A new era is set to begin for the University of Virginia’s governing body after five members appointed under former Governor Glenn Youngkin have resigned at the request of his successor.
Shortly after Spanberger was elected, she asked the Board of Visitors to suspend a search for a new president following the resignation of Jim Ryan in June 2025. Former Governor Glenn Youngkin told her to stop interfering and the Board hired Scott Beardsley on December 19. Beardsley resigned as Dean of the Darden School of Business to take the job.
The Board was already down to 12 appointees, all named by Youngkin, following the failure of five new nominees to get confirmed by the General Assembly.
Rector Rachel Sheridan, Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson, and member Paul Manning all resigned on Friday. Doug Wetmore and Stephen Long followed the next day.
Deputy Spokeswoman Bethanie Glover confirmed the resignations on January 17.
“President Beardsley and University leaders thank them for their service to UVA,” reads a brief statement sent in response to a query.
Shortly after being inaugurated, Spanberger named ten new members of the Board of Visitors.
Some of the new members’ biographies are online.
- Mike Bisceglia — President and Co-Founder of the Stauer Watch and Jewelry Company
- Carlos Brown
- Robert Bryon — Chairman, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Vista Capital Management
- Peter Grant — Founding partner of Anchormarck Holdings
- Owen Griffin
- Victoria Harker – Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of TEGNA
- Elizabeth Hayes — Retired attorney
- Rudene Mercer Haynes — Attorney
- Evans Poston — Director at Troutman Strategies
- Moshin Syed
More on the resignation
The Cavalier Daily obtained a copy of Sheridan’s resignation letter to Youngkin that blamed “political warfare” for the Board’s inability to stabilize a University community where several groups expressed concern that Beardsley was appointed without their input. On January 15, the Faculty Senate had adopted a resolution calling for Spanberger to act.
“The Faculty Senate calls upon Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to exercise her statutory authority, review the actions of current Board members,remove those whose conduct has fallen short of the responsibilities of Visitors, and appoint qualified individuals to fill all vacancies on the Board,” reads one part of the resolution.
The resolution also asks the new Board of Visitors to review the search process to determine if there need to be changes.
Spanberger also signed ten executive orders on Saturday.
The sixth relates to the reformation of governance of Virginia’s public colleges and universities.
“We are responding to the challenges of political interference that we have seen at our world class public universities,” Spanberger said.
The order seeks to create recommendations for legislative changes to alter the way members of Board of Visitors are appointed.
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors is next scheduled to meet on March 5.
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