Joffrey Ballet Welcomes New Women’s Board President Farissa Knox

Greg Cameron, President and CEO of The Joffrey Ballet, and Anne Kaplan, Board Chair, recently announced the appointment of Farissa Knox as the new President of the Joffrey Women’s Board.

Named one of Crains Chicago Business 2024 Notable Black Leaders, Knox joined the Joffrey Women’s Board in the spring of 2019. In 2020, she became Co-Chair of Joffrey Women’s Board Crisis Stabilization and Membership Committees. Knox was elected to the Joffrey Board of Directors in 2021, and in 2023, she served as Co-Chair for the highest-grossing Women’s Board Luncheon in the event’s history. Founded in 2002, the Joffrey’s Women’s Board, comprised of approximately 160+ of Chicago’s civic and business leaders, advances the activities and prominence of The Joffrey Ballet as one of the leading cultural and educational institutions in the country.

“Farissa’s incredible energy, pioneering ideas, and sharp eye for philanthropic and strategic planning make her the ideal choice to helm the next chapter of the Joffrey Women’s Board,” said Cameron. “The Women’s Board represents a dynamic cohort of women who prove time and time again that their dreams for the Joffrey, and the many communities we serve, can become realities.”

Reflecting on her connection with the Joffrey, Knox said, “My involvement with the Joffrey began in 2014 when my two-year-old daughter started taking Academy classes. The quality of care from her teachers and the joy I witnessed in my daughter inspired me to help make ballet inviting to everyone. My enthusiasm for the Joffrey’s mission and the people who make up this valuable organization has only grown as I have become more deeply involved.”

During Knox’s tenure as a Women’s Board member, The Joffrey Women’s Board has achieved outstanding milestones, notably significant enhancements to the Kathy Smith Memorial Scholarship for Community Engagement Programs at the Marcus Garvey Elementary School on the city’s southside. “It is an honor to welcome Farissa as the next Joffrey Women’s Board President,” adds Kaplan. “A connector and innovator, Farissa’s smart insights and strong leadership will be pivotal in increasing the impact of Women’s Board’s artistic, educational, and community-driven initiatives.”

Knox will serve on the Joffrey Women’s Board alongside Executive Committee members Cheryl Tama Oblander, First Vice President; Jessica Jecmen, Second Vice President; Johanna Ferguson, Second Vice President; Heather Martin, Secretary; and Jenelle Chalmers, Treasurer; Ms. Carolyn A. Blessing, Member at Large; and Linda Curtis O’Bannon, MD, Member at Large.

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit Joffrey.org.