Mark Coolidge Johnson is the 19th president of the Chautauqua Institution. A Senior Foreign Service Officer, attorney and third generation Chautauquan. Johnson brings more than three decades of diplomatic service and executive leadership experience to one of America’s leading centers for education, the arts, religion and recreation.
Caitlin next introduced our speaker, Stacey Ott-Demangate, CEO, of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. Stacey joined RTPI in January, coming from a similar position at the California Nature Art Museum in Santa Barbara County. Before that, she was the executive director at the Catalina Island Museum in southern California. She earned a master’s in museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program and a bachelor’s in anthropology from Arizona State University.
Program Chairman Dan Heitzenrater introduced Aaron Sidder, the Executive Director at the Audubon Community Nature Center. Aaron is an ecologist and science writer with over 10 years’ experience working with environmental non-profits, including land trust and conservation organizations like Bat Conservation International.
Aaron and his wife and dog are from Denver, CO and moved to Chautauqua County in 2025, however, her parents are from this area, so they are quite familiar with all that is going on. Aaron is trying to become a Buffalo Bills fan but… just until they play the Denver Broncos!
