President Devorah Lieberman to Retire After 12 Years of Remarkable Service
University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman has announced her plans to retire effective July 1, 2023, ending a remarkable 12-year tenure as the institution’s leader.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve as the president of the University of La Verne,” Lieberman said. “Working with our incredible students, faculty, and staff has meant more to me than I could ever begin to express, both professionally and personally. This decision does not come lightly, although it is the right time given personal health issues in my family.”
The Board of Trustees will lead a national search for a new president. Lieberman will work closely with the board during the transition and will play a significant role in aiding and onboarding her successor.
“I speak on behalf of the entire Board of Trustees when I say that Devorah’s retirement leaves us with feelings of appreciation, gratitude, and pride for what has been accomplished during her presidency,” said Tony Revier, MBA ‘93, chair of the Board of Trustees. “She has led with a heart and vision to serve the students, faculty, and staff of the University of La Verne, and she has met and exceeded the board’s expectations of her leadership. Her legacy at the university will shine for generations to come.”
Lieberman, the 18th president of University of La Verne and its first female president, came to the university in 2011 from Wagner College in New York, where she had served as provost.
Almost immediately upon arrival, Lieberman began working with the faculty to reimagine the university’s academic and co-curricular programs, including through the creation of a Center for Teaching and Learning and the Office of Civic and Community Engagement.
Under her leadership, the university completed the largest fundraising campaign in its history, raising more than $128 million for priorities such as student scholarships, academic programs and centers, endowed professorships, equipment, buildings, and faculty research.
She led the execution of a Campus Master Plan that reflected the institution’s core values with renewed physical spaces that increased community, welcomed diversity, and promoted lifelong learning. This included construction of two residence halls; a dining hall; a parking structure; the Randall Lewis Center for Well-Being and Research; the Ludwick Center for Spirituality, Cultural Understanding, and Community Engagement; and the Campus West athletic facilities.
She also led the university through the tumultuous years of the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the safety of the university community while ensuring that students continued to receive a high quality education, even as traditional business operations were disrupted.
She brought visibility to the university by sharpening its identity as a Hispanic Serving Institution, as well as through her activity on leadership boards of numerous industry associations.
Most recently, she guided the establishment of a new College of Health and Community Well-Being, and laid the foundation for an expanded university footprint in downtown Ontario, California.
“The Board of Trustees would be remiss if it did not also highlight the leadership that her husband, Roger Auerbach, has brought to the University of La Verne,” Revier said. “Roger’s support of all things La Verne has been evident since the day he joined Devorah during the interview process.”
Additional information about the search for the university’s 19th president will be shared as it becomes available.
