After 18 years as the face of Georgetown University at so many neighborhood projects and events, a woman who strove to balance the demands of the community and university has announced her retirement. Linda Greenan, Georgetown University’s associate vice president for external relations, will retire, effective Oct. 1.
Here is what John DeGioia, the university’s president, had to say about Greenan:
“Linda has been a valued and loyal liaison for the university with the city and local community for almost two decades. Since joining the Georgetown University community in 1994, she has represented the university before the District government, the City Council and countless citizen groups and business and professional organizations. She is a respected authority on the city of Washington, its politics and its policies. Rare was an event with the Mayor of Washington when he didn’t single out Linda for her work on behalf of Georgetown. Most recently, Linda served as a key member of a senior leadership team that led the university in the successful passage of our campus plan.
“Over the course of a remarkable career, Linda has served on numerous volunteer and community activities both on campus and in the local community. She has served on the boards of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Humanities Council and served as president of the Georgetown Business Association (2002 to 2006). From 1994 to 2008, she was appointed by three different mayors to the board of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, which was the city agency responsible for returning Major League Baseball to the city and for the construction of Nationals Stadium. She currently serves on the board of the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, which manages the city’s convention center, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the D.C. Armory and the Carnegie Library.”
Like the university, we in the neighborhood and at this newspaper are quite aware of how Greenan has given her time and support to Washington and Georgetown efforts large and small. Even when on the opposing side of an issue concerning the school, her faith in and love for the betterment of Georgetown were always appreciated. And we always knew the situation would come to a better conclusion because she was involved.
As a successor to Greenan’s work and as part of the Georgetown Community Partnership, the university is creating a new Office of Community Engagement. Lauralyn Lee, who has been with the university for nearly a decade, will lead this office, which will be part of the Office of Public Affairs.
Yes, we also knew that Greenan could not quite be replaced. Good luck, Linda, in the latest chapter of your life. We know you will still be around, and we hope to see you soon.
