Nota Bene: A New Academic and Fiscal Year Begins

July 7, 2016

I hope your Independence Day holiday was enjoyable. July 1 marked the start of a new academic and fiscal year for Virginia Wesleyan College and the beginning of new leadership on our Board of Trustees.

My special thanks to Gary Bonnewell ’79 for his service as Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2013. Gary was our very first alumnus to be elected as chair, and we are appreciative of his service and fine leadership. He will continue to be on the Board as an officer, now in the role of immediate past chair.

 

David Kaufman will succeed Gary as Board Chair. David has served on the Virginia Wesleyan College Board of Trustees for 10 years, most recently as vice chair. David is a founding member and Senior Managing Director of the private equity firm, Envest.  David’s grandfather, Charles L. Kaufman, was an early advocate for Virginia Wesleyan.  Our new vice chair is Jon Pruden, co-owner and president of TASTE. Jon’s great grandfather was an early supporter of Virginia Wesleyan; in fact, Pruden Hall on our campus is named after Jon’s family. Longtime Board member Bill Thumel is now the secretary for the Board. Bill is the president of Abacus of Hampton Roads. Anne Shumadine continues her service as treasurer of the Board. Anne’s mother, Helen Ballard Hoffman, was one of the College’s first female Trustees, serving from 1964 until her death in 2010.  And Henry Watts, a member of the Virginia Wesleyan College Board of Trustees since 1989, and a former Board chair, is the parliamentarian. Henry is a retired vice chairman of Norfolk Southern Corporation. More information about our new Board leadership is on our website.

 

In addition, I’m pleased to share that Lori McCarel ‘94 is our new Executive Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations. McCarel has worked in the College’s Center for Advancement since 2007, serving in various capacities including Director of Annual Giving, Director of Special Gifts, and Director of Corporate Relations.  Lori earned her B.A. from Virginia Wesleyan College as part of the Liberal Arts Management Program (LAMP). She is a Founding Sister of Tri Sigma Sorority and a former member of the Marlin field hockey team. Her fiancé, Joe Harris, is a 1994 alumnus of Virginia Wesleyan. She has three children, two of whom are currently enrolled at the College.

Kristin Williams has returned to Virginia Wesleyan as Coordinator of Annual Giving, and Kelly Roenker has been appointed as Director of Corporate Relations and the Boyd Institute.

I’m especially pleased to share that Jodi Bryant, administrative assistant in the president’s office, is back at work! We were happy to welcome Jodi back on June 27. Be sure to stop by the office to greet her and welcome her back.

It is a pleasure to welcome Robert Leitgeb, our Chief Information Officer, and long-time Athletics Director Joanne Renn to the President’s Cabinet for 2016-17:

Dr. Timothy O’Rourke, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Kenneth R. Perry Dean of the College; Professor of Political Science;

Cary Sawyer, Vice President for Finance;
Dr. Keith Moore, Vice President for Student Affairs;
Dr. Mort Gamble, Vice President for Advancement;
David Waggoner, Vice President for Enrollment Services;
Robert Leitgeb, Chief Information Officer;
Joanne Renn, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics;
Bruce Vaughan, Vice President for Facilities and Operations;
Laynee Timlin, Executive Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff.

It continues to be a busy summer in Coastal Virginia. I recently attended the oath-of-office ceremony for the Mayor and the Council of the City of Norfolk.  Kenneth Cooper Alexander was elected Mayor of the City of Norfolk on May 3, 2016. Members of Norfolk’s City Council include Angelia Graves, Andria McClellan, Mamie Johnson, Paul Riddick, Thomas Smigiel, Jr., and Dr. Theresa Whibley. We look forward to a productive relationship with these leaders in the City of Norfolk.

Finally, it was exciting to see that two of our alumni are continuing their careers in leadership positions in the United Methodist Church. Ted Smith ’84, who has served as District Superintendent in the Fredericksburg District, has been put forth by the Virginia Annual Conference for United Methodist Bishop at the upcoming Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference on July 13.  Scott Davis ’84 was recently appointed District Superintendent of the Lynchburg District. Best wishes to both of them.