Toronto, ON – Opera.ca, the national association for opera in Canada, is proud to honour an outstanding opera company board member, Elba Haid, Chair of Manitoba Opera’s (MO) Board of Trustees, as the 2020 recipient of the Opera.ca National Opera Directors Recognition Award.

Now in its 12th year, the National Opera Directors Recognition Award highlights the tenets of good governance, celebrates models of volunteer excellence, and raises the bar for board director commitment.

“The strength and stability of an opera company correlates to the calibre of its volunteer leadership, and strong governance is a crucial factor in an opera company’s success. Elba Haid’s contributions to Manitoba Opera are exemplary, enabling the company to increase its fundraising, eliminate debt, and build a strong foundation for the future,” stated Christina Loewen, Executive Director of Opera.ca. “We are delighted to honour Elba Haid with this award and to celebrate the impact she has made, and continues to make, to Manitoba Opera and by extension to the community of Winnipeg.”

Elba Haid joined the board of Manitoba Opera in 2007. Prior to becoming Chair, she served as Chair of the Annual Gala and of the Camerata Committee (for donors starting at $1,250) during which time gifts and donations increased by 20%. In 2018, she was instrumental in the development of a new fundraising initiative - The Gail Asper Award - named after Winnipeg philanthropist Gail Asper and awarded to individuals who, like its namesake, demonstrate exemplary leadership in the field of endeavor or pursuit of a visionary goal. The event raised $255,000 in support of the company’s programming and education programs.

Haid has been instrumental in board recruitment and diversification. Through her vast network she has been able to draw in members from a variety of diverse communities in fields including finance, business, health care, and law.

Her leadership has not gone unnoticed in the community. In 2018/19, on the strength of her leadership, a private donor stepped forward with a challenge gift of $100,000 to eliminate a long-standing debt the Association has carried for 30 years.

Elba Haid’s personal support of Manitoba Opera is exemplary. She hosts donor events in her home, has pledged $100,000 to the Endowment Fund, and has included Manitoba Opera in her estate planning.

She is an active opera field steward, frequenting Opera.ca and OPERA America sector events including colloquia, the annual OPERA America Trustee Forum, conferences, and annual meetings.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Haid’s next big goal is the creation of a $10M endowment fund to be completed in celebration of MO’s 50th season in 2022/23.

In describing Haid’s impact on Manitoba Opera, nominator Larry Desrochers, General Director & CEO, said, “Elba is an inspiring leader. She wins people over with her warmth and charm and because she is genuinely interested in them. She is poised and gracious. She’s a mentor, a teacher, a strategist, a planner, and an optimist. She sets the bar high and encourages us all to reach for it. She is a wonderful team leader and her goal is always to lead a championship team. She is so deserving of this recognition by Opera.ca.”

Opera.ca’s commitment to recognizing excellence in governance is shared with sister association OPERA America through their National Opera Trustee Recognition Award, in which a single honouree is chosen from each of the five OPERA America budget categories. In 2020, OPERA America is pleased to honour Robert Ellis, San Francisco Opera; H. Bernt Von Ohlen, Minnesota Opera; Linda Koehn, Des Moines Metro Opera; Phil Meyer, Pacific Opera Project; and Chris and Anita Murray, Opera Las Vegas.

Elba Haid will be recognized alongside the five U.S. recipients of the National Opera Trustee Recognition Award at a special dinner in Washington, D.C., March 2020.

About Opera.ca
Opera.ca is the national association for opera companies and professionals in Canada. It seeks to create and sustain an environment that makes opera central to Canadian life. It works with members across the country to advance the interests of Canada’s opera community and create greater opportunity for opera audiences and professionals alike.

ELBA HAID

Service to others has been Elba Haid’s driving passion for as long as she can remember. Twenty-five years ago, she translated that passion for caring into a business, opening Realcare Inc., a private health care organization which provides home care that offers dignity, comfort, compassion, integrity, and trust. To Haid, those are more than buzzwords—they are tenets by which she lives and works.

In her role as Board Chair at Manitoba Opera, she has spearheaded numerous fundraising efforts that have seen the company retire its debt and garner national attention for its productions. She has fostered initiatives through Manitoba Opera and other cultural organizations that have improved the community at large, and she has encouraged her fellow business leaders to do the same.

Haid is an executive member of Women of Winnipeg, a member of The Associates, Asper School of Business, and board member of the Westland Foundation. In 2012, she was recognized as one of seven women for International Women’s Day Manitoba - entrepreneurs advancing women in the province.

Empowerment of women has always been important to Haid. Whether she is leading the Heart and Stroke Women’s Campaign for Western Canada or working one-on-one to mentor a woman in Winnipeg, Haid’s enduring goal is to offer her support where it is needed most.

For More Information:
Christina Loewen
Executive Director
Opera.ca
416-591-7222
[email protected]
www.opera.ca

Darlene Ronald
Director of Marketing
Manitoba Opera
204-255-0508
[email protected]
mbopera.ca