Chautauqua Institution has announced an organizational restructuring.
Interim CEO Kyle Keogh said the changes include adjustments to staffing and operational budgets, “We calculated that we needed about a 20% cut to make sure that our expenses were less than our revenues next year. This is hard. This is a significant amount. As we went through to make these changes, we really focused on being sure we can deliver an incredible 2026 season, both programmatically and an incredible experience for everyone that we can build from for the future.”
Keogh said this comes after a comprehensive review of the Institution’s financial outlook and operational priorities was initiated in response to evolving attendance patterns and rising costs. While Chautauqua has experienced steady growth since 2020, recent trends have underscored the need to align expenditures with realistic revenue projections.
As part of the reorganization, more than 30 staff positions have been impacted, some with role changes and others with position eliminations. Several positions eliminated were either already vacant or voluntarily vacated via retirement or resignation. Leadership emphasized that these decisions were made with deep consideration, guided by the Financial Sustainability Working Group of the Board and senior leadership.
Keogh said he thinks there are great opportunities for the Institution in the long run, “This again is a reset moment to get us back into a financial reset, not a relevance reset. We think Chautauqua has been more relevant than it has ever been in the past. We are multi-generational and we look at the world from multiple views. We integrate across the arts, education, recreation, religion, and we think that’s actually tremendously valuable now and for the next 20 years. So, this is a financial change, not a programming change.”
Keogh said the Institution remains committed to preserving and enhancing the Summer Assembly experience and supporting staff through the transition, including with severance considerations.
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