We have a new face at the CMA office. When you see Laura at an upcoming performance, be sure to say hi and introduce yourself.
Meet Laura, our new Director of Operations
Laura Porter is CMA’s new Director of Operations. A Kansas native and historian by training, she is thrilled to be joining such a storied arts organization full-time, especially because music played a formative role in her upbringing and has remained one of her core passions ever since. As someone personally indebted to parents, grandparents, and public-school teachers for opportunities to learn instruments and perform, she knows first-hand that childhood music education can lay a foundation for a lifetime of music appreciation.
Laura holds a B.A. in history and philosophy from Wheaton College (IL), where she spent four years as a section cellist in the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra. She went on to earn her M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of Notre Dame (IN), but in between long days (and years!) of research and writing, she remained active in voice and string ensembles. Having since lived overseas, taught at multiple universities, and written on a variety of topics, she recently turned to revising her book manuscript—often with classical music playing in the background. In 2021, she joined the CMA Board of Directors to become more involved in the Des Moines arts community.
As a historian and educator, Laura is particularly excited to champion the unique role CMA plays in the music performance and music education infrastructure of central Iowa, a role it has played for nearly a century. As a parent of three young boys, she hopes to stay attuned to the needs of local public schools, as well as the community at large, for equitable music access and music enrichment programs.
