Jan is a proud Hoosier, having been born and raised in southern Indiana, and a graduate of Hanover College with degrees in psychology and religion. After college Jan moved to upstate New York, where she began working as Director of Christian Education at the Danville Presbyterian Church. It was while in New York that she met and married Richard (Dick) Furst.
Following their tenure in New York, the Fursts moved to St. Louis, MO, where Dick completed his doctorate at Washington University and Jan worked in the University’s development office. After four years in St. Louis, it was off to Columbia, SC, for twelve years while Dick served on the faculty of the business school at the University of South Carolina. In August of 1981, the Fursts moved to Lexington, when Dick began his tenure as Dean of the College of Business and Economics at UK.
Dick and Jan are the parents of two daughters and have six grandchildren.
Dick was a member of the Lexington Opera Society, now OperaLex until his death in 2012, and was dedicated to supporting and promoting the mission of UK Opera. With the enthusiasm she shared with her husband, Jan is excited to continue that support while serving on the Board of OperaLex.
