University Relations leader announces plans to step down

	Brad Drexler

Since coming to Lehigh in the summer of 2000, Brad Drexler has built and led an outstanding team of professionals to tell the Lehigh story to the world. Throughout that time, he has successfully supported the goals of key university functions, including the admissions, academic, and advancements areas.

While the university relations department has regularly earned national accolades for work done with its campus partners, Drexler and his university relations staff have played a key role in improving undergraduate applications, growing media visibility and enhancing the university’s marketing efforts. Now, he has set his sights outside of South Mountain.

President Alice P. Gast announced today Drexler’s plans to leave Lehigh later this summer, following a number of conversations that took place during the past several months regarding future goals and directions for university relations.

“We both believe that university relations should have an enhanced approach to communications to help us achieve Lehigh’s goals,” Gast said. “While Brad has successfully led significant improvements in the communications, public relations and marketing functions, he has also increasingly expressed his desire to focus his career more exclusively on marketing activities.

“Given those interests, and our plans to further enhance communications, we’ve agreed that Brad’s career goals will likely be best served in an organization where he can better apply his significant marketing experience.”

Drexler will remain on campus into the summer to ensure a smooth transition and serve as a resource. During this transition, Gast has asked Tracey Moran, assistant vice president of university communications, to assume the role of interim vice president of university relations, effective immediately, while a national search for Drexler’s replacement is initiated.

“It has been an honor to work with so many committed and talented professionals here,” said Drexler. “I leave so much wiser and better for my experience at Lehigh. And I leave knowing that there is a deep well of talent in university relations, and at Lehigh in general, to move our important work forward. Lehigh is in good hands and poised to move to even greater levels.”

Gast said that Drexler developed the university relations staff into a successful, well-rounded team that continues to partner with many areas of the university to achieve important institutional goals. “Under his direction, university relations has advanced Lehigh’s national awareness and supported our success in many areas, and for that we are grateful,” she said.

Drexler came to Lehigh following a successful 15-year career with international manufacturer Binney & Smith. At the company, he was director of corporate communications and led public relations and communications activities in support of the corporation’s well-known brands, including Crayola, Revell-Monogram, Silly Putty and Liquitex.