Last Week's Speaker Lora Unger, President and CEO of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
Our speaker for March 19, 2026 was Lora Unger, the recently appointed President and CEO of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (LBC). She has served for more than 20 years in nonprofit performing arts leadership, distinguished by her success in innovative fundraising, strategic growth, and community engagement. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of the Performing Arts 
Center Eastside (PACE) in Bellevue, Washington, where she reignited a multimillion-dollar capital campaign.
Center Eastside (PACE) in Bellevue, Washington, where she reignited a multimillion-dollar capital campaign.Lora spoke about her journey that led her to Sonoma County and her current position as President and CEO of the LBC. She was born in Moldova (which, at the time, was part of the Soviet Union). When she was a one-year old, her family left Moldova and moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where there were numerous resources available for arts and education programs. Her interest in music led her to take up the viola and she was subsequently accepted to a performing arts high school in Louisville. While a junior in high school, Lora began playing with the University of Louisville orchestra (where she eventually received a full scholarship upon graduating from high school). Recognizing the limitations on making a living as a musician, Lora decided to minor in business with a focus on arts administration.
Her twenty years of post-university work experience led her around the country and eventually to California, which she loves. When looking for her dream job, Lora said that her wish list included that the position be in a field that she was passionate about and involved an organization that was cherished in the community – both of which were fulfilled by the LBC.
The LBC has so much to offer our community. Lora explained that in order to be financially sustainable, the business model for a performing arts center like the LBC is to offer many different things to the community they serve – rather than just focus, for example, solely on operas or symphonic orchestras. The LBC has a wide range of events such as comedy acts, dance performances, children’s theater, musical acts (rock and roll, blues, country, classical, etc.), and over twenty art educational programs. The LBC also has a 26 acre sculpture and art garden which attracts esteemed artists, as well as facility rentals for seminars, lectures, weddings and reunions.
The LBC has an annual operating budget of approximately $14 million. Lora’s current fiscal goal (or challenge) is to attain $1 million in new and repeatable revenue. The LBC competes with casinos and other commercial venues, which constantly requires booking new acts and programs throughout the year. However, unlike casinos and such other commercial venues, most of the ticket sales (90%) for a performance at the LBC goes directly to the artists. The remainder helps cover the LBC’s costs (along with donations, sponsorships, and grants). Lora stressed that the true benefit of the LBC is to provide a wide array of entertainment and programs that enrich the members of the community that they serve. Lora believes that the LBC is truly the heartbeat of our community.
Thank you Lora for the very informative presentation. The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts will surely thrive under your leadership. Lora was pleased by the club members past participation at the LBC. She encouraged our members to keep supporting the LBC to ensure its continued presence in our community.
