Lori Dimun is stepping down as president and CEO of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance after nearly six years at the helm of the Millennium Park venue, setting the stage for a leadership shuffle at one of Chicago’s marquee arts hubs. The theater’s board has tapped longtime trustee Michael McStraw as interim president and CEO while it conducts a search for a permanent successor, and he is expected to scale back his current duties so he can lead the Harris full-time during the transition.
The change was announced on Friday in a press release, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Dimun, who has worked at the Harris for about 15 years and became president and CEO in 2020, is set to join the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation later this year. The paper notes that McStraw has framed his main goal as continuing to help audiences “find the gift that the arts bring,” and reports that he will step away from day-to-day leadership at the Chicago Dance History Project to focus on the Harris full time.
What McStraw Brings
McStraw steps into the interim role with deep connections across Chicago’s dance and presenting communities. He is listed as executive director of the Chicago Dance History Project and is a longstanding trustee of the Harris, giving him a front-row seat to the theater’s evolution over the years. The Chicago Dance History Project outlines his work as an arts administrator and archivist, while Giordano Dance Chicago documents his prior tenure as that company’s executive director beginning in 2010.
Dimun's Record and the Gala
During Dimun’s tenure, the Harris broadened its programming and raised the theater’s national profile by curating ambitious seasons and hosting international companies and projects. It has been a stretch marked by big swings and higher visibility for the venue. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the theater’s Icons and Innovators Gala last weekend exceeded its fundraising goal, pulling in nearly $1.4 million.
What Comes Next
The Harris board will oversee the search for a permanent president and CEO while McStraw serves in the interim role, and Dimun has said she will assist with the handoff, according to the announcement. The theater’s leadership and trustees are listed on its website, where both Dimun and McStraw appear among current staff and board members, per the Harris Theater.
For patrons and presenting partners, the immediate focus is continuity: upcoming seasons and performances remain on the calendar while the organization works through the leadership change. Hoodline will monitor the board’s search and share updates as the Harris provides a timetable for Dimun’s departure and the arrival of a permanent successor.
