Title:Called to be…a part of the Hoya family

Laurie Hodges Lapeyre (B’83, Parent’15, ’17)

Laurie Hodges Lapeyre serves on the Board of Advisors of the McDonough School of Business, the Board of Advisors of Georgetown University Medical Center Health Sciences, and is emeritus member of the Georgetown Board of Regents. She also served on the Georgetown Board of Directors for six years. 

Learn how Georgetown shaped her life and what she hopes for its future. 

How did you find Georgetown, or how did it find you?

I was born and raised in the DC area, so Georgetown has always been in my backyard. My first engagement with the university was toward the end of my senior year in high school when my father became a cancer patient at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. So I decided to stay close to home and was very lucky to be accepted to the business school. 

I went to Georgetown with a plan to transfer after spending the first year with my father, but he had died six months before I enrolled. My first year was very difficult but it became clear I was planning to leave for the wrong reasons. I didn’t look at Georgetown for what it was, and a few key people, including the resident Jesuit on my freshman dorm hall—Fr. Roy Davis, S.J., helped me realize that. It’s a special place, and it’s home. Staying was the best decision I ever made.

How did the Georgetown community shape your life?

The friends I made at Georgetown are my friends for life and my children have experienced the same thing. My children have experienced the same thing. We were challenged to do things, recognized when we stepped outside the bounds, but we also learned we can come back again better. Those principles became a part of my life and contributed to making Georgetown feel like home and family.

I was a bit unique in the Georgetown community because I would take everybody home for a weekend or an evening, and suddenly my mother had a whole lot of Georgetown kids hanging out at her apartment as a break from dorm life!

What values did you learn as a Hoya?

Georgetown taught me how to evaluate opportunities and challenges. The Jesuit ideals—to set aside time for reflection, to practice critical thinking, to make informed decisions—I’ve carried those lessons with me forever. You come in as a young adult and you leave as a more mature adult. Georgetown educates the whole person and helps you grow your skill set, personally and emotionally.

What made you reconnect to Georgetown?

When my son came to Georgetown in 2011, I was asked if I wanted to become more deeply engaged with the university. By then, I had retired from working full time on Wall Street and in Executive Search and had better control of my schedule. Over time, I joined the Advisory Boards of Georgetown McDonough and GUMC Health Sciences, the Board of Regents, and the Board of Directors. I began to be more involved with so many aspects of the university around the world.

The university has changed so much over the years but always stayed true to its mission. I believe that the opportunities in front of it now are greater than they’ve ever been. We explore opportunities and strategize for 10- to 25-year plans. The footprint is more global now. 

Georgetown is known for punching above its weight despite its much scarcer financial resources than its peer group. I think Georgetown has all the ingredients to keep being an outstanding institution in the world. Georgetown is well positioned to take on the world’s biggest problems and help those who need it.

In recognition of her achievements and service, Lapeyre received the John Carroll Award in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 5, 2025. The John Carroll Award is named for Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in North America and founder of Georgetown University. Established in 1951, this award is conferred upon alumni whose achievements and record of service exemplify the ideals and traditions of Georgetown and its founder.