Three community leaders were elected to the Music Academy of the West Board of Directors at the board’s annual meeting in December.

They are Montecito residents Susan Lichtenstein, retired, senior vice president/chief legal officer at Hill-Rom Holdings; Kelly Teich, president, The Warner Group Architects; and Santa Barbara resident Tom Orlando, industrial property manager, former manufacturing executive.

The board also honored the achievements of two retiring board members, Margaret Cafarelli and Tim Taylor.

“It is my honor to welcome two outstanding members of the Santa Barbara community to the Music Academy Board of Directors,” said Maurice Singer, Music Academy Board chair.

“Kelly, a talent in both architecture and photography, brings a creative and exciting energy to our board,” she said. “Susan’s passion for the arts, especially as a Music Academy supporter, amplifies her future impact in this leadership role.

“I am also thrilled to have Tom return to the board,” Singer said. “His unwavering commitment to the Music Academy coupled with his financial expertise has allowed the institution to make great strides forward.”

“Adding these remarkable individuals to the Music Academy Board of Directors helps elevate the already incredible group of leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to the Music Academy,” said Shauna Quill, Music Academy president/CEO.

“I’m excited to work together with Susan, Kelly and Tom as we look to the next era, and grateful for the past leadership of Margaret and Tom, who have positioned us so well,” Quill said.

The Music Academy also recognized two long-term members who retired from the board on Dec. 31.

Emeritus Board Chair Margaret Cafarelli, founder of Urban Developments in San Francisco, served more than four terms spanning 13 years from 2009-23 and as chair from 2015-17.

Cafarelli was also part of the Music Academy’s Finance and Buildings and Grounds committees, and was instrumental in renovating and adding several of the buildings on the Music Academy campus.

Tim Taylor, a mortgage banking executive and 2008 Old Spanish Days El Presidente, served three terms from 2015-23, and participated in several Music Academy committees.

“I am immensely grateful for the remarkable leadership and support of Tim Taylor and Margaret Cafarelli throughout their years of service on the board. Their dedication to the Music Academy has propelled its mission forward by leaps and bounds,” Singer said.

Lichtenstein is a retired healthcare executive, most recently serving as senior vice president and chief legal officer of Hill-Rom Holdings, a global medical device manufacturer, where she was responsible for government, regulatory and legal affairs, corporate communications, and corporate support services.

She previously had similar responsibilities as chief legal officer for Baxter International Inc., a $12+ billion diversified life sciences company.

Lichtenstein was a director of Aviv REIT, and has twice served in government, working for the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois. She has managed and testified at congressional hearings, dealt with cabinet-level officials and all levels of government agencies, legislatures, and the press, making strategic contributions in complex, multi-constituent settings.

She currently serves on the board of Girls, Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, and the board of RUSH University Medical Center. She previously served on the boards of the Civic Consulting Alliance of Chicago and WTTW, Chicago’s public television station.

Lichtenstein and her husband, John Rokacz, are scholarship donors and patrons of the Music Academy and are compeers to cello fellows.

“The Music Academy is an extraordinary institution, one we are so fortunate to have here in Santa Barbara. I am honored to be a part of the exciting new chapter that is beginning with Shauna Quill’s leadership,” Lichtenstein said.

Born in Burbank, California, Orlando grew up in the San Fernando Valley and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at California State University, Northridge.

Following a successful four-year stint as a sales associate with food and beverage wholesaler, Young’s Market Company, he joined the staff of Los Angeles-based manufacturing concern CTD Machines, Inc. where he became sales manager before becoming owner, president and CEO.

He left the company when it was sold in 2007, and currently manages several industrial properties in Southern California.

Orlando serves as a director on the board of Daum Commercial Real Estate Services, and previously served on the boards for the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America and the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers.

Orlando previously served on the Music Academy Board of Directors from 2012-22, where he helped oversee the reconstruction of the Marilyn Horne Main House and the construction of Hind Hall.

He chaired the finance committee for seven years during his previous terms. He has served on the investment committee and the buildings and grounds committee as well as the executive committee.

“I’ve been involved with the Music Academy for over two decades and am immensely impressed with its mission and dedication to the Performing Arts. I am very pleased to have an opportunity to further contribute to this fine organization,” Orlando said.

Teich’s immersion in the Montecito community began in 2005, when he joined The Warner Group Architects, Inc., as an aspiring architect.

Over the past two decades, he has collaborated with clients in the creation of award-winning, bespoke residences spanning diverse architectural genres in Montecito, Santa Barbara, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Orange County, and internationally.

Now a principal architect who oversees the design process and management of the firm, Teich is president at The Warner Group Architects. Before his architectural career, Teich earned a bachelor of architecture degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he also met his wife, who is a pediatric occupational therapist based in Santa Barbara.

“I’m honored to serve on such a prestigious board alongside many accomplished directors. Appreciation for music and design go hand-in-hand and I look forward to bringing creative perspectives to the Academy with my background as an architect,” Teich said.