La Wanza Lett-Brewington Hired as ODU Women’s Center Director
June 20, 2013
La Wanza Lett-Brewington
La Wanza Lett-Brewington, a consultant and former director of the Everywoman's Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been hired to succeed Julie Dodd as director of the Old Dominion University Women's Center, effective June 25.
The ODU Women's Center offers programs and services designed to promote gender equity and address the unique challenges and opportunities female students encounter in a university setting. Dodd served as the director from 1981 until her retirement in 2012.
"The Women's Center is a jewel for the campus and my goal will be to enhance that jewel so that everyone sees it as the precious thing it is," Lett-Brewington said. "The center is about empowering every woman on campus and everyone who supports the women on campus so they can succeed and achieve all the goals they came here to achieve."
Since 1990, Lett-Brewington has been president, CEO and executive consultant for Plain Talk Consultants in Turners Falls, Mass., where she specialized in leadership, diversity awareness, multicultural organizational development, cultural competency, conflict resolution, mediation, and equal opportunity and affirmative action compliance.
During her career, she has also served as executive director of Safe Passage, the primary violence prevention and intervention agency for Hampshire County, Mass. (2007-11); director of the Five College Consortium Violence Prevention Project at UMass Amherst (2005-07); director of community education at the Everywoman's Center at UMass Amherst (2002-05); shelter director at the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition (2000-02); and community-building resource advocate and support group facilitator for the NELCWIT Survivors Project. she has also served as a presenter at various conferences and provided training opportunities for several organizations.
Lett-Brewington holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in diversity education in organizations and social justice education, respectively.
Johnny Young, ODU associate vice president for student engagement and enrollment services, said Lett-Brewington was selected following a nationwide search that included more than 60 candidates.
"Ms. Lett-Brewington brings a wealth of experience, breadth of knowledge and commitment to providing services and programs designed to educate and support women on issues affecting their personal, professional and career goals," Young said. "Among the attributes which distinguished her were her creativity, solution-oriented approach to problem solving, composure and an in-depth understanding of matters important to women."