Laura Smalley
(she/her/hers)
Manager of Operations and IT
Laura is an avid learner with keen analytical and relationship-building skills. She is a Certified Salesforce Administrator passionate about helping nonprofit organizations successfully build systems to streamline processes and foster data-driven strategies.
She has spent her career working with many prominent non-profit organizations, previously working at Des Moines Metro Opera, Stage 773, and as the Communications Coordinator at Chicago Opera Theater. In January 2020, Laura took over as the Executive Director of Chicago Fringe Opera (CFO), a storefront opera company whose mission is to engage with the Chicago community through intimate performance experiences and empowering local artists. Previously, she served as CFO’s Development Director (2016-2019), where she established and oversaw the company’s fundraising activities. She is also an alumna of the 2018 Hart Institute for Women Opera Administrators, a professional development program at The Dallas Opera.
A lifelong lover of music, Laura holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from DePaul School of Music in Chicago and works regularly as a singer and performer in the Chicago area.
“Family is not only the roots telling the story of where we come from, but the people we surround ourselves with that nourish our journey forward.”