Real estate investment leader and community figure Glenn Sonnenberg appointed to USC Board of Trustees

The USC Board of Trustees has named real estate investment executive Glenn Sonnenberg to a second term. Sonnenberg, a USC alumnus who initially served on the board from 2003 to 2008, contributes over 30 years of finance and investment expertise to the role, along with decades dedicated to the Trojan Family and the wider Los Angeles community.

Sonnenberg is president of Latitude Real Estate Holdings, a real estate investment and finance firm located in Beverly Hills, and participates on investment committees for two additional real investment firms. A recipient of the USC Alumni Service Award in 2004, Sonnenberg also serves on the USC Gould Board of Councilors and the USC Libraries Board of Councilors. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 1977 and a law degree from the USC Gould School of Law in 1980.

“It is a joy to welcome Glenn back to the USC Board of Trustees,” Board Chair Suzanne Nora Johnson stated. “Glenn is a highly regarded real estate attorney and investor. He has been a commercial and civic leader in numerous significant institutions in Los Angeles and has consistently been actively involved with the Jewish community and promoting interfaith dialogue throughout his career.”

Sonnenberg expresses enthusiasm for rejoining the board and engaging in the university’s strategic planning for its immediate and distant future. “I perceive this as a period of significant opportunity,” he noted, highlighting USC’s strengths in medicine, artificial intelligence, and other cutting-edge research domains. “I cherish higher education, believe in its value … and desire to contribute back to the university.”

A broad career with Trojan connections

Sonnenberg praises the “excellent education” he achieved while obtaining his USC degrees. “I had amazing mentors, and I formed wonderful friendships,” he reflected.

Sonnenberg indicates that his Trojan relationships aided in opening pathways throughout his career in law, real estate finance, and real estate equity investment. His first position following USC was at the Los Angeles law firm of Allen, Matkins, Leck, Gamble, and Mallory, where he worked as a real estate and finance partner. He subsequently took on the role of CEO at several real estate firms associated with Prudential Insurance, Morgan Stanley, and ING before starting his own venture.

In late 2000, he founded what later became known as LaSalle Debt Investors and managed the company until earlier this year. He continues to advise as a consultant while overseeing Latitude Real Estate Holdings, a distinct venture he established in 2008.

His USC education significantly impacted his achievements, motivating him to give back through leadership, service, and philanthropy. “The university provides career guidance and a setting to learn, develop, and mature,” he remarked. “And gradually, you transition from being the recipient of guidance and support — to becoming a giver.”

Commitment to service at USC and beyond

Sonnenberg’s dedication to USC dates back nearly four decades. As a long-standing member of the USC Libraries Board of Councilors, he co-founded the USC Libraries Scripter Award, founded in 1988 to annually honor the year’s…

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best transformation of the written word into cinema and, since 2016, into serialized television.

He has additionally acted as the founding chair of the USC Junior Associates, past president of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors, and former president of the board of the Friends of the USC Libraries. For the last 15 years, he has jointly led USC Gould’s Real Estate Law and Business Forum.

“Being part of a remarkable institution like USC and, in some modest manner, enhancing it is an incredible sensation,” Sonnenberg remarked.

He and his spouse, 1983 USC alumna Andrea Sonnenberg, live in Beverly Hills, where they brought up three children. They are devoted philanthropists, concentrating on education, mental wellness for teens and young adults, services for marginalized communities, and the arts. In 2019, they established the Bradley Sonnenberg Wellness Initiative at USC Hillel. This initiative, named in honor of their deceased son, offers counseling services and wellness resources for all USC students.

Sonnenberg currently holds the position of chairman of the board at Wayfinder Family Services, which delivers support and services to children, youth, and adults experiencing vision loss or significant special needs. He also participates on the boards of Bet Tzedek — The House of Justice, the Center Theatre Group, the American Exchange Project, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Wise Readers to Leaders, the Children’s Institute, and de Toledo High School.

Reflections on communal ties and USC achievements

Through his Substack blog “Musings Beyond the Bunker” — which he commenced in 2020 during the early period of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic — Sonnenberg seeks to foster community and promote civil discourse. The blog, released thrice weekly, delves into subjects ranging from politics and poetry to law and baseball.

“I feel that we are missing community in many aspects of society today,” Sonnenberg expressed, highlighting the USC community as a remarkable exception. “The university has excelled in cultivating the Trojan Family.”

As a participant on the USC Board of Trustees, Sonnenberg aspires to utilize his expertise in strategy and planning to aid in positioning the university for success in the upcoming decades. “Acting as responsible stewards for the institution is crucial, not only for today but for future generations of Trojans,” he stated. “I eagerly anticipate collaborating with the other trustees and the administration.”