Traevena Byrd, Chair

Traevena Byrd is the Vice President, General Counsel and Board Secretary for American University, where she provides legal and strategic advice to the university’s executive officers and board of trustees, manages all legal services for the university, and oversees board operations. She has previously served as Vice President and General Counsel at Towson University and is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of College and University Attorneys. In addition to teaching civil rights courses for first year college students, she has been a frequent presenter on the subject of free speech and student protest. Traevena is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where she received both her undergraduate and law degrees.