Victoria Harker was appointed to the Board of Visitors Jan. 17 by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) and elected to serve as vice rector in a special meeting of the Board Feb. 20. Harker is a Class of 1986 alumna and a former Board member — former Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) appointed Harker to the Board in 2012. During her four-year term, she chaired the Board’s Finance Committee and was a member of the Executive Committee, the Academic Affairs Committee and the Health System Board.
Beyond her time as a former Board member, Harker brings professional experience to her role. She worked as executive vice president and chief financial officer of TEGNA Inc. — a global media and digital communications company — from 2012-24. In her role as CFO, Harker was responsible for overseeing the company’s financial functions and operations worldwide.
Harker also has experience serving in leadership roles for various companies — many of which include roles dealing with companies’ finances. She is chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Finance Committee for Huntington Ingalls — the largest military ship building company in the U.S. She has sat as the Audit Committee Chair of Xylem, Inc. — a water technology company — since 2011, a position in which she “oversees overall enterprise risk assessment and risk management processes and policies.”
Across educational boards in Virginia, she is chair of the University’s Frank Batten School of Public Policy and Leadership Board, treasurer of the Rare School Book Board, former member of the U.Va. Jefferson Trust Board and former chair of the Alumni Association Board of Managers — which she chaired from 2010-12. She is also a trustee to the Board of American University, where she graduated in 1990 with a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance.
Former Gov. Ralph Northam (D) appointed Harker to the Board of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in 2019, where she went on to serve as vice chair until 2024 after being reappointed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in 2022. Harker’s work during her first term was centered around policy and financial oversight for institutions of higher education and as vice chair, Harker was responsible for assisting the chair in leading the 13-member council to coordinate policy, recommend budget and uphold academic quality. SCHEV oversees all institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth and leads planning and policy development.
Harker received her bachelor’s degree in English, with a concentration in economics, from the University in 1986 before she went on to study at American University.
In her role as vice rector to the University's Board, according to the bylaws, Harker will be responsible for serving as vice chair to Rector Carlos Brown, who serves as chair. Additionally, the vice rector is responsible for performing the duties of the rector in the rector’s absence — maintain interest and activity among members of the Board, plan wisely for the future, observe rights of faculty and students, care for and preserve the Honor system and prevent “harmful” outside influence from affecting students and faculty of the University.
Further, the rector serves as the leading officer of every Board meeting, and Harker’s responsibility as vice rector is again to serve in Brown’s position in his absence. Harker’s term as vice rector will last for two years, and her first meeting in the position took place March 5 at the meeting of the full Board.
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