Mark Figueroa to Leave Lewis & Clark

Mark Figueroa, Lewis & Clark’s dean of Equity and Inclusion and associate vice president for Institutional Research and Planning, will leave the college in early December to take a job as vice president for planning and development at Moreno Valley College, part of the Riverside Community College District.

Figueroa, who has served in a variety of roles at Lewis & Clark for the past ten years, said the move to Southern California “will allow me to return to my roots and family and to an institution that serves the community I was part of until I came to Lewis & Clark.”

President Wim Wiewel said Figueroa will be missed, but that he understands his decision.

”Mark is such a multi-talented person, and I always knew he was going to move on at some point to bigger leadership roles,” Wiewel said. “His insights and care have made our community better. We will miss him, but his impact will last.”

Figueroa first came to Lewis & Clark in November 2011 to take on the position of director of Institutional Research. He was later promoted to associate provost, and then associate vice president for Institutional Research and Planning. In the summer of 2019, he also assumed the role of dean of Equity and Inclusion.

But those were only a few of the hats Figueroa wore at Lewis & Clark. He also served as the college’s accreditation liaison officer for seven years, and as an assistant coach of the football team for nine years. He was one of the founding faculty members of the GSEC Student Affairs Administration Program and served as the program’s director and its clinical coordinator for three years and seven years, respectively.

During his time at Lewis & Clark, Figueroa says he has valued most “the relationships I have built with students, faculty, and staff.”

“I will miss the phenomenal people I worked with for the past ten years, and the opportunities I have had to support and mentor amazing young people,” Figueroa said. “I will especially miss serving as a faculty member and coach. My time in the classroom and on the football field were invaluable.”

Prior to arriving at Lewis & Clark, Figueroa served as the director of Research, Planning, Assessment and Emergency Preparedness and Assistant Professor at Scripps College in Claremont.

Figueroa leaves big shoes to fill at Lewis & Clark. Plans for how to fill his positions on an interim and permanent basis will be announced in the next couple of weeks.