Former CMC Trustee Andrea Rich
In its remembrance of her, the Los Angeles Times called Dr. Andrea Rich a “dynamic, public-spirited leader who rose to the heights of academic administration” at her alma mater, the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees. She would later leave academia to serve as president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, then devote her retired years to nonprofit work, including hosting disadvantaged students on instructional art retreats at her Ojai home.
Rich, 71, who died after a long battle with myeloid leukemia, was a significant, recent contributor to the leadership of Claremont McKenna College.
Through her professional relationships with President Emerita Pamela B. Gann and Trustee Christopher Walker ’69, who served on the LACMA Board during Rich’s tenure as museum president and CEO, Dr. Rich served as a CMC Trustee from 2006 through 2011. During that time, she provided important guidance through her roles on several Board committees, including serving as vice chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and the Research Institutes Subcommittee.
Recalls President Emerita Pamela Gann: “Dr. Rich brought her higher education experience, her good judgment, and her sharp wit to bear on CMC and its Board of Trustees. The breadth of her impact included advancing the understanding of liberal arts, the role of research institutes, and the importance of shared governance between the Board and the faculty. She was very active in applying her practical experiences to the development of the CMC Campus Master Plan, and its policy on art acquisition and gifts.”
Dr. Rich served as president, chief executive officer and director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) from 1999 to 2005 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of LACMA from 1995 to 1999. Previously, she served as executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 1991 to 1995, and was a founding director of the Private Bank of California. As a member of the UCLA faculty, she was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award and was a leader in efforts to improve undergraduate education, renovate instructional facilities, and restructure academic programs for greater financial efficiencies and academic quality.
Read more about Dr. Rich’s legacy in this Los Angeles Times obituary.
UCLA has also posted this In Memoriam piece, online.