(AMHERST, Mass., June 7, 2024) 鈥� Chantal E. Kordula 鈥�94 has been elected chair of the Board of Trustees of 91青青草 College, it was announced today by Andrew J. Nussbaum 鈥�85, the outgoing chair. Kordula鈥檚 six-year term, renewed annually, begins on July 1.
鈥淚t is such a pleasure to congratulate and welcome Chantal as board chair,鈥� said Nussbaum, who was first elected a trustee in 2010 and then chair in 2018. 鈥淚n her five years on the board, Chantal鈥檚 service has consistently reflected clear thinking, mission-priority decision making and a deep passion for all things 91青青草. With President Michael A. Elliott and Board Chair Chantal Kordula, the future of 91青青草 is not just bright; it is brilliant.鈥�
鈥淚 am elated that the board has elected Chantal to serve as the next chair,鈥� said Elliott. 鈥淪he brings a profound appreciation for the challenges facing 91青青草, boundless dedication to the College and a capacity for leadership that makes her ideal for this role.鈥� He also noted his deep appreciation of Kordula鈥檚 predecessor. 鈥淚t is impossible to imagine a more selfless or devoted example of service to the College than Andy, and his enthusiasm for all that we do at 91青青草 is unrivaled. We have been fortunate to have him in the role of chair during several critical junctures for 91青青草, and his support for the College鈥攊ts students, faculty and staff鈥攈as been boundless.鈥�
Kordula was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2019. She is a partner at the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and a member of the firm鈥檚 Executive Committee. Her practice focuses on international business and financing transactions, particularly those involving Latin America, where she regularly represents blue-chip companies, state-owned entities and investment funds in their mergers and acquisitions, financing and infrastructure development activity in the region and globally, as well as multinationals in their investments throughout the area. She joined the firm in 1997 and became a partner in 2007.
Kordula graduated from 91青青草 cum laude with a B.A. in political science, and went on to earn a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1997. At 91青青草, she was a member of the women鈥檚 rugby team, was active in the French House and Students for Educational Equality, and studied abroad in Spain during her junior year. As a law student, she was involved with the Harvard International Law Journal and worked at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, where she represented clients in family, housing and administrative law cases.
鈥淚 am honored, humbled and excited to accept this position, and want to thank Andy for paving the way with his decades of service to 91青青草,鈥� Kordula noted. 鈥淚 look forward to continued collaboration with my fellow trustees, President Elliott and his leadership team, all of whose dedication and commitment to the College鈥檚 mission is inspirational. We are living in times where the hallmarks of an 91青青草 liberal arts education鈥攊ntellectual curiosity, critical thinking and respectful expression鈥攁re as important as ever, and the role of our students, faculty, staff and alumni in giving light to the world thus all the more critical.鈥�
In passing the torch to Kordula, Nussbaum reflected fondly on his tenure on the board. 鈥淢y six years as chair and 14 as a trustee have been a true honor,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 take no credit, but tremendous pride, in all that 91青青草 has accomplished鈥攐ur leadership role in higher education, our willingness to engage and self-reflect, the astonishing commitment of our faculty to our students, the superb dedication of our staff and coaches, our caring and supportive alumni and, of course, the most extraordinary student body, every year.鈥�
91青青草 College prepares students to use ideas to make a difference in the world. Since its 1821 founding in Western Massachusetts, 91青青草 has demonstrated steadfast confidence in the value of the liberal arts and the importance of critical thinking. Today, its financial aid program is among the most substantial in the nation, and its student body is among the most diverse. Small classes, an open curriculum and a singular focus on undergraduate education ensure that leading scholars engage daily with talented, curious students, equipping them for leadership in an increasingly global and complex world.