New leaders are slated to assume the helm of the University's Board of Visitors after the Board selected W. Heywood Fralin to be vice-rector Friday. Current vice-rector Thomas Farrell, II will succeed Gordon F. Rainey, Jr. as rector at the next meeting, following in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the University's first two rectors.
The rector, who leads the Board, serves for two years and is succeeded by the vice-rector.
Farrell received undergraduate and law degrees from the University. Former Gov. James Gilmore appointed him to the Board in 2001 and he was reappointed by current Gov. Mark R. Warner this past spring. He currently has two sons in the College and is the president and chief executive officer of Dominion Power.
Student Board member Catherine Neale said that Farrell is likely to speak openly and be expedient with the Board's time.
"He's a very straightforward man with you," Neale said. "He says what's on his mind. He runs very efficient meetings."
Vice-rector Fralin, chief executive officer of Medical Facilities of America, also received an undergraduate degree from the University. He was appointed by Warner in 2004 after serving as president of the Board of Managers of the University Alumni Association, and past president of the Virginia Athletics Foundation.
He said that he hopes the University will continue to climb in the rankings of the nation's most elite.
"I think the Board is on a solid course and I think it will continue that way," Fralin said. "The University is on track to continue to be viewed as one of the great Universities of this country."
His selection was also praised by Neale, who recalled Fralin meeting with her this past spring to discuss student concerns.
"I think that Mr. Fralin will be great, especially from the student viewpoint," she said. "He has a very clear vision to put the University of Virginia into the top ten and had a number of ideas to get us to that point."
Board members are currently selected by a non-partisan Governor's Commission on Higher Education. The commission was formed in 2002 and received over 100 applications to fill 16 seats on the Board, the commission's chair Joshua Darden said.
"We are very happy with the composition of our new non-partisan Board," Darden said.
Politically, both Fralin and Farrell contributed to Republicans in the most recent election cycle -- Fralin receiving elite "Ranger status" from the Bush campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Rainey said this should have no effect on the Board.
"I can't remember an issue that was resolved or even influenced by partisan politics," Rainey said. "We check our politics at the door. Many people don't realize that until they get into this room."
The Board also heard from the newly hired men's basketball coach David Leitao, who said he has had an excellent transition to the University and plans to stay for the long haul.
"All my life I have felt like I'm going to a place rather than being at a place," said Leitao who recounted his mother moving to California when he was fifteen and feeling as though he had a transient childhood. "I can honestly, tell you from the bottom of my heart that I have not felt that way for one second here -- I feel like I am home."
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