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the 13th president in the College’s 159-year history. DeCou- dreaux was selected from a field of candidates representing a diversity of backgrounds and accomplishments in a compre- hensive national search. DeCoudreaux will assume leadership of Mills College on July 1, 2011. “We’re grateful to Janet Holmgren for her many successful
years of service to Mills College. We’re certain our new presi- dent will build on Mills’ reputation as a strong, proud women’s college and as a leader among independent liberal arts colle- ges.”
DeCoudreaux brings to the Office of Mills College Presi-
dent an extensive and distinguished professional background. A senior executive at Eli Lilly and Company, one of Fortune magazine’s “Global Top Companies for Leaders,” she has ser- ved in a variety of important executive leadership roles over the span of the last three decades. DeCoudreaux is also the chair of the Board of Trustees at Wellesley College, one of the top women’s colleges in the United States. Her career represents more than 30 years’ experience as a corporate leader, women’s advocate, fundraiser, and community volunteer. DeCoudreaux is herself a product of women’s education, having graduated from Wellesley College in 1976. “We are extremely pleased to announce Alecia DeCoudre-
aux as the 13th president of Mills College,” said Kathleen J. Burke, chair of the Mills Board of Trustees. “Her multifaceted background, passion for women’s education, and ability to lead strategically embody the ideal mix of talent and vision to carry the Mills College mission into the future. DeCoudreaux’s com- mitment to women’s education is clear. She’s demonstrated it with years of advocacy, community involvement, fundraising, alumnae support, coaching, and mentorship. Her skill and lea- dership will be tremendous assets to our academic culture and will be invaluable to the future growth and success of Mills College.”
Demonstrated Leadership Experience Over the span of her more than three-decade career, DeCou-
dreaux has developed a leadership style marked by strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, and accountability. In her numerous roles at Eli Lilly and Company both inside and out- side its legal department, DeCoudreaux has worked as a tire- less consensus builder, earning the respect of her colleagues and peers. Her impressive professional career is buttressed by extensive involvement in the communities where she has lived and worked, including community activism, volunteer work, and a record of service on numerous charitable and nonprofit boards. DeCoudreaux’s academic experience includes success- ful terms as director of the Indiana University Foundation and director of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. De-
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Coudreaux is currently trustee and board chair at Wellesley College. She will step down from the board chair role prior to beginning her tenure at Mills, but plans to continue to serve as a Wellesley trustee. “It is with great honor that I accept the position of president
of Mills College,” said Alecia DeCoudreaux. “It has been my stated long-term ambition to fill a leadership role in women’s education. I’m proud of the career I’ve led up until now, and I’ve certainly developed the professional and life skills neces- sary to fulfill the position of Mills College president. But ever since my college years at Wellesley, I’ve maintained my passi- on for women’s education. I’m ready now to follow my passion and that passion is what carries me into the academic world.” As both a graduate of a women’s college and as a trustee and
chair of the Board of Wellesley, one of the largest and most se- lective women’s college in the nation, DeCoudreaux provides an extensive professional background which will offer Mills a unique perspective to advance the College in the future.
Personal History Born in Chicago, Illinois, DeCoudreaux received a bachelor
of arts degree in English and political science from Wellesley College in 1976 and a doctor of laws degree from the Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington in 1978. Throughout
www.blackeoejournal.com The Black E.O.E. Journal
The First Black President of Mills College T
he Board of Trustees of Mills College, the oldest women’s college in the West, has elected Alecia A. DeCoudreaux as
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