Tamara J. Silzle

Executive Assistant to the President

Office of the President

About Tamara

I am the executive assistant to the President of Chautauqua Institution. I work not only directly with President Michael Hill but the senior vice president, corporate counsel and corporate secretary. One of my responsibilities involves working with the board of Trustees. Prior to starting in the President’s Office, I worked for the Office of Advancement.

I began my career at Chautauqua in June 2019. Before that I worked 14 years in the legal field: seven years as a legal secretary and seven years as the confidential secretary to the Honorable County Court Judge, John T. Ward (retired).

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

Growing up, my mother would bring my sister and me up to visit Chautauqua Institution on Sundays during the summer. In the mid ’80s, my mother became the manager of the Chautauqua Bookstore so we moved to Chautauqua County. The Institution is where I spent my high school and college years. I worked in the Amp, the library and bookstore.

The position I held in the advancement office became available at a point in my life when I was looking for a change. Returning to Chautauqua is like returning home for me.

Professional Affiliations

I am a Notary

Personal Interests

I am currently learning sign language with the hope that someday I will achieve interpreter status.