Symphony announces Yolanda “Yoli” Alovor as inaugural VP of EDI

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Marie- Hélène Bernard recently announced the appointment of Yolanda “Yoli” Alovor, Ph.D., as the institution’s first vice president of external affairs and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Marie-Hélène Bernard, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra president and CEO, said, “Dr. Alovor is a proven leader in EDI, as well as a superb communicator and community connector. She is a results oriented leader who has a track record of establishing rapport with diverse constituencies at all levels. I know she will be a strong advisor to me, our Board, and team as we chart a path toward becoming a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive institution. We are committed to learning from Yoli’s expertise in the same way the SLSO is committed to listening to and learning from the St. Louis community. On behalf of our entire SLSO family, I am excited to welcome Yoli back to St. Louis, her hometown, and look forward to beginning our work together.”

This newly created executive level position oversees the SLSO’s ongoing work toward equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), providing strategic leadership to the entire SLSO family on all aspects of the institution’s growing EDI portfolio. Alovor will also oversee SLSO external affairs and communications functions, aligning those departments with SLSO strategic plan objectives and EDI framework. She will provide strategic guidance to elevate the profile of the institution locally, nationally, and globally.

A St. Louis native and graduate of Webster Groves High School, Alovor brings a wealth of experience in EDI implementation and community partnership development. Most recently, she served as the chief of staff and vice president of diversity and belonging at Rosemont College in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, where she guided complex and confidential management in support of the strategic mission of the college, provided critical insight for campus projects, and led diversity and belonging initiatives that helped drive business and administrative functions. In her leadership role, she led grassroots efforts with internal and external collaborators to build the college’s first Diversity and Belonging Department and campus strategic plan. She also launched leadership initiatives to foster belonging and managed internal and external communications.

Alovor holds a Ph.D. in educational research from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and recently completed postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley's Intercultural Leadership Program: Global DEI Practitioner Institute. She will return to her hometown of St. Louis where her extended family and son, a student at Missouri University of Science and Technology, reside.