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New Leadership for the Lester Center

Haas School Dean Rich Lyons announced Thursday, June 11 that Jerry Engel, currently executive director of the Lester Center, is to become co-faculty director of the Lester Center, effective July 1, 2009. David Charron, currently associate director, will become acting executive director while a permanent executive director is being recruited. These changes were detailed in an e-mail from Dean Richard Lyons to the Haas community on 6/11/09. The full text of the announcement follows:

Dear Colleagues,

Jerry Engel will step down as executive director of our Lester Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and take on the role of faculty co-director starting in July. Jerry helped found the Lester Center in 1991 and has served as executive director since then, having built a globally recognized and vibrant hub of entrepreneurial activity on campus.

Jerry will shift from his day-to-day management of the center to focus on strategic cross-campus collaborations, including entrepreneurship initiatives developed with the College of Letters & Sciences and the departments of law, information, journalism, and engineering. He will continue to teach and focus on further developing the Haas School's top-ranked entrepreneurship curriculum. He will chair the professional entrepreneurship faculty and strengthen its teaching program. He will also chair the New Venture Creation and Venture Capital Program, including the new Launchpad Initiative, which offers incoming Haas students a structured approach to venture creation from idea to initiation.

Jerry has personally helped many dozens of budding entrepreneurs launch successful businesses. He has brought the venture capital community’s support and collaboration to campus, has created many career opportunities for his students, and has trained faculty how to teach entrepreneurship – here at Haas and at universities around the world.

The Haas School will start a search for a new executive director. In the interim, Dave Charron, the Lester Center’s associate director, will serve as the acting executive director.

The Lester Center is a major asset to our school and a prominent differentiator. I thank Jerry for building Haas’ lively entrepreneurial community. Jerry and I look forward to working together to ensure the Lester Center and our entrepreneurship program will continue to thrive.

Sincerely,

Rich
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Rich Lyons, Dean
Haas School, UC Berkeley
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