Board of Visitors member Robert Hardie will become UVA’s rector on July 1, succeeding Whittington W. Clement. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications)
University of Virginia Board of Visitors member Robert Hardie will become rector effective July 1, with Carlos M. Brown assuming the position of vice rector.
The rector chairs the Board of Visitors.
Hardie will succeed Whittington W. Clement, of Richmond, who has served as rector since 2021.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Whitt for his years of service and his outstanding leadership as rector, including his work with the tuition special committee, the College at Wise, and projects like the Emmet-Ivy Corridor and the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology. His counsel has been invaluable to me, and he’s been a terrific advocate for UVA,” UVA President Jim Ryan said.
Ryan said he’ll miss Clement, whose term expires June 30, but looks forward to continuing to work with Hardie and Brown in their new roles.
“They are both champions of UVA and deeply engaged with all that’s happening around Grounds, from student wellness to free expression, and I appreciate their willingness to serve in this way,” Ryan said.
Carlos M. Brown, who has served on the Board of Visitors since 2021, will assume the position of vice rector. (Contributed photo)
Hardie, of Charlottesville, has served on the Board of Visitors twice. He was first appointed by Gov. Tim Kaine in 2008 and again by Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2017. He is co-chair and CEO of H7 Holdings LLC, a private holding company that invests in equities, private firms and alternative asset classes. H7 Holdings owns Keswick Hall outside Charlottesville and The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville.
Hardie is also co-chair and CEO of Level One Partners LLC, an investment company in Charlottesville, and serves on the boards of several businesses. He co-chairs the H7 Foundation, which supports multiple educational and nonprofit endeavors. Hardie received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences in 1987 as well as an MBA in 1995 and a doctorate in management in 1999, both from the Darden School of Business.
He is the current chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
“I am honored to serve this amazing University,” Hardie said. “President Ryan and his team do outstanding work every day. I look forward to my partnership with them and to continuing to make UVA great and good.
“I also want to thank my close friend Whitt Clement for his extraordinary service as our rector during the past two years.”
Gov. Ralph Northam appointed Brown, of Henrico, to the Board of Visitors in 2021. He is senior vice president, chief legal officer and general counsel for Dominion Energy, which supplies electricity and natural gas to several states.
Brown is also a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Central Virginia Transportation Authority and the Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He serves as director of NextUp RVA, a nonprofit that provides youth education opportunities outside the classroom; the Virginia Museum of History and Culture; and the Dominion Energy Credit Union. He also serves on the boards of directors for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and the UVA Law School Foundation. Brown received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences in 1996 and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from UVA Law.
He is currently vice chair of the Academic and Student Life Committee.
“It’s a pleasure to continue the important work of the board in the vice rector position, in partnership with Robert and President Ryan,” Brown said. “I’m eager to see where the coming years take us, and to pursue the best outcomes for the University together.”
