Andrea L. Laliberte, IE 1982, MS IE 1984, well understands the difference that one individual can make, and her life’s work, philanthropic pursuits, and volunteerism have all been guided by that belief. 

Her recent $3 million bequest provision will establish the Andrea L. Laliberte Endowment Fund, providing unrestricted support for the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering. “Andrea’s commitment to the continued success and strength of ISyE will impact the lives of so many in the future for years and years to come,” said Jane Ammons, IE 1982, the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and Professor. “We are thrilled, and we are most grateful.” It is one of the largest gifts by any alumnae in Georgia Tech’s history. 

For many years, Laliberte had supported the Institute through Roll Call, but when her 25th reunion came around, she decided it was time to do more, joining Roll Call’s prestigious Burdell Society, and so began a journey that brought her to this extraordinary gift. First, she started supporting outright the Health and Humanitarian Logistics Center, because being able to use logistics to tangibly help people in dire need around the globe was, and remains, very important to her. Ammons noted that this support “enabled us to expand our outreach, education, and research in this important area.” Earlier this year, through gifting her life insurance policy, she created the Andrea L. Laliberte Scholarship Endowment to support scholarships for out-of-state women students in the College of Engineering. 

After graduating, Laliberte began her career in retail logistics at Systecon, an Atlanta-based logistics consulting company. In 1991, Coach Inc. hired her as its director of Operations Support in New Jersey. For the next two decades, she rose through the ranks at Coach, serving as director of Distribution, vice president for Distribution and Consumer Service, and finally senior vice president for Distribution. She left in 2010. Along the way, she successfully designed and oversaw the creation of a greatly expanded distribution and consumer service center in Jacksonville, Florida, which increased on-time delivery and reduced transportation costs for Coach and served as a springboard for international growth. 

Her ties to Georgia Tech, the college, and the Stewart School run deep. Laliberte was named a College of Engineering Distinguished Alumna in 2008, and she is an emeritus member of the ISyE Advisory Board, as well as a current member of the Georgia Tech Advisory Board and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees. “The education I received at Georgia Tech gave me the tools to become successful in my career,” she said. “I am thankful for my experience at Tech and want to give back to the Institute.”

Andrea Laliberte resides in Jacksonville, where her expertise in logistics and passion for philanthropy are matched only by her commitment to mentoring and service. She is the former chair and board member of Girls Inc. of Jacksonville, a longstanding organization dedicated to strengthening girls’ abilities, self-confidence, and lives. She is also involved in the Jacksonville Women’s Giving Alliance, which allocates grants to local community organizations.

Laliberte wants to see the Institute continue to be “an internationally recognized leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” and for ISyE to remain at the very top of the field for another twenty-two years, and then some. And through her vision, generosity, and leadership, one woman is making a difference for those who will follow in her footsteps.

To inquire about making a gift in support of the Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, contact Nancy J. Sandlin, director of development, at 404.385.7458 or nancy.sandlin@isye.gatech.edu.

This story first appeared in the Summer 2012 edition of Campaign Quarterly.

Andrea Laliberte, MS IE 1984

For More Information Contact

Barbara ChristopherIndustrial and Systems Engineering404.385.3102