In September 2025, Christopher Verdugo announced he would step down as CEO of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and The Chan National Queer Arts Center at the end of the 2025–26 season, after ten years with the organization.
A decade of growth
The Bay Area Reporter’s Cynthia Laird reported that the chorus’s budget grew from under $1 million to $4.6 million during his tenure. Coverage across outlets highlighted:
- Opening The Chan at 170 Valencia Street in 2023, SFGMC’s permanent home, bought in 2019 and renovated through a $15 million capital campaign
- The 2017 Lavender Pen Tour of the Deep South and the award-winning documentary Gay Chorus Deep South
- A record-setting Crescendo gala and expanded education programs
- Guiding the chorus through the pandemic
The board, led by chair Tom Paulino, launched a nationwide search for a successor. Artistic Director Jacob Stensberg told the Bay Area Reporter the organization had grown fivefold under Verdugo’s leadership.
“Leading the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has been the honor of my life.”
— Christopher Verdugo, as quoted by the San Francisco Bay Times and BroadwayWorld
Read more: California Honors SFGMC CEO Chris Verdugo and Lane Sugata Named Next CEO.
Sources
This post summarizes reporting by the San Francisco Bay Times, the Bay Area Reporter, BroadwayWorld and OperaWire. Details attributed to those outlets are their reporting; see the sources below.
- San Francisco Bay Times, “Christopher Verdugo to Step Down as CEO of San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus & The Chan National Queer Arts Center After a Decade of Transformative Leadership”, September 25, 2025. Read the original story
- Bay Area Reporter, “SF Gay Men’s Chorus CEO Verdugo to depart in 2026” by Cynthia Laird, September 23, 2025. Read the original story
- BroadwayWorld, “San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus CEO Chris Verdugo To Step Down” by Chloe Rabinowitz, September 23, 2025. Read the original story
- OperaWire, “Chief Executive Officer of San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus to Step Down” by Francisco Salazar, September 26, 2025. Read the original story
