Barbara Lettiere, Immaculata University President, to Speak and Be Honored at Trinity’s 2018 Winter Graduation
Immaculata University President Barbara Lettiere will be the keynote speaker and honoree at Trinity Washington University’s Winter Graduation on Friday, January 5, 2018. Lettiere, who served as Trinity’s chief financial officer for 15 years and was recently inaugurated as Immaculata’s 10th president, will receive an honorary doctor of letters in gratitude for her contributions to Trinity’s success, and in recognition of her leadership for Immaculata and her outstanding example of leadership in corporate life. More than 200 August and December Trinity graduates will receive undergraduate and graduate degrees at the ceremony, which will be held in the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports at 5:00 pm. Read the remarkable stories of some of these new Trinity graduates. Trinity will livestream the entire ceremony on its website.
Distinguished Trinity graduate Irene Horstmann Hannan ’68 will introduce Lettiere at the ceremony. Hannan is vice president of Citizens Bank in Philadelphia and Trinity Trustee Emerita; she is the former chair and current member of the Finance Committee of the Trinity Board of Trustees.
“During her remarkable career, Barbara Lettiere’s talent has ensured the vitality of three great institutions — the Bell Atlantic Corporation, Trinity Washington University, and her alma mater, Immaculata University, where she now serves as president,” said Trinity President Pat McGuire. “Barbara was Trinity’s amazing chief financial officer for 15 years and one of the best CFOs in higher education. Barbara’s careful management of Trinity’s finances put the university on the road to long-term fiscal strength and financial resilience — no small feat for a very small under-capitalized private college in these challenging times! She was a terrific management partner with me and the Board of Trustees as we completed the work on the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports and then began planning the next big project, the academic center. Barbara deserves a huge share of the credit for the fact that Trinity could plan, finance and build the Payden Academic Center.”
“I am extremely honored to be receiving an honorary degree from Trinity,” said Lettiere. “I feel very fortunate to have started my career in higher education at this fine institution. Working closely with President McGuire went a long way in preparing me for the presidency at Immaculata University. I am very proud of my association with both institutions.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Immaculata, Lettiere continued her education earning a master of arts degree in economics and statistics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA in decision sciences and finance from Rider University. She spent most of her early professional career at Bell Atlantic Corporation holding various positions within the operations, marketing and finance sectors. In 1992, she became vice president/treasurer at Bell Atlantic before assuming the presidency of Bell Atlantic Federal Systems for five years where she helped secure the largest government contract ever awarded to Bell Atlantic. After retiring from the phone company when it became Verizon, she decided to pursue a new opportunity in higher education, and served as vice president for finance and administration at Trinity from 2002 to 2017. Her alma mater, Immaculata, also was high on her list for service: She served on the Board of Trustees, most recently as board chair. When Immaculata searched for its first lay president, the university selected Barbara Lettiere as its 10th president. She took office in July 2017 and was officially inaugurated in October.
Immaculata University is a Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.