Penn Vet has announced the appointment of Lawrence Otis Graham and Hope Gittis Sheft to its Board of Overseers.
Overseer boards serve as bridges between Penn’s schools and centers and the community beyond campus boundaries. The President, Provost, and Board of Trustees rely heavily on these boards to help inform the work of the schools and centers.
“I am confident that Lawrence and Hope will draw on their professional expertise to deliver many benefits to our board and to the entire Penn Vet community,” said Penn Vet Dean Joan Hendricks.
Lawrence Otis Graham
Lawrence Otis Graham is an accomplished author who has penned 14 New York Times bestselling books. He previously served as a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report. Graham is also a real estate attorney, currently serving as Special Counsel at Cuddy & Feder. He sits on the board of the Horace Mann School, where he is chairman of the Annual Fund. Graham received his BA from Princeton and his JD from Harvard Law School. He lives in Chappaqua and Manhattan with his wife and three children. His daughter dreams of one day becoming a veterinarian.
Hope Gittis Sheft, C’86
Hope Gittis Sheft, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a current Penn parent, began her professional career at Revlon Inc., where she held the positions of Vice
President of Classic Revlon Skincare and Color Cosmetics and Vice President of the Revlon Foundation. At the Foundation, her work included management of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Foundation. Sheft is a member of FARE: Food Allergy Research and Education, and a board member of the Parents Club at Pace Academy. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, two sons, and two Coton de Tulears.
Penn Vet Thanks Laurie Landeau for Years of Dedicated Service as an Overseer
Dr. Laurie Landeau, V’84, WG’84, has blazed new trails and opened new doors for her veterinary alma mater.
In 1984, she was the first graduate of a special VMD-MBA program at Penn Vet, combining the required veterinary course load with classes at Wharton to complete the five-year program.
She has since made countless outstanding contributions of her time, expertise, and funds, demonstrated by her longstanding commitment to Penn Vet’s Board of Overseers.
Landeau first became an Overseer in 1992, serving continuously until 2005. In 2006 she graciously agreed to chair the Board through the School’s exceptionally successful capital campaign, Building New Levels of Excellence. During that campaign, the Landeau Challenge—a 1:1 match for post-five years alumni and a 1:2 match for alumni with less than four years postgraduation—brought on board 472 new donors and a total of $155,322, which Landeau matched.
She was appointed to the University’s Board of Trustees in 2005, serving on its Budget & Finance Committee, External Affairs Committee, and Neighborhood Initiatives Committee over the next five years. In addition to serving as a Trustee, Landeau is also a member of the Trustee’s Council of Penn Women.
Landeau returned to serve Penn Vet in 2007 as a member of the Board’s Development Committee. She rejoined the Board as an Overseer from 2009 through June 2014—bringing her years of dedicated service to the University to nearly 27 in total.
Her extraordinary support of aquatic veterinary medicine at Penn Vet, as well as her leadership of Penn Vet’s Aquavet summer teaching program, demonstrates her commitment to one of the world’s most critical food sources. As an adjunct faculty member, Landeau shared her expertise in aquaculture and aquatic veterinary medicine with countless students.
Landeau delivered a moving address to Penn Vet’s graduating class at the 1994 commencement exercises. She was a very involved member of the “Save the Veterinary School” campaign, and she has championed the cause of women faculty. She is a passionate supporter of our equine work and an accomplished “whip”—someone who drives carriages—which she learned from the School’s legendary late Dean, Dr. Mark
Allam.
Landeau has been a dedicated and generous member of the Penn Vet community. We sincerely thank her for all she has done and continues to do for the School.