It gives me great pleasure to announce that Dr. Linda Oubré has been appointed the 15th President of Whittier College by the Board of Trustees. In this highly competitive national search, she was a standout candidate whose qualifications and background reflect Whittier’s mission and values, making her the perfect choice to lead the College forward. A native of Los Angeles, Linda comes to Whittier from San Francisco State University where she has served as the dean of the College of Business for the past six years. Linda is a dynamic academic leader and accomplished business executive with 30-plus years of experience in higher education and industry. Her background as an innovative educator and successful entrepreneur uniquely positions her to expand the College’s resources while enhancing the undergraduate experience for Whittier’s diverse student body. She will begin her new role on July 1, 2018. As a first-generation college graduate and a woman of color, Linda is accustomed to breaking new ground. As dean of one of the largest and most diverse business schools in the nation, Linda successfully expanded the institution’s core academic mission by launching new revenue generating and fundraising initiatives. Working closely with faculty, Linda led a strategic planning effort and curriculum review process that resulted in transformative outcomes for under-represented students of color. At San Francisco State, Linda serves on the President’s Strategic Enrollment Task Force, Strategic Planning Task Force, and the Title IX Executive Leadership Council. Prior to her role as dean, Linda held leadership positions at the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis as executive director of business development and chief diversity officer. Linda has also been a business instructor and lecturer at San Diego State University, UC Davis, Northwestern, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Linda’s accomplishments in industry are extraordinary. She has developed more than 30 business ventures from the ground up, and was co-founder of BriteSmile, which grew to more than $50 million in revenues in four years. She has also held senior leadership roles in various companies including Tri Com Ventures, Times Mirror Company, and the Walt Disney Company. Her vast professional network will be a vital asset to expanding the College’s reach in Los Angeles, throughout California, and beyond. Linda holds a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an Ed.D. in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. She will be joined in Whittier by husband Nathaniel Oubré, a senior executive at Kaiser Permanente. Linda and Nathaniel have two adult sons, Nathaniel and Alexander. The College’s Board of Trustees is thrilled to select Linda and support her vision of expanding Whittier’s position as a model for the nation in liberal arts education. We look forward to formally welcoming her and Nate to campus this summer and anticipate coordinating in-person introductions this spring. I want to thank all the members of the Presidential Search Committee, as well as our search firm Witt/Kieffer, for their commitment during this rigorous process. I’m also grateful for the insightful feedback received from the College community via open forums, surveys, emails, and constituency group meetings with finalists. The dedication of the Search Committee, along with the vital input of the entire Poet community, has been instrumental in enabling the College’s Board of Trustees to select such an extraordinary new president. Sincerely, Jim Brown ’71 Chair, Board of Trustees Update - February 14, 2018 As you may recall from our last update, the Presidential Search Committee completed a Leadership Profile for the position that our search firm Witt/Kieffer has utilized over the last three months to contact, assess, and recommend candidates for the position.
