Deborah Sunya Moore

She/Her

Senior Vice President, Chief Program Officer

Executive Team
Program Office — Programming
Programming

About Deborah

Deborah currently serves as Chief Program Officer/Senior Vice President for Chautauqua Institution and is responsible for establishing and leading programmatic vision for Chautauqua’s four program pillars: Education, Arts, Religion and Recreation. The nine-week summer season programming includes the Chautauqua Lecture Series, Interfaith Lecture Series, Popular Entertainment, Schools of Performing and Visual Arts, Literary Arts and resident companies inclusive of the orchestra, opera and theater. Year-round programming includes strategic partnerships, the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative, on grounds residencies for artists, and collaborative programming for Chautauqua’s online streaming platform.

Deborah has held a commitment to inclusivity throughout her career and completed a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University in 2022. Previously, Ms. Moore held the positions of Arts Education & Community Engagement Specialist at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (2010-2013). She served as the Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Louisville Orchestra (2005-2010) and as the artistic director (1999-2005) and percussionist of Tales & Scales, a nationally touring instrumental quartet for youth. Deborah was selected for the Hermitage Artist Retreat 2013-2014, became a speaker for the United States Department of State in 2014, and was awarded the designation of Fulbright Specialist from 2017-2019.

Deborah was named a National Workshop Leader for the Kennedy Center in 2008 and continues to serve in this role. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati. Sunya is Deborah’s middle name, which she uses to honor her Korean heritage.

Why did you choose to work at Chautauqua? What do you like about working at Chautauqua?

Chautauqua encompasses so many of my personal passions, the largest being my desire for lifelong learning. From spirituality and literature to arts and fitness, so much of what I love is found within this community that exists both in physical place and online space. I run and walk and bike the grounds, I look to the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle for book recommendations for both myself and my children, I wear and admire art from our galleries, I listen and learn within the Amp….the list goes on! I work here because I believe in our mission to explore the best in human values and I join so many in a shared aspiration to impact more people in increasingly meaningful ways within their life journey.

Current and Former Volunteer or Board Roles

• Board Member, Child Advocacy Program (Jamestown, NY)
• Advisory Committee Member, Partners in Education/John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Personal Interests

Yoga, running reading, daughter-wrangling