San Francisco Girls Chorus Appoints Mary Finch as Executive Director
Seasoned Arts Administrator and Choral Artist to Lead Organization Toward Its 50th Anniversary
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — 3/18/26 — The San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) today announced the appointment of Mary Finch as its new Executive Director. Finch succeeds Jean Kellogg, who served as Interim Executive Director and brings a distinguished record in arts administration, fundraising, and choral performance to the role, and will partner closely with Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe to advance the organization's mission of musical excellence and the development of girls and young women.
Laura Lane, Co-President of the Board of Directors, said:
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am thrilled to welcome Mary Finch as the new Executive Director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus. As we approach our 50th anniversary — a half-century of raising voices and shaping lives — we are inspired by the leadership team now in place to carry that legacy forward. Mary and Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe share a deep commitment to our singers and a bold vision for what this organization can be. The best of the San Francisco Girls Chorus is still ahead of us, and we look forward to sharing it."
Finch joins SFGC with a career spanning performance, operations, and philanthropy at some of the Bay Area's most prominent cultural institutions. A soprano with the San Francisco Opera Chorus for more than two decades, she also served as Chorus and Dance Personnel Manager at San Francisco Opera, overseeing daily operations for choristers and dancers. She subsequently served as Executive Director of Cantare in Oakland, where she advanced the organization's commitment to community engagement, equity, and music education. Most recently, Finch served as a Major Gift Officer at the San Francisco Symphony, where she cultivated donor relationships and secured significant philanthropic support. Deeply committed to expanding access to transformative musical experiences, Finch has been a longstanding advocate for young people and brings that conviction directly to her work at SFGC. Her appointment reflects a shared commitment to unified leadership — one in which artistic excellence, operational strength, and community impact are held in close alignment, with the well-being, growth, and confidence of every chorister at the center of every decision.
Mary Finch said:
"I am honored to join the San Francisco Girls Chorus as its new Executive Director. I look forward to working closely with Valérie Sainte-Agathe, one of the nation's most dynamic choral conductors and artists, alongside the organization's exceptionally talented faculty and staff, its engaged and committed Board of Directors, and in service of the girls and young women who are at the heart of this distinguished organization. As the San Francisco Girls Chorus approaches its 50th Anniversary in 2028, we will build upon a strong legacy of artistic excellence while advancing a vision for the future that continues to provide girls and young women with the skills, self-discipline, and confidence necessary to succeed both in music and in life."
Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe said:
"I am truly excited to welcome Mary Finch as our new Executive Director. It is especially meaningful to partner with someone who comes from the choral world and understands, from the inside, the artistic heart of what we do. Her arrival marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration, and I look forward to working closely together to open new opportunities for our singers and to support the next generation of girls in strengthening their artistry, leadership, and confidence as they claim their place in the world."
As SFGC approaches its 50th Anniversary in 2028, Finch's leadership positions the organization to honor its legacy while expanding its reach and deepening its impact on the lives of young singers and the Arts community across the Bay Area and beyond.