Barnard College is thrilled to welcome Serena M. Longley as Vice President and General Counsel and Natalie Raabe as Vice President for Strategic Communications. With their diverse backgrounds and expertise, the newest members of the College’s Senior Staff will play a pivotal role in advancing Barnard’s mission of empowering women and fostering academic excellence.
“Serena and Natalie bring important expertise and experience to Barnard at this crucial moment in the College’s history,” said Barnard’s President Laura A. Rosenbury. “Their deep connections to New York and extraordinary problem-solving skills will serve us well as we prepare students for a rapidly changing world.”
You may learn more about Serena and Natalie below.
Serena M. Longley, a committed legal advisor and problem-solver, has been named Barnard College’s new Vice President and General Counsel.
Longley is currently the Deputy General Counsel for the Office of the New York State Attorney General (OAG), the top law enforcement office in the state. In this role, she specializes in high-profile and sensitive projects and develops and implements litigation strategy.
Longley has been a trusted member of New York’s legal community for 14 years, with experience handling a wide range of legal, ethical, and operational issues. In her current role at the OAG, she serves as an advisor to executive leadership on high-profile legal matters, including prominent investigations into former elected officials. She has represented the OAG in court on numerous matters. Longley also leads internal investigations into potential misconduct, serves on the employee conduct committee, and works closely with partner law enforcement agencies.
Previously, as the Deputy General Counsel for the Council of the City of New York, Longley developed and executed litigation strategy across all policy and operational areas and represented the Council in court and mediations. She advised leadership on risk exposure and mitigation, problem-solving, and compliance, including for NYC’s $90 billion budget, and served as Counsel to the Committee on Standards and Ethics. During her tenure with the City, Longley also provided pro bono legal services in immigration and voter protection.
Prior to working for the Council of the City of New York, Longley served as Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department.
An alumna of Barnard’s Class of 2006, Longley majored in East Asian languages and cultures and was a 2005 Tow Fellow to China. She went on to earn her J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, and was a visiting student at New York University School of Law.
"I loved my time as a Barnard student and am honored to return to campus and serve the College as General Counsel, especially during this crucial moment,” said Longley. “I know I will be inspired by the students and faculty that bring Barnard to life, and I am committed to working to ensure a thriving institution for future generations of Barnard students.”
Natalie Raabe, who brings more than two decades of experience advising some of the country’s most influential media organizations, journalists, and business leaders, has been named Barnard College’s new Vice President for Strategic Communications.
“I’m thrilled to join Barnard College, a place defined by its commitment to excellence across the arts and sciences and by its track record of empowering the next generation of exceptional women,” said Raabe. “I’m looking forward to working with President Rosenbury, the faculty and staff, and the entire Barnard community in this role.”
For the past 10 years, Raabe has led communications and social media at The New Yorker, helping to guide the storied magazine through a period of far-reaching transformation in the media industry. She currently serves as the magazine’s Vice President of Communications.
Raabe also has held senior communications roles at NBC News and The Atlantic. At NBC, she helped craft press strategy for the network’s broadcasts and digital platforms, including NBC Nightly News, Today, Meet the Press, and NBCNews.com. At The Atlantic, she was responsible for all aspects of media and public relations across the celebrated magazine’s growing print, digital, and live-event properties.
Raabe began her career as a journalist at ABC News and eventually transitioned to the communications team. In that role, she represented the network’s marquee news programs, including World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
Raabe is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, and of Columbus School for Girls, in Columbus, Ohio.
“As a graduate of an all-girls’ school, I can personally attest to the advantages of an all-female education,” said Raabe. “I attribute my resilience, curiosity, and strong sense of purpose to those foundational years.”