A 'fearless generalist' to lead HERS forward.(Higher Education Resources Services)

A December WIHE article on the pending retirement of Dr. Cynthia Secor, the executive director of HERS (Higher Education Resources Services), piqued the interest of some 50 potential successors. One was Dr. Judith White, a HERS alumna and assistant VP for campus services at Duke University NC.

After a comprehensive search, HERS hired White as executive director in April. Her eclectic background includes a mix of academic and staff positions and a unique perspective on higher education.

Housed at the University of Denver in the brand new Merle Catherine Chambers Center with two other women's groups, HERS is the premier national leadership development program for women in higher education. With 4,000 alumnae over its 32 years, HERS will continue its advocacy role for women.

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Five months into her new job, White is making plans. As a self-supporting advocacy and training program, HERS will stay independent. Financial support comes from fees for services, donors and supplements from foundation grants. White plans to expand the base of private donations. "If it's important enough, people will support it," she said.

Coming from a school with huge financial reserves, White said leading a self-supporting organization can be a bit scary. "At Duke you would sell the person, but you wouldn't have to sell the services," she noted. Another concern: Women in higher education are not the priority of many foundations right now.

Still, HERS works with hundreds of groups of all shapes and sizes. "We can still go and market because the 4,000 alumna know how important it was to them and can convince their institutions to pay for other women to take the program," said White.