Lesley Rosenthal of The Juilliard School will serve as Yale's next university secretary, President Maurie McInnis announced Monday.
A higher education and arts executive with extensive nonprofit governance experience, Rosenthal assumes the role Dec. 1.
"For over two decades, Lesley has dedicated herself to helping nonprofits advance their missions through effective governance and proactive strategy," McInnis wrote in a message to the Yale community. "Now, she will bring her expertise to campus to help our university navigate one of the most consequential moments in its history."
Currently chief operating officer and corporate secretary at Juilliard, Rosenthal's portfolio has been "as expansive as the institution itself," the president wrote. She has stewarded corporate governance, partnered with leaders to shape priorities and strategy, and helped steer administration and operations in support of a mission to cultivate excellence in artistic education.
From 2005 to 2018, before joining Juilliard, Rosenthal was general counsel and secretary at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. There she facilitated governance, decision-making, and prioritization around a $1.2-billion redevelopment effort, collaborating with the leadership of 11 resident organizations and a board of over 80 members, according to McInnis' message.
Earlier, Rosenthal was an attorney in private practice and a federal judicial law clerk. She has also served as vice president of the Board of Overseers at Harvard, where she earned bachelor's and law degrees. She has also held leadership roles with the New York State Bar Association and its foundation.
"The secretary's role is an essential one for our university," said Marta Tellado, senior trustee of Yale's board of trustees, also known as the Yale Corporation. "Lesley will partner with the president and the trustees on shaping priorities, aligning and coordinating progress on those priorities, and, ultimately, helping secure the future of Yale. We greatly value her enduring devotion and vital contributions to the field of nonprofit governance. I look forward to drawing on her expertise."
McInnis noted that Rosenthal's book, "Good Counsel: Meeting the Legal Needs of Nonprofits," is "an influential text in the field of institutional stewardship" and that she has taught courses at Harvard Law School and Georgetown Law.
Yale Provost Scott Strobel underscored that the university secretary "plays a critical role in upholding the governance practices that enable us to thoughtfully advance our mission," and that Rosenthal "has guided institutions through periods of significant change, working with an impressive range of colleagues to preserve and expand educational opportunity.
"She will be a key partner to university leaders and the board of trustees as Yale works to increase access and affordability, make strategic investments in research, teaching, and scholarship, and build trust in the work that universities do to create and share knowledge."
McInnis described Rosenthal's work as animated by a "deep belief in and passion for education, especially expanding educational opportunities for young people," and highlighted her service as president of the Friends of Afghanistan National Institute of Music. In 2021, after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, Rosenthal co-led the rescue and resettlement of 273 students, faculty, and staff to a new institutional home in Portugal.
Outside work, Rosenthal plays the violin in classical, jazz, and country-rock ensembles. She's also a visual artist, specializing in watercolor and photography.
"Throughout the search process, Lesley emphasized her excitement to join Yale at a turning point for our university and, more broadly, for higher education," McInnis wrote. "In my conversations with her, I heard again and again her deep appreciation for Yale's 325-year history, along with her eagerness to play a part in ensuring that our university can flourish for another three centuries and beyond."
In her message, McInnis also praised Kimberly Goff-Crews' nearly 15 years of "exemplary service as our university secretary," and expressed gratitude that she will expand her other responsibilities as vice president for university life.
"Under her leadership, the university life portfolio has grown, and now it will be further prioritized," McInnis said. "I am grateful that Kim will continue her vital role in our community's flourishing."
Rosenthal called herself "deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as Yale's Secretary of the University, and for the trust President McInnis and the Corporation have placed in me.
"I have long been inspired by Yale's history, reach, and leadership, and by its extraordinary commitment to higher education. I am excited to bring my experience helping leaders and governing boards translate mission and values into thoughtful decision-making and action, and to work with colleagues across Yale to help steward this remarkable institution into its next chapter."
