The Rice Thresher

Location: http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2006/08/25/iskander_planned_parenthood

August 25, 2006 > News > Iskander leaves President’s Office for Planned Parenthood

Iskander leaves President’s Office for Planned Parenthood

By Sarah Baker | Thresher Editorial Staff

When President David Leebron came to Rice in July 2004, entirely new to the campus, he hired former two-term Student Association President and Rhodes Scholar Maryana Iskander (Wiess ‘97) to help run his office.

After two years as Leebron’s right-hand woman, managing projects from the Passport to Houston to the Quality Enhancement Plan, Iskander has left her position as Adviser to the President to become Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood in New York City.

Iskander’s last day was Aug. 17, and she begins work at Planned Parenthood Monday.

Iskander said she will miss her colleagues and working with students.

“I’m sad about leaving Rice, and I definitely think that Rice is on a great trajectory,” Iskander said. “I would have been excited to stay and continue to be a part of it, but this is … a chance to really get involved with issues on a national level.”

Director of Alumni Affairs Mark Davis has already started work as Iskander’s replacement. Davis’ title will be Assistant to the President, and his role will be slightly different from Iskander’s. Davis will not head the Passport to Houston program, which the Center for Civic Engagement will now run. Davis will also retain his role as Alumni Affairs director.

Iskander became involved with Planned Parenthood in March when she traveled to New York to work on a volunteer project with Planned Parenthood President Cecille Richards.

Iskander said she was not looking for another job. She said the opportunity to work with Richards, who is the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards, was one reason she took the position.

“We just got into conversation about what her plans were and what she wanted to do, and she was really dynamic,” Iskander said.

Iskander will work closely with Richards to help run the central office in New York and coordinate the work of the development, communications and public policy departments.

Iskander said Planned Parenthood is often misunderstood.

“Four percent of what they do is abortion, which probably doesn’t match people’s broad perception of their work,” Iskander said.

Leebron said Iskander’s knowledge of Rice helped him significantly in his first two years.

“I couldn’t have had, I don’t think, anybody better in this office,” Leebron said.

Leebron said he chose Davis because of his experience working at Rice and his management skills.

“I think there’s a lot that goes on in the President’s office that [involves] logistics and process,” Leebron said. “That means … there’s organizing meetings, figuring out who you need to consult and really listening to people to see what their concerns are. Mark has shown himself very good at all of those things.”

Leebron said recent changes in the Alumni Office staff will help Davis manage both positions. Former Associate Director in charge of regional and school-based strategies Ann Peterson (Brown ‘86) will assume the new position of Director of Alumni Services. Chad Benedict (Baker ‘01), who was the assistant director for alumni affairs, will take Peterson’s old job.

Davis said the Alumni Office underwent the changes before Iskander announced her departure.

Davis said he is looking forward to the range of topics he will address as assistant to the president.

“I’ve worked with the deans and others mostly as it relates to alumni,” Davis said. “This allows me to interact much more with the students, the faculty, the deans and others.”

End of article

Back to top