts have been a personal passion for as long as I can remember. As a young person, I was drawn to music, and that thread has run through my life. I look forward to serving the Festival and supporting the talent, mission, and community that have long defined the Grant Park Music Festival.

Nancy Garfien:  Born and raised in Hyde Park, Nancy is a retired public school psychologist who worked closely with students in the South Shore, Englewood, and Cabrini Green communities. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards, including the Collier County League of Women Voters Juvenile Justice Committee and the South Suburban Jewish Community Center board. Nancy is a Festival Circle Member and an Impresario Society donor. She believes strongly in the Festival’s commitment to preserving free access to classical music for all Chicago residents and tourists.

Julie Giese:  With a background in marketing and communications, Julie is the current President of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Julie has been recognized as one of Forbes’ “Women in Sports to Watch,” Sports Business Journal’s “Game Changers,” and Axios Chicago’s “Power Players.” A Wisconsin native, Julie is a long-time fan of choral music and supports the Festival as an Impresario Society donor and with corporate support through NASCAR. In a personal statement, Julie expressed her gratitude and honor to be considered for the Grant Park Music Festival Board of Directors, citing her love for the Festival and deep respect for its 90-plus-year history in Chicago.

Dennis Holtschneider is the Chancellor and past President of DePaul University, where he raised nearly $200 million to build facilities for its well-regarded theatre and music schools. Dennis has worked in senior administration at several universities, led the Ascension Health System as Chair of its board and COO, and, until recently, led the national association for all Catholic universities in the U.S. Dennis is an amateur pianist, having been raised in a family of jazz musicians. He previously served on the St. Louis Symphony board, chairing its strategy committee. He also serves on the boards of Teachers College Columbia University and the Institute for Global Homelessness.

Eric Zwick is the Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Economics from Harvard University and a B.A. from Swarthmore College. Eric is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and Co-Director of the Public Economics Initiative at the Becker Friedman Institute. He teaches entrepreneurial finance, private equity, and public economics courses at Booth. Eric lives in Chicago with his wife, Holly Leach, their son, Leo, and their dog, Nichi. They are subscribers to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera and enjoy attending various concerts in the city. A lifelong visitor to the Berkshires and Tanglewood, Eric is also an amateur guitarist who played indie-rock in bands during college and graduate school.