Talena Mara

Talena Mara has a diverse and extensive work experience in various arts and education organizations. Talena started their career at the Manhattan School of Music as a Faculty and Director of Educational Outreach in 1999. Talena then moved on to work at Education Through Music as the Director of Special Projects, where they led the organization into a national expansion and promoted school reform through arts motivation in partnership with Yale University. In 2004, Talena joined the New York City Opera as the Director of Education and Audience Development. Talena further advanced their career at The Juilliard School, where they held multiple roles, including MAP Faculty/Department Chair and Senior Development Associate/Scholarship Coordinator. Currently, Talena is Vice President at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, where they direct expansive educational programming and community engagement and fosters collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to advance arts and cultural education and engagement.

Talena Mara completed their Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Business with a specialization in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University - School of Business between 2012 and 2014. Prior to that, they pursued a Master's degree in Music at Louisiana State University, and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Education and Voice, specifically BMEd and BA Voice, from Abilene Christian University. In addition to their academic qualifications, Talena also holds a certification in "Leading Innovation in Arts and Culture" from Coursera Verified Certificates, which they acquired in November 2014.