Linda Weise is the Founder of the Colorado Springs Conservatory (CSC). She established the Conservatory in 1994 to bring world-class performing arts education to the region. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory in piano and vocal performance, she continued her post-graduate work at the Juilliard School for Opera Studies. Both Linda and the CSC have been recognized throughout the state and across the country with numerous awards to include the National Guild of Community Music Schools Milestone Achievement award and the coveted William Funk Award from the Colorado Non- Profit Association. Accolades for providing and making accessible to all who are interested in outstanding arts immersion studies, the Conservatory has been changing lives for nearly 23 years now. She currently serves as the President of the Community Cultural Collective and Opus Creative Industries. Opus is a series of real time, ‘earn and learn’ workforce programs in the creative sector. communityculturalcollective.orgShe is also the creator of the PBS children's program, Simple Gift Series. Born our ot COVID and the need for quality learning experiences for young children and those families, Simple Gift has now evolved to aWeb based program with expanded program and training opportunities. Simple Gift Schoolhouse is currently offering trainings and playgroups Linda is an active community advocate who serves or has served on these boards of directors: Governor’s appointee for the State Board of Colorado Humanities, Vice Chair Colorado Springs Leadership Institute (CSLI), Citizens Soldier Connection, committee for the annual Range Riders Street Breakfast, Regional Advisory Council for Central City Opera, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Fountain Fund, and PILLAR Institute for Lifelong Learning. She has recently been appointed as Honorary Commander for the US Air Force Academy and serves in the Board of Directors for Opera Colorado and the El Paso County Early Childhood Business Council. The civic and artistic partnerships she has created have lasted decades and have forged new ways to bring the arts to many who would otherwise go without. Linda is a graduate of both Colorado Leadership Institute and Leadership Pikes Peak. Linda has resided in Colorado Springs since 1992 where she currently lives with her husband Keith Wells and daughters Christina and Kelsy.