By Stanley O. Williford
Director of Publications
Rene Dennis has been an administrator, an assistant dean, a deputy provost and a director in the academic world, positions that would normally require a degree.
But Rene had something better and more enduring than a degree. She calls it the favor of God.
Rene has been associated with institutions of higher learning both in California and in the Middle East much of her professional life.
The Los Angeles native graduated from George Washington High School and took college courses at L.A. Southwest College and El Camino College.
That was it, as far as her formal education went.
So how did she become the administrator of executive searches at UCLA, the first person in the state university system to hold that distinction? In fact, the search process itself was one that she developed after she received a notice of layoff from a position she held at the university’s hospital.
But through the human resources policy of “preferential rehire,” she landed back at the university, this time in the office of the chancellor.
At that point, she was 22, with one-year-old twin daughters and pregnant with a son.
“My boss, the assistant executive vice chancellor, had the responsibility of appointing deans, but there was no real process,” Rene said.
“He often shared with me some of the challenges in the recruitment effort. I would make suggestions, and one critical piece that I thought was missing was the human aspect, or direct communication with each candidate.”
Rene made a point of acknowledging the candidates by sending them nice, thoughtful letters that she personally wrote. “Many of the people got back to me to thank me for that acknowledgement,” she said.
“From the mid-1980s to 2006, I managed the searches for deans of every school and college on the UCLA campus, and for numerous senior executive positions that reported to the chancellor’s office,” she said.
Two of those deans later recruited Rene, one away from the chancellor’s office and the second from the school altogether. The first was dean of the school of nursing, who hired her as assistant dean of development and external affairs. She served in that position three years.
The second was the dean of the school of dentistry, who would go on to become executive vice chancellor. He later became the executive vice president of the UC system in the office of the president before accepting an appointment as provost in Abu Dhabi, the wealthy capital of the United Arab Emirates. As provost, he was charged with realigning the university there from a teaching-only to research-focused institution.
Guess who he wanted to come to Abu Dhabi to assist him? None other than Rene, who left UCLA to join him as deputy provost, a post she held for three years before returning to the U.S.
“The deans of the 10 colleges within the university reported to the provost through me,” said Rene. “Everyone assumed I had a Ph.D. They would often call me Dr. Dennis, and I would reply: “Rene is fine.” I did all this with no degree at all, but God graced me to do it.”
After her assignment in Abu Dhabi, Rene returned home to Los Angeles. Six months later, the provost himself returned to the U.S., but only for a short period. He was then recruited by Her Highness Sheikha Moza of Qatar, a tremendously oil-rich Arab nation on the Persian Gulf.
After the provost arrived in Qatar, he ran into a friend who had been appointed CEO of the 400- bed hospital built by Sheikha Moza for women and children. That discussion led to the task of getting the start-up hospital opened, along with all the necessary requirements.
The provost introduced Rene to the CEO via email, and after an on-site interview, she headed back to the Middle East, this time for Qatar, to help staff the new hospital. She remained there nearly two years.
How did she survive so well in countries where the Arabic language is spoken?
“English is the language of instruction and commerce,” she explained.
After her stay in Qatar, Rene, who serves as a hostess at CCC, returned home.
But she was never at a loss as to what to do. Rene had been blessed with gifts in both acting and singing. “I learned singing in church,” she said.
Early on, she sang Gospel as a member of the Rickey Grundy Chorale.
A longtime member of the AFTRA/Screen Actors Guild, Rene (her stage name is Rene LeBaer), has worked in movies, television and theater. She has worked in the movie 48 Hours, as well as in many industrial films for McGraw-Hill. She has also acted in commercials.
On stage, she has acted in Attila the Hun with the New York City Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Her focus now is in the voiceover arena. It should also be noted, that while she has attended commercial and voiceover workshops, she has studied neither acting nor singing. Again, she attributes it all to God’s grace.
Rene Dennis calls herself “a child of favor.” Who can doubt it?
