Dear Chautauquans, We learned this week of the passing of the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, our former Director of the Department of Religion and a force in the world. Joan served Chautauqua faithfully for more than a decade, assembling some of the most important preachers and prophetic voices in the world on our stages, in our pulpits and on our grounds. Joan believed, as we long have, that Chautauqua had a larger role to play in the world, and that bringing thought leaders from around the globe was only a part of the magic sauce of Chautauqua. It was when...
The Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees today announced that Laurie A. Branch, who currently serves as chair of the board’s budget and finance committee, has been elected to succeed Candace L. Maxwell as board chair. This appointment is effective Oct. 1, 2025, when Maxwell will have completed three consecutive two-year terms as chair, which is the maximum allowed under the board’s bylaws. Branch is a fourth-generation Chautauquan and a lifelong summer resident of the Institution grounds. A resident of Longboat Key, Florida, and originally from Olean, New York, Branch is CEO and President of Ironpeak, one of the oldest and largest...
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (March 11, 2025) — In a joint announcement to the Chautauqua community today, Institution Board of Trustees Chair Candace L. Maxwell and Institution President Michael E. Hill, Ed.D., announced President Hill will leave his role as Chautauqua’s 18th president May 31, 2025. ”My eight-plus years in service to Chautauqua have been among the most rewarding and challenging of my career,” Hill said. “…it has been the honor of a lifetime to work alongside the talented Chautauqua team to advance our mission.” Hill said he is leaving his post as Institution president to accept the position of president at...
Chautauqua Institution 2024 Annual Report Introduction The 150th anniversary of our storied institution, celebrated in 2024, had long been a milestone we eagerly anticipated. It offered the opportunity to honor the Institution’s significant influence and impact, not only in the history of the United States but well beyond its borders. We anchored our anniversary year with the theme The Seasons and Stories of Chautauqua, which came to life through multiple recognitions of Chautauqua’s seasons. These included the publication of “Chautauqwhat? A Short History of a Place and an Idea” by Archivist and Historian Jon Schmitz (now in its second edition), a reenactment of...
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) recently issued the new Wetlands Regulations. New Informational Wetlands delineation maps were also created showing areas in blue that will require a “Jurisdictional Determination” from the NYSDEC if a project is proposed within the blue areas or within 100 feet of those areas. These maps do not currently reflect potential in-lake wetland delineations. NYSDEC is working on those delineations and will update the map as they finalize them. The new maps indicate some newly designated wetland areas within Chautauqua Institution areas including around the marsh between the Woodlands and Turner Community...
The Forum Dialogues proved to be a constructive endeavor and provided the leadership of the Institution with feedback and ideas on several operational issues. This report summarizes the recommendations received and their status in terms of our current thinking. In the report below, we have organized our work to reflect four distinct categories: As mentioned in previous reports, we received a large amount of feedback, and it became clearer to us via the dialogues that different community members have different focus areas for their Chautauqua experience. That is one of the things that makes Chautauqua unique and meaningful for our...
A reminder to those who are spending the holidays at Chautauqua, there are some special events happening on the grounds for you to consider.
Chautauqua Institution is celebrating a major investment by New York State in the science-based conservation of Chautauqua Lake. A $4.7 million grant to Chautauqua Institution from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (NYSEFC) will sustain scientific research and related infrastructure investments in Chautauqua Lake through May 2027. Institution President Michael E. Hill, says this investment from New York State represents a milestone in the multiyear vision for Chautauqua Lake conservation named in Chautauqua Institution’s strategic plan, 150 Forward. “When our Board of Trustees in 2019 named the development of science-based solutions for the conservation of Chautauqua Lake as one...
Monday, October 7, 2024 Chautauqua, N.Y. – Chautauqua Institution and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra (CSO) today announced a series of new musician appointments. Sharon Roffman joins the CSO as concertmaster after a two-year audition process, Stanislav Chernyshev as Principal Clarinet, and Matthew Strauss as Principal Timpani. Additionally, six exceptional violinists — Leslie Frey Anderegg, Zhe Deng, Zhen Lui, Molly McDonald, Kurt Munstedt and Timothy Peters — have been welcomed ahead of the 2025 season. Cristina Cutts Dougherty’s appointment as Principal Tuba is historic, as she becomes the first female principal tuba player in the orchestra’s history. Led by Music Director...
It is with great pleasure we announce news of staff promotions and transitions that stem from our strategic plan’s cross-cutting imperative to mobilize technology. That work has happened under the heading of Project 360, a multiyear project focused on modernizing and aligning Chautauqua’s technology tools to improve patron and staff experiences. The next phase of Project 360 will focus on the implementation of a customer relationship management (CRM) system — Salesforce. This initiative will unfold over the coming years and eventually impact every department at Chautauqua. Salesforce will provide transformational tools, enhancing and replacing systems currently being used in Advancement...
