Rainey 37th rector

Photo by Peggy Harrison

Board member William H. Goodwin Jr., right, congratulates Gordon F. Rainey Jr. upon being elected U.Va.’s 37th rector.

Staff Report

The Board of Visitors elected Richmond attorney Gordon F. Rainey Jr. its 37th rector last week.

Rainey was elected to succeed John P. “Jack” Ackerly III. Thomas F. Farrell II, chief executive officer of Dominion Energy Inc., was elected vice rector (see Farrell first vice rector).

As rector, a position held by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Rainey said he hopes to address a range of issues, from diversity in the U.Va. community to efficient operation of the Board of Visitors.

In his first official act, Rainey announced the creation of a special board committee on diversity, which he said will work in concert with a Commission on Diversity and Equity formed by U.Va. President John T. Casteen III (see separate story, Page 2). The reality as well as the perception of intolerance must be addressed, Rainey said.

“Diversity is a great strength at the University. The vast majority of the University community is committed to assuring that U.Va. is a welcoming place, respectful and tolerant of all points of view and cultures. It is unfortunate that the thoughtless acts of a few may have contributed to a different perception, and that will be addressed.”

He also pointed to the role of tuition in helping the University achieve market value and the upcoming capital campaign as a means to ensure the continuation of quality and excellence of the University’s academic programs.

“With state cutbacks, philanthropy and market-based tuition will be more and more critical to the University in maintaining and enhancing excellence.”

Rainey also said it’s important that the board operate efficiently and effectively.

The board’s Special Committee on Governance, created in February, will allow more routine matters to be dealt with at the committee level, leaving more time for the full board to engage in policy and planning issues.

“I think one of the most important responsibilities of the rector is to set the agenda in a way that sustains the interest and involvement of all of the members,” he said.

Rainey, 62, is chairman of Hunton & Williams, an international law firm based in Richmond. Reared in Oklahoma City, he received his bachelor’s degree from U.Va.’s College of Arts & Sciences in 1962. After serving in the Army, he returned to U.Va. to attend the School of Law, graduating in 1967. He was appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2000.

Past president of the U.Va. Alumni Association, Rainey has served on a number of boards and commissions, including as a trustee for the Law School Foundation and general counsel and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges.