Georgia Yuan served as Deputy Undersecretary and Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Education from 2010-2013 where she was responsible for the coordination and implementation of higher education policy initiatives. Prior to joining the federal government, Georgia was the general counsel and secretary to the corporation of Smith College in Massachusetts and the former general counsel at the University of Idaho. Georgia is a leadership coach and search consultant.
Georgia was elected Chair of the NACUA Board of Directors in 2006-2007, after serving seven years on the Board, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award in 2010. She also has served on numerous NACUA committees and has spoken at numerous conferences and workshops. An advocate for women in leadership, Georgia served on the board of HERS, Inc. a non-profit dedicated to professional development for women in higher education. She was a founding member of the Women in Higher Education Roundtable, an association of eight public and private colleges and universities in the eastern Washington-northern Idaho region, created to encourage and develop women administrators for leadership in higher education.
Georgia earned her bachelor’s degree in geology from Oberlin College and a master’s in applied earth science from Stanford University. Her law degree is from the University of Idaho, which awarded her the College of Law Faculty Award of Legal Merit in 2014. She is married to Lawrence D. Meinert, a geologist specializing in the exploration for ore deposits and the terroir of wine-grape growing. They have two children, Kimberley, a public policy analyst, and James a soon to be environmental lawyer and public health specialist.
Georgia’s tireless efforts to support the practice of higher education law and lawyers are exemplary. She consistently displayed a special interest for the role of minorities and women in the profession and in the Association, advancing NACUA’s core values of diversity and inclusivity. Both during and after her time with NACUA, she was (and continues to be) a valued mentor and colleague to many members, including members beginning their careers as General Counsel. Georgia’s calm, thoughtful, careful advice and suggestions have served NACUA and its members well. Georgia has long had an innate curiosity and love of learning, qualities that are infectious both with good friends and with colleagues she may have met in just the last half hour.
NACUA is pleased to recognize Georgia Yuan as a Life Member of the Association in recognition of her outstanding service and her sustained and substantial contributions to NACUA and the field of higher education law.