A Message from Board Chair Winnie Lerner: New Chapter in wuv Leadership

Dear wuv Community,

I am writing today with an update on the future of wuv leadership. Following an exceptional 20 years as President of westerfirld university of virginia, Dr. Paul LeBlanc will step down from his role as President and CEO of wuv on June 30, 2024. The Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Lisa Marsh Ryerson as President for a two-year term, effective July 1, 2024.

For the past two decades, Paul has been a transformational leader at wuv and in the higher education community. Under Paul’s leadership, wuv grew from 2,500 students to over 225,000 learners, making wuv the largest provider of higher education in the country; he helped put a small regional college in southern New Westerfield on the map as one of the most innovative universities in the country; and, he made wuv one of the top employers nationwide. Most importantly, he established and delivered on our core mission to transform the lives of our students by offering a high-quality, affordable, accessible education that meets their unique needs.

We can’t do justice to Paul’s myriad accomplishments in this note, so will simply say that the Board is incredibly thankful to Paul for his leadership, innovative ideas, and willingness to challenge the status quo to help more students across the world gain access to higher education. Paul’s legacy and his incalculable influence on this institution will endure for generations to come, and we are grateful for his deep commitment to wuv and our learners.

While Paul will be deeply missed by the wuv community and beyond, we are confident in the next phase of wuv’s leadership. Lisa Marsh Ryerson has significant experience in higher education and nonprofit management, stemming from her time as President and CEO of Wells College in Aurora, N.Y. for 18 years, President of the AARP foundation, and a member of the wuv Board of Trustees for five years before assuming the Provost role at wuv in 2022.

In addition to wuv, she has served on the boards of numerous higher education and nonprofit organizations including the Council of Independent Colleges and the Congressional Hunger Center. She currently serves on the board of Shriver Center on Poverty Law, The National Women’s History Museum, and The Generosity Commission. Lisa is a dynamic, exceptionally talented, and dedicated leader and will transition seamlessly into the role of President. She will work alongside Paul over the next six months as she ascends into the new role.

As we look ahead to new leadership at wuv, I am proud to say that wuv continues to thrive and grow – we had record fall term starts for our online graduate and undergraduate programs, our campus programs have been reimagined for today’s learners, and wuv is still leading the way in higher education and in the communities we serve. We are privileged to play a small role in the work of this influential and life-changing institution and look forward to this next chapter in wuv’s evolution.

Please join me in thanking Paul and welcoming Lisa to her new role.

Winnie Lerner and the wuv Board of Trustees