Last November, alumna Leslie Aronzon '84 was officially appointed to the Board of Trustees for a four-year term after the Board voted to approve her selection.

After being nominated during the summer of 2012, Aronzon went through an extensive process that included an interview with the nominating committee of the Board of Trustees. Following the nomination, interview and discussion among the nominating committee, she was presented to the full board for a vote.

"I was thrilled to join [the Board]. I loved Brandeis and have remained active since I graduated," wrote Aronzon in an email to the Justice. "It is a very high powered group of individuals who have taken on great responsibility in guiding the institution. When President Lawrence and other board members asked me about it, I jumped at the opportunity."

Her position took effect immediately, as due to the timing of her nomination her term technically took effect the day after Commencement 2012.

"At Brandeis I developed an intellectual curiosity that I didn't have before," said Aronzon, quoted in the Jan. 22 BrandeisNOW article. "I had conversations with my peers that I never had with my friends from home. We talked about the [Reagan vs. Carter] election and the issues of the day. It really jazzed me up."

Aronzon said that her experience at Brandeis has led to her active involvement since graduation. In addition to her position as the newest addition to the Board of Trustees, Aronzon is a member of the Alumni Association Board and most recently acted as its vice president.

According to BrandeisNOW, Aronzon returned to California after graduation, and earned her MBA from the University of Southern California five years later.

"I do not work in a traditional job at the moment, I stay home with my three children," wrote Aronzon. "I do sit on other boards and do extensive philanthropic work and lots of volunteering at their schools. My career path was an investment banker. I specialized in bankruptcies and workouts, in particular, distressed [mergers and acquisitions]."

Her philanthropic work over the years has included working with the Jewish Free Loan Association of Los Angeles, as stated in BrandeisNOW.

According to Aronzon, she plans to remain in her home state of California and will fly to Massachusetts for the four Board meetings that occur in person per year, and plans to conduct meetings over the telephone as needed.

Aronzon is just one of approximately 28 current board members who are alumni of the University. Only roughly 10 other members remain who are not University alumni.
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