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Warner adds three to BOV
Casteen:
Governing board ‘most diverse it has ever been’
By Dan Heuchert
Gov.
Mark Warner’s latest round of appointments to the U.Va.
Board of Visitors leaves the University’s policy-making
body with what is believed to be its most diverse lineup ever.
With
the appointment of Washington attorney Glynn D. Key,
the 17-member board (including a nonvoting student representative) now includes
three African-American members and three women. Key and 2003 Warner appointee
Susan Y. “Syd” Dorsey are African-American,
as is 2002 appointee Warren M. Thompson. The other female board member is Georgia
M. Willis, a 2003 appointee.
“ It
will for sure be the most diverse it has ever been,” said
University President John T. Casteen III. “That’s
good for everyone. The range of talents, backgrounds, interests
and prior support for faculty, staff and students will make
this one of the most exciting groups ever.”
Also
appointed March 3 were G.S. “Sandy” Fitz-Hugh Jr.
of Richmond, president of Bank of America-Virginia, and W.
Heywood Fralin of Roanoke, chief executive officer of Medical
Facilities of America Inc., which operates nursing homes in
Virginia and North Carolina.
New
BOV Members
to Take Their Seats
at the Next Meeting, April 15-17.
Gov. Mark Warner’s 2004
Board of Visitors appointees:
• G.S. “Sandy” Fitz-Hugh Jr.
of Richmond is president of Bank of America-Virginia
and a 1962 graduate of the University. Fitz-Hugh
has served
on the board of directors of the Virginia Athletics Foundation
and as president of the University’s alumni chapter
in Richmond. His father and son also graduated from the
University.
•
W. Heywood Fralin of Roanoke is chief executive officer
of Medical Facilities of America Inc.,
which operates
nursing homes in Virginia and North Carolina. Fralin,
a 1962 graduate
of the University, is past president of the board of
trustees of the Virginia Student Aid Foundation and
currently serves
as a trustee of the University of Virginia Foundation. •
Glynn D. Key of Washington is a partner at the Wilmer,
Cutler & Pickering law firm. She is a 1986 graduate
of the University and received a law degree from the University
in 1989. Key is
a former Echols Scholar, Jefferson Scholar and chairwoman
of the Honor Committee. While in law school, Key served
as the student representative on the Board of Visitors.
•
Gordon F. Rainey of Richmond currently serves as
rector of the Board of Visitors. He is
a partner and
chairman
of the executive committee at the Hunton & Williams
law firm. Rainey is
a 1962 graduate of the University and received his
law degree from the University in 1967. |
The
trio replaces former U.S. Rep. Thomas J. Bliley Jr. and Charles
L. Glazer, who were not re-appointed, and William H. Goodwin
Jr., who served two terms and was not eligible for re-appointment.
Warner
also re-appointed Rector Gordon F. Rainey of Richmond to a
second four-year term. Rainey, chairman of the executive committee
of the Hunton & Williams law firm, was first appointed
by then-Gov. James Gilmore in 2000.
“ I
am disappointed that Tom Bliley and Charlie Glazer were not
re-appointed. Both were valuable members,” Rainey said. “But
the three new members are outstanding, each with strong records
of service to the University. I would like to thank Tom and
Charlie for their contributions and welcome Heywood, Glynn
and Sandy to the board.”
The
board is believed to have had at least three female members
twice before. Gov. Colgate Darden (later a U.Va. president)
appointed four women to the board in 1943, at the height of
World War II; and Bettie Morie, Patricia Kluge and Elsie Holland
had their terms overlap for one year in 1994. No governor before
Warner has appointed three African-American members, and Warner
is the first governor since Darden to appoint three women.
“ I
am especially pleased to have selected highly qualified individuals
representing the rich diversity of the Commonwealth, because
I believe it is appropriate for the leadership of our public
institutions to represent the changing face of Virginia,” Warner
said.
Upon taking office, Warner set up a bipartisan panel to review candidates for
appointment to boards of visitors at the state’s public institutions.
In addition to their gender and racial diversity, his appointees have come
from both major political parties.
Among
the items U.Va.’s new board is expected to tackle are
the reports of two bodies set up to look into diversity issues
at the University — its own special committee, chaired
by Thompson, and a presidential commission appointed by Casteen.
The reports are due this fall.
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