New Picks for U.Va. Board Add Breadth of Higher Ed Expertise and Experience; Dragas Reappointed

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell today reappointed Helen E. Dragas for a second term on the University of Virginia's Board of Visitors. In addition, McDonnell appointed seven new members, including, for the first time, two non-voting senior advisers.

The appointees span leadership in higher education, academic medicine, state and federal government, technology and business. They include Linwood H. Rose, the retiring president of James Madison University; Dr. Edward D. Miller, the recently retired chief executive officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine; and, in an advisory capacity, Leonard W. Sandridge, the University's long-time executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Sandridge, who retired a year ago after more than 40 years and who continues to serve as an adviser to U.Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan, said, "I am humbled to be asked by the governor to serve the University in this way at this critical time. I committed to Governor McDonnell that he would have my best efforts in support of the Board of Visitors and President Sullivan as we work to ensure the University's place among the best in higher education.

"Our students, faculty, staff, donors, alumni and citizens of the commonwealth deserve nothing less," he said.

While he usually doesn't make extensive comments about board appointments, McDonnell issued lengthy remarks because of the board's recent ouster and then reinstatement of Sullivan.

"The University has emerged from a challenging time, and remains an extraordinary, vibrant place that is a beacon of advanced learning across the world," he wrote. "And I am encouraged that, after the reinstatement of Dr. Sullivan, the tone at the University changed quickly this week from one of passionate disagreement in the family to one of willing collaboration. I thank the administration, faculty, alumni and student body for their engagement and desire to have the school they love continue to grow and excel." (Read his complete statement.)

Of reappointing Dragas, who serves as rector, McDonnell said, "During her four-year term on the board she has been a strong and dedicated board member, committed to advancing the mission of the University."

Dragas expressed her thanks to the governor for his "thoughtful new appointments to the board who bring with them a depth of experience in higher education, technology, finance and health care."

"Each of us on the board looks forward to working in a constructive and inclusive way with President Sullivan, along with students, faculty, alumni and staff, on tackling the broad challenges that face the University," she said. "Together, I'm confident that we can preserve and enhance U.Va.'s greatness for present and future generations."

Sullivan said, "Governor McDonnell used great wisdom in appointing these members to the University's board, and I am grateful for his understanding of the challenges facing higher education. This is a group of distinguished individuals – from higher education and technology to government and health care – who will be able to hit the ground running. Their collective expertise will be invaluable, as there is much work to be done."

George Cohen, chair of the U.Va. Faculty Senate, said the appointments mark a new chapter in University history.

"We believe that the immediate challenge we face is one of restoring trust," he said. "We pledge to support President Sullivan in her efforts to work with the board to rebuild a trusting and caring community.
 
"So long as disagreements take place in the context of relationships in which trust is a given, meaningful and expeditious progress can be made toward solving the challenging problems we face."

In a normal year, the governor would get to appoint just four new members to the board as part of the normal rotation of members, who are initially appointed for a single four-year term, with the option for reappointment for a second term.

This year, however, was unusual in that the seat belonging to Mark Kington was vacant because of his June 19 resignation . Also, the University had requested that the General Assembly increase the number of voting members from 16 to 17. The board, including the two non-voting senior advisers and student member, will now number 20.

Robert Hardie, who was eligible for a second term, did not receive reappointment.

Of the eight appointees announced today, five have received either undergraduate or graduate degrees from the University.

They are:

• Frank B. Atkinson, chairman of McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and a partner in McGuireWoods LLP. Long active in higher education issues in the state, Atkinson served in the cabinet of former Virginia Gov. George Allen as counselor and director of policy. He also served on the governor's 1998 Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education.
  
  Atkinson is a 1979 graduate of the University of Richmond and a 1982 graduate of U.Va.'s School of Law.
• Helen E. Dragas, first appointed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in 2008 and elected the University's first woman rector last July. Since 1996, she has served as president and chief executive officer of the Dragas Companies.
  
  She is a 1984 graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences and an '88 graduate of the Darden School of Business.
• Victoria D. Harker, recently named chief financial officer of Gannett Co., Inc. Prior to that she was chief financial officer and president of Global Business Services at AES Corp., a global power company.
  
  She chairs the U.Va. Alumni Association Board of Managers.
  
  Harker, a 1986 graduate of the College, holds a master's in business administration from American University.
• Bobbie Kilberg, president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a position she has held since 1998. She served on President George W. Bush's President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She was an associate counsel to President Ford, was director of the Aspen Institute's Project on the Future of Private Philanthropy, and held two consecutive positions for President George H.W. Bush, as deputy assistant to the president of the Office of Public Liaison and as director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of George Washington University and a former member of the U.S. Naval Academy's Board of Visitors.
  
  She holds degrees from Vassar College, Columbia University and the Yale University Law School.
• Dr. Edward D. Miller, who served as the chief executive officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine, the dean of Hopkins School of Medicine and vice president for medicine from 1997 until this month, when he retired from his administrative duties. As CEO, he was responsible for both the school and the health system and reported directly to the university's president. During his tenure, both the hospital the medical school continued to be ranked among the very best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. The school also continues to rank at the top in National Institutes of Health research funding.
  
  Miller joined Hopkins in 1994 as a professor and director of the department of anesthesiology and critical care medicine. Prior to that, he spent eight years at Columbia University and 11 years on the faculty of the U.Va. School of Medicine.
  
  He holds degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Linwood H. Rose, who retires June 30 as the fifth president of James Madison University. He began his career at JMU in 1975 and became president in 1998. During his tenure, JMU's budget has more than doubled, 20 academic programs and 25 major buildings have been added, student enrollment has grown by 37 percent, and the university's first capital campaign was completed 40 percent over goal.
  
  Rose has served in higher education leadership capacities and in 2010 was appointed to the Governor's Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment. He currently serves as chair of the state's Council of Presidents and on the boards of the Virginia Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority and the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology.
  
  He holds degrees from Virginia Tech, the University of Tennessee, and his doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Virginia.
• Leonard W. Sandridge, former executive vice president and chief operating officer of the University of Virginia, who will serve a one-year term as a senior adviser.
  
  He joined the University administration in 1967 as a member of the internal audit staff. During his career, he served as comptroller, treasurer, director of the budget, vice president for business and finance, senior vice president and chief financial officer, and executive vice president and chief financial officer. After his retirement last year, Sandridge agreed to stay on as a special adviser to Sullivan.
  
  He serves on the board of the University of Richmond, where he received his undergraduate degree. He received a master's in accounting from the University of Virginia.
• William H. Goodwin Jr., who served on the U.Va. Board of Visitors for two terms from 1996 to 2004, and will become the second senior adviser for a one-year term. He previously chaired the Board of Trustees of the Darden School.
  
  He is currently chairman of the board of CCA Industries Inc,, a holding company whose assets include CCA Financial, Bag Boy Company, Pompanette Inc., and various investments and real estate holdings.
  
  Goodwin holds degrees from Virginia Tech and is a 1966 Darden graduate.