CODY ENGLANDER
Staff Writer
“Strong governance begins with transparency,” read a quote in the Chautauqua Governance Community Newsletter from Class B Trustee Sara Ponkow. “Transparency builds trust, meaningful dialogue strengthens decision-making and an engaged community helps ensure Chautauqua’s continued stewardship for generations to come. It is through listening, learning, asking thoughtful questions and working together that we strengthen both our governance and our shared future.”
Noon today in the Hall of Philosophy marks the beginning of in-person voting for the Board of Governance nominations during the Chautauqua Corporation’s Annual Meeting.
The board is composed of 24 trustees, split between 20 Group A Trustees and four Group B Trustees. Group A Trustees are elected by sitting members of the Board of Trustees and are not required to be property owners in Chautauqua Institution. Group B Trustees are nominated by the Institution’s property owners. The distinction only goes as far as the election; both Group A and B trustees have the same functional powers and fiduciary duties.
Ponkow compared the board’s previous lack of transparency to “The Wizard of Oz.”
“There was a wizard behind the curtain, and nobody knew what the wizard did,” Ponkow said. “… Then, when Dorothy got there, [she] found it was nobody scary.”
For the Board of Trustees, one of the main goals for the season has been to lift up the curtain to give Chautauquans a look into how the Board of Trustees is composed from year to year. Amid 2026’s “Summer of Gratitude,” Ponkow said the board’s goal is to increase transparency with the community.
“There’s been a lot of misinformation or theories out there as to how [the Board of Trustees election happens],” Ponkow said. “The board has a fiduciary responsibility and a stewardship responsibility, so we’re kind of oversight. We are a volunteer board; there’s no compensation.”
The board is composed of various committees ranging from buildings and grounds, information technology, nominating governance and finance, each group bringing forward their work to present during each of the four year-round meetings. According to Ponkow, ideas are often pitched to the community before being brought to the board ahead of any major changes.
“We take all those ideas and all that listening, and all the good information that [Kyle Keogh] receives, and that goes back to the committee, and then the committee will discuss that with the board,” Ponkow said. “It’s a work in progress; some of these things take many, many conversations. We want to make sure everyone gets heard and all the questions are answered before any action is taken.”
Ponkow noted the patron housing listening sessions are particularly useful because they allow everyone to have a voice within the community. Homeowners can continue to contribute their voice and impact within the community through the in-person vote today.
“It’s the summer of gratitude,” Ponkow said. “It’s the spirit of transparency, it’s collaborative, it’s a partnership. You know, it takes all of us. That’s what makes us, us. That’s what makes Chautauqua, I think, so unique. We can all be in dialogue, and we should be all in dialogue. That’s Chautauqua at its best.”
The newly elected Board of Trustees begin their new term Oct. 1, per the Board of Governance bylaws.
