Opera America has announced this year’s recipients of the National Opera Trustee Recognition Award, and John T. Cody Jr. of the Dallas Opera has been named one of four winners. The award honors trustees for exemplary leadership, generosity and audience building efforts on behalf of their respective opera companies.

Cody is serving as the opera’s interim general director while it searches for George Steel’s replacement. He joined the organization’s board of directors in 1993 and is also the retired president and COO of J.C. Penney.

The other winners of the award are: Richard Holland of Opera Omaha, Beth Ingram of Lyric Opera of Kansas City and C. Guy Rudisill III of Piedmont Opera. Opera America is the national service organization for opera.