My Fellow Revs,
It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Traevena Byrd as GW’s next vice president and general counsel, effective August 4. Traevena currently serves as vice president, general counsel, and board secretary at American University (AU) where she has spent the last eight years leading the university’s legal team and providing strategic legal counsel to its presidents, trustees, and other senior leaders.
Traevena brings extensive experience with the District’s complex regulatory and political landscape and a deep commitment to higher education, with more than two decades leading and serving on the legal teams at AU, Towson University, and Ithaca College. In each of these roles, Traevena demonstrated an ability to align legal strategy with broader institutional priorities, all while bringing a people-centered approach that fosters professionalism, mutual respect, and collaboration.
In their work to identify the ideal candidate, the search advisory committee prioritized finding a leader with experience navigating the complexities of the university environment and the proven ability to cultivate partnerships that not only support the Office of the General Counsel’s mission but the university’s mission more broadly. Throughout the interview process, Traevena impressed the committee with her sophisticated understanding of higher education, her ability to see the big picture, and her desire to foster a more innovative culture at GW while understanding and managing the associated risks.
Please join me in thanking Charles Barber for his service to the university over the course of many decades. He and the rest of the GW legal team have built the strong foundation that the university needs as it navigates a higher education landscape that is facing increasing regulatory and budgetary pressure along with unprecedented and rapid change.
I am grateful to the trustees, university leaders, academic deans, alumni leaders, faculty members, and OGC staff who participated in interviewing our finalists. We also received excellent support from Ellen Pennow and her colleagues from Spencer Stuart, who led this search and recruited an exceptional pool of candidates for our consideration. Finally, I extend my heartfelt thanks to our outstanding search advisory committee, co-chaired by Emily Hammond, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Glen Earl Weston Research Professor of Law, and Scott M. Mory, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, for their collaboration in recruiting the newest member of our leadership team.
Please join me in welcoming Traevena and her family to the GW community later this summer.
Raise High!
Sincerely,
Ellen M. Granberg
President