Sondra Tennessee, Associate Dean of Alumni and Community Relations
Karen Jones, Executive Director of Global and Graduate Programs
Hope Young, Executive Director for Law Alumni Relations
Stephanie Johnson, Director of Development
May 7, 2019 — University of Houston Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes has announced several upper level staff changes and promotions to better serve alumni and the community and expand the school’s graduate and global programs.
“When I first became Dean almost five years ago, many alumni advised me that the Law Center needed to be more engaged with alumni, the community and internationally,” Baynes said. “We have done a lot over the past few years to achieve these objectives.
“These four appointments will allow the Law Center to make even broader and deeper connections among these important constituents. I am very proud that we have found such a diverse and talented group of women to hold these important positions.”
New positions and assignments are:
“I have had the pleasure of working with prospective applicants and current students for more than 20 years at UHLC,” said Tennessee. “I am excited to take on the new role as the Associate Dean of Alumni and Community Relations. This will give me the opportunity to connect with the many alumni that I assisted when they were students. Dean Baynes has done a wonderful job of engaging our alumni. My goal is to build on his momentum and get even more Cougars excited about the Law Center.”
Jones came to the Law Center from Rice University where she was part of the sport management faculty as head of the sport law concentration. She previously served as the program coordinator for the International Sport Law Center at T.M.C. Asser Instituut in The Hague, Netherlands. A graduate of Southern Methodist University Law School, she teaches Negotiation in Sports as an adjunct professor at the Law Center and helps coach students for ADR competitions.
“My new role is to provide strategic vision, guidance and direction to the operation of all global and graduate programs at the Law Center,” she said. “That includes global programs involving internships, visiting scholars, partnerships, and collaborations with law schools, domestic and international.
“A key focus will be on advancing our LL.M. program offerings to an online format allowing greater opportunities for students in the U.S. and internationally to obtain an LL.M. from UHLC.”
Young has been involved with the Houston legal community for almost 20 years through her work in recruiting, professional development, and institutional advancement for various law firms and organizations. At the Law Center, she most recently served as interim head of alumni relations and plans to continue focusing on increasing alumni involvement with the school.
With her promotion from associate director to director of development, Johnson will handle major gifts from alumni and friends of the Law Center in support of scholarships, the building campaign, and other top funding initiatives.
