UHD President Loren J. Blanchard

Greetings Faculty and Staff, 

As we begin the New Year, I am writing to provide updates on leadership appointments and to inform you of our plans for the next few months. 

As you are aware, Vice President of Advancement and University Relations (AUR) Johanna Wolfe retired in December from the University of Houston-Downtown. The search for our next AUR Vice President is now well underway. I’d like to again thank Johanna for her many years of service and lasting influence. With her departure, Jacob Lipp will now serve as Interim Executive Director of Advancement. 

Additionally, with the recent departure of Assistant Vice President of University Relations Elisa Olsen, we now have Laura Waits serving as Interim Executive Director of Marketing and Mike Emery serving as Interim Executive Director of Communications. 

Jacob, Laura and Mike will co-lead the AUR division to ensure its momentum while UHD searches for its next leaders. I extend my gratitude to each of them for their support during this transition. 

Adding to that effort, I am pleased to announce that I have advanced Dr. Liza Alonzo to the role of Assistant Vice President for Presidential Affairs and Constituent Relations. Dr. Alonzo has excelled for many years in her previous position overseeing special events and alumni relations, and I look forward to working with her as she assumes this new role in the President’s Office. 

With Dr. Alonzo’s recent appointment, we will begin the process of identifying a vibrant leader to craft the vision for a newly developed Alumni Relations office. 

When UHD has identified these new AUR leaders, I will introduce them to the Campus Community. You can expect to hear more when that time arrives later this spring. 

As always, the dedication our faculty and staff display each day makes our University feel like more than a workplace or a classroom. It is a home where we all find the opportunity to lead, learn, grow and impact the people and organizations around us. Because of the work achieved in sustaining and propelling our campus, I stand confident that UHD will continue to attract the best and brightest talents to move the University to its greatest heights of excellence. 

Sincerely, 

Loren J. Blanchard, Ph.D. 
President, University of Houston-Downtown