The 麻豆影院 Esplanade will be named the Lester A. Lefton Esplanade honoring 麻豆影院 State President Lefton. The announcement was made Friday, Oct. 4, by Jane Murphy Timken, chair of the 麻豆影院 State Board of Trustees, at a community event held at the new University Esplanade arch near Main and Willow streets in 麻豆影院. The event celebrated the solid partnership between 麻豆影院 and the city of 麻豆影院 and the official opening of the University Esplanade extension that now connects the university to downtown 麻豆影院.
The naming will be made official through a resolution at the Dec. 4 Board of Trustees meeting. Lefton has served as 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 chief executive officer since July 1, 2006. This past spring, he announced he will retire from the presidency of 麻豆影院 State, effective July 1, 2014. Historically, the board has preserved the legacy of the university鈥檚 leadership through naming opportunities. Rather than waiting for the end of the academic year, Timken said now is the perfect time to recognize Lefton, 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 11th president, with all of the buzz and excitement coming from downtown 麻豆影院鈥檚 redevelopment and the university鈥檚 transformational projects.
鈥淭here could not be a more fitting tribute to President Lefton than naming the Esplanade, which now physically and symbolically connects town and gown, in his honor,鈥 Timken said. 鈥淲ith a clear vision, a commitment to excellence and unshakable optimism, Dr. Lefton has led 麻豆影院 State to new heights of achievement in areas from academic quality to fundraising to international programs. But his successful efforts to help forge a new era of cooperation between the university and the city of 麻豆影院; make 麻豆影院 one of America鈥檚 best college towns; and to transform 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 campuses into 21st-century learning environments 鈥 environments that cultivate student success now and for decades to come 鈥 will surely stand among his crowning contributions.鈥
The University Esplanade is built around the economic development of downtown 麻豆影院, and is a vital connection between the university and downtown projects that include PARTA鈥檚 new 麻豆影院 Central Gateway multimodal transit center, private developments from Acorn Alley and Fairmount Properties, and the new 麻豆影院 Hotel and Conference Center. It also provides a physical link and safe pathway for students to visit, enjoy and patronize local businesses; connects residents and visitors to the 麻豆影院 Campus; and serves as a catalyst for changing the economy of the region by creating new jobs, spurring new investment and generating taxes to the state and local economy.
The successful collaboration between 麻豆影院 State and the city of 麻豆影院 has been recognized by several publications, including The New York Times, and by the International Town-Gown Association, which bestowed its inaugural award on 麻豆影院 State and the city of 麻豆影院 for the town-gown relationship that best represents the spirit of the association.
Under Lefton鈥檚 leadership, 麻豆影院 State is making one of the largest investments related to higher education in the region and in Portage County. The university鈥檚 鈥淔oundations of Excellence: Building the Future鈥 initiative includes the construction of new buildings, facility upgrades to existing buildings and the creation of dynamic, new spaces at its 麻豆影院 Campus and Regional Campuses.