CPOA Class B Trustee Nominee

[Erica Higbie]

Nomination Announcement on behalf of the CPOA

The Chautauqua Property Owners Association (CPOA) Board is proud to nominate Michelle Adelman for the Class B Trustee election to be held during the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Members of the Corporation. Michelle, a Chautauqua County native, has a diverse professional background, lifelong love of Chautauqua, and strong connections to the local community.

Michelle has been part of Chautauqua since she was 5 years old:  a year-round resident as a child (going to Turner Elementary), a dancer with the ballet program, a Boys & Girls Club counselor, an ice-cream scooper at the Gazebo, a waitress at the Atheneum, a summer visitor and now again as a year-round resident.  She and her partner, Earl Miller, US Ambassador-retired, have made Chautauqua their year-round home base after returning from overseas in 2022, purchasing a condo on Ames and most recently a house at the corner of Massey and Center.  Michelle enjoys being on the grounds again, programming during the Season, and regularly seeing her parents, who live in Lakewood.

After obtaining a BS in Engineering from Cornell University, Michelle worked for the management consulting firm Accenture for 22 years, holding key Managing Director roles globally. Her experience at Accenture provided her with a strong foundation in HR, technology, and operations. Michelle spent 2 years in private equity as the CEO of a start-up home healthcare company before moving to Africa in 2012, where she founded an impact investment firm, Accite Holdings. Accite has made investments in several businesses, primarily in the food and agriculture technology sector, including a hydroponic farm in Botswana and a recent start-up in the US protein market. Michelle is also the co-founder and director of the non-profit organization, The Impact Fund, which focuses on improving the lives of women and children in northern Botswana through sustainable philanthropy funding partnerships with the tourism industry.

Michelle has been recognized for her professional work with various awards: Africa’s Most Influential Woman – Business & Professional Services (2017) by CEO Global; the Forbes Africa “20 New Wealth Creators” (2019); Meaningful Business 100 (2021) recognizing leaders globally who are dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing issues to help achieve the UN Global Goals; and a Distinguished Alumni Award from Cornell University (2022).  Her career also includes extensive board work for for-profit companies, government agencies and non-profit entities.