A Legacy of Style: Liz Marcuse Assumes the Role of President Emeritus After Two Decades as LIM College's President
*Article from Lexington Line Spring/Summer 2024 Issue, pages 68-71
Check out the full issue here
Liz Marcuse never thought she'd leave Macy's. But a headhunter representing Lane Bryant had been asking the then-26-year-old buyer to fly out to Columbus, Ohio to discuss a new opportunity, so she sought the advice of her most trusted confidant.
"My father would always tell me, talk is cheap, talk is free—just listen to what they have to say," she remembers.
The meeting was a success, and she took a job that would take her around the world—to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and beyond—more than 30 times a year.
"Those were amazing years," she says. "What I did—not just buying, but product development—I was very hungry for."
Years later, her father, Adrian Marcuse, came to her with a different proposition. He had been president of LIM College in New York City for 30 years and was considering retirement.
"I was living in Chicago, she recalls. "I came home on a trip, and he said, 'Can we chat?’ He told me he wanted me to think about coming to LIM."
Adrian Marcuse had taken over the college from his own father, Maxwell Marcuse, in 1972. In 2002, his daughter would take the reins as president for a tenure lasting more than two decades. Last fall, she announced that she would be stepping down and assuming the role of President Emeritus.
Liz Marcuse had built her career in the fashion industry, not higher education, but when she came back, she wasn't entirely new to the college—as a high school student, she worked part-time in the Admissions office.
"My dad would see me at the water fountain talking to people, and he'd tell me to go back and do my work," she laughs.
At the time, Liz wasn't planning on a career at LIM, and her father had never suggested one. After high school, she moved to Boston to attend Simmons University—then Simmons College—to study marketing.
Towards the end of her senior year, she learned several major department stores would visit campus to scout for their executive training programs. She joined the program at Macy's and rose quickly through the ranks.
"There I was, 25 or 26, standing on the executive floor with all this beautiful mahogany, thinking, this is it," she recalls.
She ultimately was courted by Lane Bryant, and despite being conflicted about leaving her hometown for the Midwest, decided to take the plunge. Inevitably, the transition presented some challenges.
"It was kind of a funny first night," she remembers. "I lived in a corporate apartment. The lamp was bolted to the table. I couldn't find the light in my closet. My alarm clock didn't work. So I had to sleep with the light on because I was afraid to be late to work."
She could only find a bulk grocery store with cereal boxes "that could have fed 27 people" and once, while jogging, "ran right over a deer."
"I called my previous roommate in New York crying because I'm like, 'What did I do?’” she says. “Three weeks later, I was on a plane to Asia."
Liz adapted to her new life quickly and learned the kinds of fashion industry lessons that only come from experience.
"You watch two turtlenecks on similar cut lines, and one's Anne Klein and one's Lane Bryant—the difference is the weight of the cotton, and one's $9.99, and the other's $98," she says. "I loved it. It's picking out products, it's choosing colors, it's understanding trends—in March, you would probably be planning next spring. So life just sort of kept blending into itself.”
She was still in the midwest—in Chicago, working as a Senior Buyer for Montgomery Ward—when her Dad approached her with the idea of working for LIM. She told him she'd think about it.
"And when I thought about it, I decided to say yes," she says.
This first meant moving back to New York City and working in product development and retail planning, including projects for Disney and Warner Brothers, which meant more than a few flights to Los Angeles. She was then recruited by Donna Karan and served as Head of Retail Planning.
Eventually, it was time to join LIM. She came on as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and spent her first year building relationships.
"Back then, I think there were about 40 employees in total," she remembers. "There weren't even 300 students, so it was pretty easy to get to know 100% of everyone-especially the students. Some of the older alumni I still know well."
This is a trait she might have picked up from her father.
"He knew every single student. Former students would stop by and 'You probably don't remember me.’ He'd say, 'Oh yes, Mary Smith,’ and he'd remember every detail, which is pretty incredible," she says.
A year after she started, her father had an accident and needed to retire earlier than planned.
"It was trial by fire for me. Even opening the mail here was new," she recalls. “You go to people who can help you because you can't be the expert in everything. But you surround yourself with experts to glue your team together."
Liz and her team guided the college into the 21st century—and her father was there to guide her, which was critical because it was a time of considerable change in higher education.
"He was a quiet shadow to learn from, and honestly, it was just warp speed," she says. "And it was a time in higher education where everyone was experiencing massive growth."
During the early 2000s, the student population increased dramatically, and LIM grew its footprint to include two more locations.
"The students were coming before the space came. We had to build out the space quite quickly," she recalls. "So we grew enrollment. We added footprints in terms of physical space to the campus. And we eventually launched master's degrees, fully online programs, and new bachelor's degrees.”
She remembers it as "an amazing period of watching the institution morph into something more complex while remaining true to its core values."
Through it all, making connections with individual students—both teaching them and learning from them—remained the priority. She always relays advice that she learned at an early age: "You have two things you carry with you, your name and your reputation."
Maranda Janky moved to New York City from Chicago in 2014 to study at LIM. As one of the co-founders of The Lexington Line, she remembers feeling supported by her college's president.
"I'm grateful to have had the full support of the college, but specifically of President Marcuse," she says.
Maranda graduated with a BBA in Marketing in 2017 and an MPS in Marketing in 2021. She works for The Financial Times as Content Director for the Americas. She remembers scheduling meetings at Liz's office every time a new issue of Lex Line came out.
"We'd walk into the room where she'd be sitting at her desk, wearing a big smile, welcoming us in," she recalls. "She was always so warm and inviting, and the enthusiasm she showed towards the amazing work we had just created was something I'll never forget."
"I wouldn't be where I am today without her," she adds.
The first two decades of the 21st century presented a plethora of unexpected challenges. Through it all, she knew that one of the critical aspects of educating is not just imparting wisdom—it's listening to the people you are teaching.
"She was the strongest advocate for students that anyone could hope for," Dr. Patricia Fitzmaurice recalls.
As the previous Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Fitzmaurice worked closely with Liz throughout their time at LIM, and noticed "before making any decision, her primary motivation was always, always what was best for the students at LIM."
“We try hard. We really do a good job of listening," she says. “It's not always easy, and we'll never be perfect. But through these past few years—between presidential elections, the Supreme Court, political tension, and the pandemic—we had to stop and listen as an institution. It doesn't mean you have the answers, but you have to listen."
She ensured the college remained responsive, eager, and ready to absorb all the industry has to offer. More than 20 years-worth of LIM graduates have gone into the fashion business on Liz's watch, further cementing her indelible influence on the industry itself.
"My passion never went away, and I love this industry," she says. "I love the students because of the level of creativity when you walk around campus and you see that sparkle in their eyes."