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...

Chautauqua Institution today announced that Amit Taneja will assume additional responsibilities as Senior Vice President of Community Relations & Chief IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Officer. Reporting directly to Chautauqua President Michael E. Hill, Ed.D., Taneja will continue to drive key initiatives that make Chautauqua Institution a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible community while also deepening its engagement with community organizations.  In his expanded role, Taneja will lead efforts to strengthen community relations, acting as the principal executive liaison between the Institution and various community groups, including the Chautauqua Property Owners Association (CPOA). He will support volunteer appreciation...

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...