President Robin Holmes-Sullivan is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Warren, associate professor of Sociology and Latin America Studies, to serve as the inaugural, institutionwide Executive Director of Community Partnerships.
In this role, Warren will be responsible for developing and implementing a vision for Lewis & Clark’s external community partnerships. A top priority will be shepherding Lewis & Clark’s recently announced partnership with Albina Vision Trust to weave education and opportunity into the built and cultural fabric of a redeveloped Lower Albina, a historically Black neighborhood in inner Northeast Portland. This institutionwide community partnership will be the first of many such reciprocal partnerships, intended to scale Lewis & Clark’s impact in Portland and the wider region, while providing educational opportunities for students, staff, faculty and alumni. The position is focused on fostering connections with external partners, championing community engagement internally, enhancing economic development in Portland, and driving meaningful engagement through documentation, analysis and sharing.
“I am delighted that Sarah has agreed to serve as Lewis & Clark’s inaugural Executive Director of Community Partnerships,” said Holmes-Sullivan. “In addition to being a well-respected faculty member, Warren is a skilled leader who sees the big picture, who understands the inner workings of Lewis & Clark and has extensive expertise and experience in community-engaged research, teaching and learning. I know that she will work effectively across the three schools to build strong relationships and apply her many talents and skills to scaling our impact in the region.”
In addition to her community-engaged research and teaching, Warren has had significant involvement in Lewis & Clark’s community engagement efforts over the past five years.
“I am honored to serve in this newly-created position,” said Warren. “I see it as an exciting opportunity to help bridge the gap between Lewis & Clark and the broader Portland community. The robust partnership we are building with Albina Vision Trust is exactly the kind of reciprocal relationship that could be a model for other partnerships going forward. There is so much potential for Lewis & Clark to grow our contribution to the community while also benefitting our students, faculty and staff.”
The Executive Director of Community Partnerships position will advance the second focus area of The L&C Advantage, Three Strategic Imperatives for Lewis & Clark’s Future: scaling the institution’s impact in Portland and the region. The imperatives, developed through extensive engagement with Lewis & Clark faculty and staff across the institution, were approved by the Board of Trustees in October 2024.
