Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara, Inc. (CAMA), celebrating its 105th concert season in 2023-24, has elected Deborah Bertling as its board chair.

Bertling, whose appointment took effect June 22, succeeds Robert K. Montgomery who served as board chair for eight fiscal years, 2015-23.

A native of Pennsylvania, Bertling earned her bachelor of music degree in voice performance and has performed in operas, concerts and musicals for over 30 years.

She worked for Yamaha Corporation of America’s Music Division as a buyer for 10 years in Buena Park, California.

Bertling sang with Opera Santa Barbara (OSB) and spearheaded the organization’s education outreach programs. She worked for more than a decade in schools with OSB, and with CAMA in its Music Matters docent program.

Bertling is the immediate past president of the CAMA Women’s Board and has been a board member for CAMA since 2004. She served as CAMA’s Centennial Celebration committee chair, 2014–20, presiding over some of the most ambitious and celebratory concerts and events of CAMA’s history.

Bertling has been president of Performing Arts Music Association since 2002.

In addition to Bertling, officers of the 2023-24 CAMA Board of Directors include: George Messerlian, vice chair; Christine Emmons, secretary; Jan Bowlus, treasurer; and Montgomery, past chair.

CAMA, Santa Barbara’s oldest arts organization, brings the classical musicians from around the globe to Santa Barbara’s Granada and Lobero theatres.

For more on CAMA, visit https://www.camasb.org/.