Andrea L. Taylor

Andrea L. Taylor

Civic leader Andrea L. Taylor, director of North America Community Affairs for Microsoft Corporation and a former UN delegate, was appointed a trustee of Boston University at its recent board meeting.

“Andrea’s passion for education, her global perspective and her comprehensive understanding of new media are just three of the many valuable assets she brings to the board,” said B.U. Board Chair Robert A. Knox.  “We look forward to a long and fruitful association with her.”

A 1968 graduate of BU’s College of Communication, Taylor sets the strategy for and manages the implementation of Microsoft’s Community Technology Skills Program and Elevate America, a public-private partnership that offers free E-Learning courses and certification exams. In addition, Taylor works closely with non-profit organizations, governments and businesses in the U.S. and Canada to advance employability and workforce development for youth, women, seniors, and displaced and disabled workers.

Before joining Microsoft in June 2006, Taylor was the founding director of the Media Fund at the Ford Foundation, managing $50 million in support of global media projects, including “Sesame Street” in China and South Africa, acclaimed television series such as “Eyes on the Prize,” “The Pacific Century” and National Public Radio.  She began her career as a journalist, working as a reporter, producer, and on-air host for a variety of newspapers and public television stations, including The Boston Globe, The Bay State Banner and WGBH-TV in Boston.

Recently, Taylor was an adjunct faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she developed and taught a new course, “New Media, Power, and Global Diversity,” to help prepare the next generation of academic leaders for policy and practice in the age of digital media.