Former University President John T. Casteen, III has joined the Board of Trustees at Virginia Intermont College, the private liberal arts school announced last week.\nAfter spending 20 years on Carr's Hill, Casteen was offered the position by the college's president, E. Clorisa Phillips, who took her position Aug. 1. Casteen was unanimously voted in by the Board.
Based in Bristol, Va., Virginia Intermont College is classified by U.S. News & World Report as a Tier 2 school. Its Board of Trustees serves as the school's governing body, and its duties include overseeing the economic side of the institution and evaluating the president's performance.
Casteen's history with improving the state of the University's finances - amplifying the private endowment from millions of dollars to billions - made him the Board's first choice for filling the seat, Phillips said.
"John Casteen is known around the country for elevating the stature of U.Va. over his 20-year term, negotiating his relationship with the state," she said. "Most notably, we wanted his expertise in fundraising and higher education."
As a Board member, Casteen hopes to turn Virginia Intermont into a leading institution in southwest Virginia, which has gone through a great deal of economic turmoil in recent years, Casteen said.
"State provisions for access to four-year college educations in the southside and in southwest Virginia have never been adequate, and the state's response to the economic deterioration that has occurred in these two regions has not been consistent," Casteen said.
The area's economy largely relies on agriculture, mills and mineral extraction, making it inherently more volatile and at risk, particularly during periods of economic recession. Casteen said he hopes to build the universities in the area, including Virginia Intermont, to give people access to colleges where they can "learn the skills and build the knowledge to make their livings in a radically changed economy."
In late January, the school, which historically has relied heavily on tuition, was forced to reduce its staff by more than 20 percent to be able to pay its employees. Moreover, in recent years, it has been forced to cancel some athletic programs. Like Casteen, Phillips was brought on board to help combat these financial woes.
"It's been a large part of my charge to expand funding base for the school. We've aggressively pursued private grants from foundations," Phillips said. "He will help with private donors and we have already begun work with public entities [since his arrival]."
Meanwhile, Casteen said he and the Board have not yet begun to talk about the specifics of his fundraising but that he will be able to help develop strategies and introduce possible donors to the school.
Anne Worrell, who has served on the Board since 1964 and is currently an emeritus member, also noted the importance of Casteen's networks. "His contacts are many, and he is a wonderful fundraiser. Those things are necessary to the survival of a little school like VI," she said.
Phillips said she and the rest of the Board are "absolutely thrilled" to have Casteen working alongside them.
Similarly, Casteen was partially drawn to the Board by Phillips, a longtime friend and colleague. The two worked together at the University from the late 1970s until this past year, and Casteen even recommended her for her current position.
"She has tremendous energy and determination to lead VI to success as it deals with its issues, which are important issues that must be solved both for VI as it is and for VI as a driver of future economic prosperity in its region," Casteen said.
The length of Casteen's term has yet to be decided.
-Radina Belberova contributed to this article
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