College Futures Foundation welcomes Whittier College President Dr. Linda Oubré to its board of directors. Oubré, a native of Los Angeles with extensive experience in higher education and business, was appointed by the College Futures board on October 1.

Oubré will help oversee the Foundation’s strategic development and guide investments to catalyze systemic change, increase college degree completion, and close equity gaps so that education opportunities are available to all students, regardless of zip code, skin color, or income.

“At College Futures, we believe that California’s future economic prosperity depends on ensuring that all students have clear pathways to college degrees,” said Monica Lozano, president and CEO of the Foundation. “Linda has a deep understanding of how educational equity leads to upward mobility for individuals, communities, and the state—and an equally deep commitment to the success of first-generation students of color. We are so pleased to have her perspective and experience on our board.”

Oubré has led Whittier College since 2018 and was the school’s first president of color. With a student body that is 70 percent students of color, Whittier is one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the nation. Previously, Oubré was the dean of the College of Business at San Francisco State University for six years, where she increased funding by more than 300 percent, including support for student career and leadership development, and launched innovative programs including a graduate curriculum review and a new executive M.B.A. program.

At UC Davis, Oubré oversaw a new corporate relations and business development plan for the Graduate School of Management and led the development and implementation of an enrollment growth, marketing, and visibility strategy for the Bay Area M.B.A. program.

Before working in higher education, Oubré held top corporate positions. She was president and chief executive officer of LSO Ventures, a venture investment and consulting firm, and helped found BriteSmile, where as president, she took the company public on NASDAQ.

Oubré earned a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a B.A. in economics from UCLA.

Said Russ Gould, chair of the board of College Futures Foundation, “Linda knows the importance of college degrees and how they translate into meaningful jobs and prosperity for California’s students and our state as a whole. She knows what it means to lead from within an institution of higher education, and what it takes to support student attainment. She brings a wealth of experience to our deeply committed and engaged board.”

“I am excited to join the Foundation’s efforts and those of its partners to increase college completion and close equity gaps,” Oubré said. “When young people achieve college success, all of us benefit, for generations to come.”