Alumnae Recognition

Since 1974, Marlborough School’s Alumnae Association has been honoring outstanding alumnae with the Woman of the Year award. The Woman of the Year serves as an inspiration to all alumnae and students. She is accomplished, enthusiastic, and has contributed positively to the quality of life around her. She embodies the spirit of Marlborough. She is a proud Marlborough alumna who has created a place at the table and has worked to change the world for the better.

With this annual award, we seek to reflect the depth and breadth of our alumnae community and celebrate the remarkable impact of Marlborough women in action.

2019 Woman of the Year: Lawry Jones Meister '79

Marlborough alumna Lawry Jones Meister is one of Los Angeles’ most innovative real estate developers. Using her years of experience and industry acumen, she focuses on building communities within her development projects. Not only has she been a leader in commercial real estate development for over 20 years, Lawry also dedicates her talents to helping address the homeless crisis in Los Angeles by building permanent, supportive housing for people transitioning out of homelessness. 

Marlborough is also fortunate to be the recipient of Lawry’s generous spirit. She has spoken with current Marlborough students about addressing the homeless crisis and was featured in the Spring 2018 issue of Momentum magazine for her dedication to changing the world for the better. Lawry is also a member of our 1889 Society, which celebrates Marlborough alumnae who donate to the school consecutively for more than five years. 

It is for all these reasons, and so many more, that we are extremely proud to honor Lawry Jones Meister ’79 as Marlborough’s 2019 Woman of the Year.

Lawry grew up in Los Angeles and, after graduating from Marlborough, attended Wellesley College where she earned her B.A. in Art History with an Economics concentration. She studied in Paris her junior year at the Sorbonne and Ecole des Etudes Politiques. After graduation, she worked as a financial and business analyst in New York City before earning her MBA from Harvard Business School in 1988. She returned to Los Angeles to work as a leasing agent before joining Steaven Jones Development Company in 1990. 

Since 1995, Lawry has been President of Steaven Jones Development Company, a family-owned commercial real estate development and property management company. Together, Lawry and her father helped to pioneer creative office space in Los Angeles and developed a portfolio of 21 properties throughout Los Angeles County. In 2016, Lawry co-founded FlyawayHomes, with the mission of helping to solve the homeless crisis in Los Angeles. The model of FlyawayHomes is to build permanent supportive housing at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional models using only private investment funds (social impact equity). Their first development received its formerly-homeless residents in November 2018. The second project is currently under construction.

Lawry is also an Independent Trustee for Causeway Capital’s mutual funds and serves as a Trustee at Wellesley College. She is active at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, where she serves as a Lector and has served on the Vestry. She founded the HBS Women’s Roundtable, Los Angeles, and has been on the board of Las Madrinas. She is also an active supporter of The People Concern, Planned Parenthood and Sustainable Conservation, and is a member of the LACMA Director’s Circle.

Lawry recently celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary with her husband, Charles Meister. They have two adult sons, Barrett and Evan. She enjoys travel, golf, and hiking in the Santa Monica mountains with their two labs, Belle and Beau.
 

Established in 2020, Marlborough's Athletic Hall of Fame aims to honor our alumnae, coaches, and administrators' excellence in athletics. Biennially we induct members of our community who exhibited the highest caliber of athletic accomplishments during their time at Marlborough or through subsequent athletic endeavors. Nominees must have demonstrated good sportsmanship, citizenship, and character. These community members are identified through a nomination process open to their peers and are inducted and celebrated at a ceremony in the spring.

First awarded in 2020, Marlborough's Alumnae Association awards the Young Alumnae Award to a young alumna who exemplifies the core values of Marlborough through her personal and professional endeavors. We define "young alumna" as someone who graduated from Marlborough within the past 20 years. With this annual award, we seek to recognize and celebrate the diversity, successes, and passions of our young alumnae community.

On March 23, 2019, to honor the tremendous bravery and unprecedented impact that Chelsea, Mikaela, and our anonymous alumna have had on our community, all three women were recognized with the first-ever Marlborough Alumnae Council Courage Award. In addition to the planting of a tree in the school’s Alumnae Garden, a permanent plaque was installed as a visual reminder of the courage and conviction of these remarkable women in working to change Marlborough—and the world for all women—for the better. 

This award will only be bestowed when Alumnae Council wishes to recognize extraordinary alumnae who have left a lasting and meaningful impact on Marlborough and this world we all share. 

2019
Chelsea Burkett '02
Mikaela Gilbert-Lurie '13
An Anonymous Alumna