Chautauqua Institution’s new president is settling into his role after taking the reins in August — and he has some deep roots in the region.
Mark Johnson, a Jamestown native, visited the Erie News Now studios Wednesday to talk about his new position and what he hopes to bring to the historic institution.
Johnson knows Chautauqua well. His father, the late Joe Johnson, served the institution for 20 years as vice president of finance. And Johnson says the ideas and conversations he encountered there growing up helped lead him into a 30-year career in diplomacy that took him around the world.
His most recent assignment was as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the largest American diplomatic mission in the world.
Now back in the region, Johnson believes the kind of civil discourse Chautauqua Institution encourages is more important than ever.
He hopes to use his diplomatic experience to bring people with differing viewpoints together, creating opportunities for thoughtful, passionate and respectful debate.
“Being a diplomat at this point, I think, arms me in a positive way to be able to make sure that we’re bringing those ideas, those conflicting ideas, hopefully, into a broader audience that’s able to debate them vigorously, passionately, and yet respectfully,” Johnson said.
He hopes people leave a Chautauqua lecture or a week of programming feeling they’ve gained a few new ideas and perspectives.
Johnson is Lisa Adams’ guest this weekend on The Insider, Erie News Now’s public affairs program. He’ll share more about his background and his vision for the future of Chautauqua Institution.