LA OPERA BOARD DIRECTORY

Kathleen Kane Eberhardt is a native Californian who grew up attending performances at the Music Center.  She retired in 2019 after a 38-year career in Philanthropy having lead Advancement programs at University of California, San Francisco, City of Hope and most recently the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Earlier in her career she was a practicing attorney specializing in estate planning.  She has a JD from the University of San Francisco, School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Whitter College. She chaired the development leadership committee for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and served as chair of the Group on Institutional Advancement of the AAMC.  She is a member of The Blue Ribbon and has previously served on the boards of Whittier College, Huntington Medical Research Institute, and the Fuller Foundation.  She has been honored with a Management Leadership Award from UCSF and the Outstanding Corporate Businesswoman Award by the Pasadena Women of Achievement.  Kathleen and her husband Jerry live in Pasadena when not traveling to see the world or visiting his three daughters and seven grandchildren. 

Charlie "Chaz" Ebert is an attorney and businesswoman from Chicago.  Ms. Ebert eared a BA from the University of Dubuque, her masters from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and her JD from DePaul University. 

Mrs. Ebert is the CEO and Publisher of Ebert Digital, which published RogerEbert.com—a film review website and archive of her late husband Roger Ebert's work, along with reviews from new contributors. Mrs. Ebert served as a guest and executive producer on the television program Ebert Presents: At the Movies. Mrs. Ebert was featured in the documentary Life Itself. She also executive produced the 2019 film Selah and the Spades. After the death of her husband in 2013, Mrs. Ebert became the host of Ebertfest, an annual film festival held in Champaign, Illinois.

Mrs. Ebert is on the board of Lyric Opera of Chicago, and is the president and director of the Roger & Chaz Ebert Foundation. Mrs. Ebert has a long history of charitable involvement and giving in Chicago, including organizations like; DePaul University, Columbia College Chicago, Loyola University, Northwestern University, Pritzker Military Library,  Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Goodman Theater, and Lookingglass Theater Company.

After working at major law firms in New York and California, Geoff Emery purchased a failing luxury car dealership in Beverly Hills, California and other non-performing businesses.  Beverly Hills Porsche and Santa Monica Audi are now two of the largest luxury car dealerships in the United States, and The Matchless Amplifier Company has grown and innovated for over 30 years.  Geoff owns and manages commercial real estate in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles, California. Geoff is a member of the Board of Directors of Curriki (educational technology), a member of the Advisory Board of the Emory University School of Law, and President and Board Member of the Southern California Audi Dealer Association. He is a prior member of the Board of Trustees of Marymount-Los Angeles (all girls college preparatory), the Board of Regents of Porsche Cars North America, and the Audi National Marketing Council.  He is a graduate of the University of Colorado and Emory University School of Law.

Dr. Annette Ermshar is a clinical psychologist with over a decade of post licensed experience conducting ​psychotherapy and assessment with children, adolescents, and adults. She has added specialization in neuropsychology, psycholegal and forensic consultations and assessment, and clinical and diagnostic psychological assessment and evaluation. Dr. Ermshar is sought after for her assessment expertise in complicated psychiatric diagnoses and neuropsychological issues (i.e., ADHD, brain injury, dementia, learning disability, autism spectrum, executive functioning deficits). She has served as an expert witness in court cases within Federal Court, California Superior Courts, and California Juvenile Courts. ​Dr. Ermshar received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology/Neuropsychology/Neuroscience from Loma Linda University, and her Bachelors in Psychology from Pepperdine University.  She lives in Pasadena, is CEO of Dr. Ermshar and Associates, and serves on the boards of the LA Master Chorale, the Music Center, the Pasadena Symphony and Pops, the Blue Ribbon, and Adventist Health Glendale. 

Don Franzen is a member of Funsten & Franzen, a law firm based in Beverly Hills. His legal practice covers the spectrum of the entertainment industry, including recording contracts, television agreements, film contracts, concert agreements, endorsements, corporate work, tax and visa issues. He was involved in the creation of the Los Angeles Opera and has served on its board of directors since its inception in 1986. He has lectured on entertainment law for Eastman School of Music, Santa Monica Academy of Entertainment and Technology and the Berklee School of Music at Valencia, Spain, and is a visiting professor at UCLA’s department of music, teaching law and business practices in the Herb Alpert School of Music. He is the author of numerous articles and books reviews on legal topics and also serves as legal affairs editor for the Los Angeles Review of Books. 

Michael A. Friedman, MD, served as president and chief executive officer of City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment institution dedicated to innovation in basic and clinical biomedical research and delivery of world-class patient care. He is currently the emeritus director of the institution’s comprehensive cancer center and responsible for Special Projects. Dr. Friedman was formerly senior vice president of research and development, medical and public policy, for Pharmacia Corporation. In addition, he served as chief medical officer for biomedical preparedness at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America following the events of September 11, 2001. He had previously served as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy commissioner and was later tapped by the Clinton administration to serve as acting commissioner of the agency.

As the SVP, Head of Growth at Actum, a global consultancy firm with expertise in government relations, public affairs consulting, and crisis management, Shaudi manages local, state, national, and global government affairs strategies for a diverse array of clients, including elected officials, private investors, and emerging and Fortune 500 companies. She also oversees the strategic growth of the company across its offices in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Sacramento, London, and Paris. Shaudi’s experience includes building and overseeing all advocacy and political fundraising strategies for a global entertainment company operating across sports, events, media, fashion, and talent representation; earning national regulatory approval for the acquisition of a high-profile business unit on behalf of a Fortune 5 company; and reforming campaign finance laws and ballot initiative access. A supporter of multi-disciplinary research and the arts, she is a member of the UC-Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research External Advisory Committee, the UC-Berkeley Dean of Social Sciences Advisory Council, and the Art and Library Collectors' Councils at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. She previously served on the National Advisory Council of the UC-Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and was awarded the Polsby Scholarship for her work on the Top Two Primary. She is an alumna of UC-Berkeley, where she holds degrees in Legal Studies and Political Psychology (Interdisciplinary Studies), and a Master of Arts in Political Science.

Alexander Furlotti was born in Milan in 1948 and moved to Los Angeles in 1957. He was educated at Harvard School, of which he became a trustee, at UC Berkeley as an undergraduate, and at UC Los Angeles in law. Although a lawyer by profession, he is an investor and real estate developer by occupation through Quorum Funds, a family investment company with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. As a developer, his projects have been recipients of numerous awards over the years from the Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference and from the National Association of Homebuilders. He is a member of the California, Bohemian and Beach Clubs. He resides in Los Angeles and maintains homes in Santa Barbara and Aspen. He is an avid collector of California plein aire and of modern American art. He has three grown children: Michael, Patrick and Allison.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Esq. has been a Labor Arbitrator, Hearing Officer and Mediator since 2012. He is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. He sits on various arbitration panels such as the American Arbitration Association Labor Arbitration Panel, Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service Arbitrator Roster, AAA Compact Gaming Tribes, Writers Guild of America, Kaiser Permanente & CNA/UNAC/SEIU-UHWW, San Diego UNITE HERE Pension Fund and Health Fund, and CA Faculty Assoc. Arbitrator Panel. Juan Carlos is also a hearing officer for the Personnel Commission of the LA Unified School District and Los Angeles Community College District.  ​Juan Carlos is a bilingual licensed attorney in California as well as a veteran neutral having worked as a Federal Mediator from 2000 to 2012. As a Commissioner with the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, he has mediated over 600 cases covering negotiations of collective bargaining agreements, initial contracts, strikes, lockouts, grievances, Equal Employment Opportunity charges and Supervisor discipline cases.  Juan Carlos also has extensive joint labor/management training experience providing trainings in the areas of Joint Labor Management Committees, Interest Based Bargaining, and CBA Administration. Being fluent in Spanish, he has also provided training programs while at FMCS in coordination with the Labor Branch of the United Nations - the International Labor Organization, to provide multiple tripartite (Labor, Management and Government) trainings in Peru, Argentina and Colombia.  ​Juan Carlos was Executive Director of the Southern California Labor & Employment Relations Association (LERA) from 2019 to 2022 as well as President of Orange County LERA in 2016 and board member from 2014-2019. ​Finally, Juan Carlos has an LLM in Tax Law and a master’s degree in Psychology. He has also been an adjunct professor for the Straus Institute of Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School and California State University Fullerton teaching mediation and labor relations.

Thomas Gottschalk was born in the small Bavarian city of Bamberg. He is best known for hosting the popular German talk show Wetten, dass…?, which he has led to great success in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In 1971, he worked as a freelancer for the youth program of the Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Radio]. In 1976, he gained popularity as the host of the show Pop nach acht. He was awarded the Kurt-Magnus-Preis for his outstanding talents as a radio host in 1978. His career continued with the TV show Telespiele from 1977 to 1982. From 1982 to 1987, he moderated the show Na sowas on ZDF, and was awarded the Golden Camera (1985). Mr. Gottschalk quickly gained popularity, especially when he became the host for Wetten, dass..? in 1987. He was awarded a number of prizes for his work, including the Telestar (1987), the Goldenes Schlitzohr [Golden Rascal] and the Goldenes Kabel [Golden Cable] (1991), as well as the Goldene Feder [Golden Feather] (2001).

Diane Gray, a native of Los Angeles, received her BA in education at California State University, Northridge and her MSW from the School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Diane worked as an educator for the Los Angeles City Schools as a classroom teacher, program coordinator and teacher advisor. As a licensed clinical social worker, Ms. Gray focused on battered women’s and children’s issues as the children’s program coordinator at the Family Violence Project of Jewish Family Service, and originated the Children’s Bereavement Program at Jewish Big Brothers of Los Angeles. She has conducted training programs, community outreach and advocacy focusing on domestic violence issues. Diane was in private practice as an L.C.S.W. until 2009. She has served on the board of directors of C.A.S.A. Carondelet (Church and Synagogue Associates), which maintains housing and social services for low-income families, and she is currently co-president of that board. Diane and her husband Peter were co-chairs of the Patrons Program of LA Opera from 2005 to 2012, and she served as president of the Opera League of Los Angeles in 2011 and 2012. Diane and Peter live in Brentwood and are passionate about their five grown children and 16 grandchildren.

Born in Mexico City, Mónica completed undergraduate studies in early childhood education, English, and human communication (language, hearing and learning disorders) at the Universidad de las Américas, AC (UDLA). At age 30, she was offered a position by Los Angeles Unified School District, as a speech and language pathologist, and she moved to the U.S. Later, she received an MS in communication sciences and disorders at Northern Arizona University. She is currently certified by ASHA (the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association). In addition to her position with LAUSD, she works as an independent contractor, providing speech or language therapy to infants and adults. Monica attended her first live opera, Carmen, at LA Opera. Upon her arrival in the United States, she joined Hispanics for LA Opera, became a speaker (now community educator) with the LAO education department and a member of the Opera League. In 2006, she was elected to the board of the Opera League of Los Angeles. That same year she married Trevor Roper, and together they availed themselves of almost every volunteer opportunity within the Opera League. She remained on the Opera League board for a total of six years. During her final year, she held the office of secretary. She volunteered with the Hispanics for Los Angeles Opera (HLAO) Steering Committee for three years, before being elected chair in 2013. Mónica is dedicated to opera education for all members of the Los Angeles community. 

Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, MD, PhD, is currently the Chief Medical Officer at  EG 427, a French gene therapy biotechnology company. For 4 years she was the Chief Medical Officer at Urovant Sciences in Irvine, CA, where she built up the development department and led the development programs. She lives in Irvine, CA. Before joining Urovant Sciences she was the Vice president in Clinical development at Allergan (now Abbvie), where she served as head of the Therapeutic Area of Internal Medicine, Women’s Health and Urology in Clinical Development. Prior to this assignment, she was the head of the Urology and for a period of time the  head of the Neurology Therapeutic Area in Clinical Development. Raised in Germany, she graduated from the medical school of the Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main (Germany). She subsequently completed medical clerkships in surgery at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, and at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. She earned her MD and PhD in medicine from the University of Frankfurt, followed by residencies at teaching hospitals of the Universities of Heidelberg and Giessen. She began her career in the pharmaceutical industry in Germany with positions at Hoechst Marion Roussel (now Sanofi) in Frankfurt/ Main and Schwarz BioSciences in Monheim am Rhein (now UCB) in Germany. 

Nicolas Hamatake may be fairly new to opera, but his proven career in computer science includes a plethora of innovative contributions to the largest online search engine. He currently works on the Google Assistant, where he is developing infrastructure to power new AI-driven ways for users to get things done. He previously helped lead the creation of frameworks for products to personalize their users’ experiences by leveraging Gmail, Calendar and other personal data, all while respecting user privacy and security. He also led efforts in the research company’s early development of its display advertising platform. Mr. Hamatake is an avid collector and supporter of Japanese art through his own foundation and involvement with LACMA. The Nick Hamatake Foundation makes fine Japanese works available for public enjoyment and education. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees in computer science from Cornell University, where the school maintains a scholarship in his name. He also has a graduate certificate in artificial intelligence from Stanford University. 

Cathy Helm is a labor and employment law attorney and the outside labor counsel for LA Opera. She grew up in Rochester, New York. After graduating from Harvard College in 1980 and Harvard Law School in 1983, she joined the Los Angeles law firm Irell & Manella. She became a partner of the firm in 1990. In 2001, she left Irell & Manella to start her own practice, doing labor and employment work for independent schools, other non-profit organizations, and businesses. In addition to being a member of LA Opera’s board of directors, she is a board member of a low-income housing organization, a past board member of two independent schools and of St. James’ Episcopal Church, the coordinator of a food pantry, and an amateur player of the alto flute. She is married and has adult twin daughters. 

William Chase Hodge-Brokenburr is a Los Angeles native. He graduated from Bowdoin College, where he obtained a BA in Economics and French with a minor in African Studies in 2016. After graduation, he relocated to Shanghai, China, to work for Yooya, an online video startup, before moving to Los Angeles to work in the Media Finance department at the leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). In the Spring of 2021, Mr. Hodge-Brokenburr departed CAA to pursue his MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in international studies from the Lauder Institute. Mr. Hodge-Brokenburr was introduced to opera at a young age and has regularly attended LA Opera productions since the age of seven. During the summer of his freshman year, he interned in the LA Opera’s finance department, where he gained a first-hand understanding of production finance and fundraising. A lifetime proponent of opera, Mr. Hodge-Brokenburr has recently partnered with LA Opera to increase audience engagement with underrepresented minorities and young professionals.

Joan Hotchkis was born in San Francisco and graduated from Endicott College in Massachusetts. She lived and worked in New York City prior to moving to Los Angeles to join Sotheby’s auctioneers where she served as Vice President of Communications and Promotion. She is currently on the board of Los Angeles Opera, the board of the Council of The Library Foundation and has served as a trustee of the Kennedy Center. From 2000 to 2003, Joan was president of The Blue Ribbon of the Music Center. Joan was married to John F. Hotchkis for 34 years until his death in 2017.  John was founder and chairman of Hotchkis & Wiley and former chairman of Ramajal LLC, money management firms. Joan is a member of The California Club and Los Angeles Country Club.