Chantal Kordula ’94 Begins Term as Chair of the Board of Trustees

Chantal Kordula ’94, the new chair of the Board of Trustees, met her husband at Amherst — they were later married at Johnson Chapel. That’s not the only benefit of her Amherst education, though. Kordula graduated with a degree in political science, a Five College degree in international studies, and the “Amherst skill set.” which she said has served her well in her career in law and time on the Board of Trustees.

Kordula started her term as chair of the Board of Trustees July 1, an annually-renewed position that she will presumptively hold for six years. She has been a board member since 2019 and served as chair of the board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

“It’s just been an incredible experience, more than I would have imagined in terms of the interactions, the conversations, the discussions that we’ve had over the years,” Kordula said. “I have very much appreciated the honor and privilege of being on the board.”

Kordula comes from an international background — her mother is Haitian so she grew up speaking French, and her father is Czech. She also speaks Spanish fluently, making her trilingual. Her versatile background has served her well as a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, where she has worked for 27 years, focusing on Latin American mergers, acquisitions, and finance.

Although Kordula’s time on the Board of Trustees has not been without difficulty, she said she is proud of how the campus handled the challenges. Kordula cited the campus response to Covid as a huge accomplishment of her term as a board member, as each student had the opportunity to be back on campus for at least one semester.

She added that in the past year, the board has confronted a variety of student protests and calls to action around divestment.

“There was a really strong attempt to make sure that people were able to … share their opinion … as respectfully as possible,” Kordula said.

Both President Michael Elliott and former Chair of the Board Andy Nussbaum spoke to Kordula’s capacities as a board member.

“Chantal is a terrific leader and listener. One of the real strengths that she brings to her service on the board is that she tries to make sure that every voice around the table is being heard,” Elliott said. “And one of the strengths I think she’ll have as chair of the board is that she will really be able to guide the board to consensus on difficult questions.”

“She’s been a fantastic colleague. She’s all in for Amherst. She’s very happy to take on additional projects,” Nussbaum said. “I like our odds in terms of Michael Elliott and Chantal Kordula. I don’t think there are two people I’d rather have leading the college.”

In taking up the role of chair, Kordula’s increased responsibilities include being a sounding board for the President through regular meetings, setting the agenda and leading board meetings, working with the board’s respective committees, and conducting outreach with alumni.

Currently, the board is focusing on completing multiple long-term construction projects, including the new Student Center and Dining Commons, as well as the Climate Action Plan, which aims to make the campus carbon-neutral by 2030.

Given the effects of last summer’s Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action — the percentage of Black first-years at Amherst decreased from 8 percent last year to 3 percent this fall — Kordula emphasized the college’s commitment to recruiting and supporting a diverse community within the bounds of the law. She added that as a person of color, the issue of diversity is very important to her.

Kordula said that she hopes to engage in open communication with students, faculty, and staff and support the mission of the college.

“How is the college best positioned to help students learn and grow and develop in a way that will allow them to be active and engaged citizens in their life after Amherst?” Kordula asked.

Kordula’s first meeting as chair of the board will be Sept. 19-21.

The Amherst Student will write a follow-up article on the community’s response to the new term in the coming weeks.