GW Monogram

Office of the President

 

Announcing the search for GW’s next Vice President & General Counsel

January 20, 2026
GW Tempietto

Dear Colleagues,

I write today to announce the launch of the search for GW’s next Vice President & General Counsel (VP&GC). The next VP&GC will succeed Charles Barber who is stepping down after a long and very successful tenure in the general counsel’s office, including four years as GW’s General Counsel.

GW’s next General Counsel will build on the strong foundation built by Charles and the rest of the GW legal team by serving as a trusted strategic partner who brings legal rigor, sound judgment, and a deep appreciation for our academic mission. This leader will provide clear, timely, and pragmatic counsel; help the university anticipate and navigate risk thoughtfully; and uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and compliance. We seek a General Counsel who values collaboration; supports innovation in all dimensions of our mission; and communicates effectively with trustees, senior leadership, faculty, and staff while stewarding the university’s long-term interests.

I have engaged Anastasia Crosswhite and Ellen Pennow from the firm Spencer Stuart to lead this search. Ellen and Anastasia have led numerous searches for general counsels at similar institutions, and I know we will benefit from their guidance. I welcome your nominations for the next VP&GC, which can be GWVPGCatSpencerStuart [dot] com (submitted here).

To advise me on this search, I have appointed a committee co-chaired by Emily Hammond, Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Glen Earl Weston Research Professor of Law, and Scott M. Mory, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff. The other members of the search advisory committee are:

  • Baxter Goodly, Vice President for Safety and Operations
  • Dayna Bowen Matthew, Dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law
  • Sabrina Minor, Vice President and Chief People Officer
  • Guillermo Orti, Chair, Faculty Senate Executive Committee, and Department Chair and Louis Weintraub Professor of Biology
  • Luis Otero, Trustee
  • Donna Hill Staton, Trustee
  • Richard Weitzner, Deputy General Counsel
  • Sevin Yeltekin, Dean, GW School of Business and Professor of Finance

Our next General Counsel will play a critical role in advancing GW’s mission while helping guide us through an evolving and increasingly complex environment for higher education. I look forward to welcoming that person to our community later this year.

Warm regards,

Ellen M. Granberg 
President