Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill is taking a new position.

A new leader is being sought for the Chautauqua Institution.

In a joint announcement to the Chautauqua community, Institution Board of Trustees Chair Candace L. Maxwell and Institution President Michael E. Hill, Ed.D., Tuesday announced 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,” he 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 Randolph-Macon College. He will center his attention in his remaining months at Chautauqua on facilitating a smooth leadership transition and supporting staff in preparations for the 2025 Summer Assembly. On behalf of the board, Maxwell expressed gratitude for Hill’s, “extraordinary leadership over the past eight years.”

“Amid successes and challenges alike, Michael has represented this Institution with exemplary dignity and integrity, always with an unwavering focus on positioning Chautauqua to continue to thrive in the decades ahead. We are grateful for his service and commitment,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell credited Hill for numerous accomplishments, including curating eight successful Summer Assembly programs serving some 100,000 patrons annually and leading the most ambitious and successful fundraising campaign in the Institution’s history, which has generated more than $145 million to date toward a goal of $150 million by June of 2026.

Maxwell also called out Hill’s leadership in bringing The Jefferson Project to Chautauqua County to support science-based solutions for the conservation of Chautauqua Lake. Hill raised some $7 million to support The Jefferson Project’s research efforts.

Maxwell said the board soon will be sharing information about plans to transition to new leadership following Hill’s departure.