Houston Grand Opera has elected Astley Blair, a veteran board member, community leader, and arts advocate, as the new Chairperson of its Board of Directors, effective this month.
Blair will serve a two-year term through August 1, 2027, at a time when HGO “continues to strategically expand both its world-class artistic offerings and its global presence under the leadership of General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor,” as stated in a press release.
“With Astley Blair assuming leadership of the HGO Board, I see no limit to what we can achieve,” said Dastoor.
“Astley brings with him a wealth of global business expertise gained during a dynamic career in the financial and energy sectors, and an entrepreneurial spirit that makes him the perfect choice to help lead HGO through a time of thrilling possibility,” she said.
Blair is the Chief Financial Officer of Marine Well Containment Company. Previously, he held senior management positions at Chevron, serving as the company’s Vice President and General Manager of Finance and Business Services, as well as at Texaco.
An HGO board member since 2004, Blair chaired its Audit Committee and has served on the Audiences, Philanthropy, and Management Evaluation and Development committees. In 2021, he co-chaired the committee that selected and recruited Dastoor to lead HGO. Since last year, he has also been part of the Strategic Advisory Group, founded in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group to advance HGO’s strategic planning efforts over the next decade.
“For decades, HGO has pushed the boundaries of what is possible, and now, with a clear vision of what the future of American opera can be, this is our time,” said Blair. “It’s an honor to serve this board and help lead this storied institution into the future.”
As Board Chair, Blair succeeds Claire Liu, who served a special three-year term and received OPERA America’s National Opera Trustee Recognition Award in 2024.
“I plan to continue my work in service of this fantastic organization, and I look forward to watching the company advance its mission with Astley Blair, one of its most devoted champions, as its next Chairperson of the Board,” said Liu.
Blair’s additional work in the community includes currently serving on the boards of the Houston Airport System Development Corporation and the American Leadership Forum. He was the former Chairman of the Center for Houston’s Future and a former Board Member of the Greater Houston Partnership, and has been involved with the Houston Food Bank, the United Way, and initiatives to support STEM education.
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