Lisa Borders announced her resignation Monday night as president and CEO of Time’s Up after taking the reins of the organization in October.
According to a letter to stakeholders from Rebecca Goldman, chief operating officer of Time’s Up, Borders resigned because of a family issue, The New York Times reported. Goldman will serve as interim chief executive until the group finds a new leader.
“As Time’s Up continues to grow, I am proud of the work I have done to shepherd its continued development,” Borders wrote in a statement she tweeted at 5:30 p.m. “Unfortunately, it is with deep regret that I must resign from Time’s Up to address family concerns that require my singular focus. I appreciate the opportunity to support this mission and I hope that my efforts will continue to resonate.”
Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, provided a statement to The Chronicle after the resignation announcement.
“Lisa Borders is an extraordinary leader and person with many friends at Duke who support her and her family,” Schoenfeld wrote. “We look forward to welcoming Lisa as Duke’s commencement speaker in May to inspire our new graduates.”
President Vincent Price announced that Borders would deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2019 in a news release Friday.
“I will forever be grateful to the university for the experiences and exposures I had there which helped me become who I am today,” Borders said in the Friday news release. “Duke continues to play a tremendous role in my life and I am so honored to be returning to my alma mater to deliver this commencement address.”
Since 2015, Borders has served on Duke’s Board of Trustees, and her term will last until 2021. On the Board, she is a member of the Next Generation Living and Learning Experience Task Force and the External Engagement Committee, according to her biography on the Board’s website.
In October 2018, Borders stepped down from serving as president of the Women’s National Basketball Association after two years to become the inaugural president of Time’s Up.
Time’s Up advocates for those affected by sexual assault and harassment and was inspired by the #MeToo movement. The movement was spearheaded by Hollywood celebrities, in response to sexual assault allegations against prominent figures in the entertainment industry.
“As the president and CEO of Time’s Up, she is the leading the way toward building a more just, equitable future for women, a mission that she has carried with her throughout her career in business, public service, philanthropy and the WNBA,” Price said in a news release Friday.
Bre Bradham contributed reporting.
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Stefanie Pousoulides is The Chronicle's Investigations Editor. A senior from Akron, Ohio, Stefanie is double majoring in political science and international comparative studies and serves as a Senior Editor of The Muse Magazine, Duke's feminist magazine. She is also a former co-Editor-in-Chief of The Muse Magazine and a former reporting intern at PolitiFact in Washington, D.C.