VIO | Blog Row

This past Friday, Interim President W. Taylor Reveley III was appointed as the College’s president for the next three years. The Board of Visitors, led by Rector Michael Powell, felt that Mr. Reveley’s success thus far in managing the College’s finances, securing funding and conducting donor and alumni relations was not only proficient, but exceptional:

Mr. Powell explained the board’s current thinking on this issue in his e-mail. “Our community is still healing from the events of last spring and the critical challenges presently facing the college need immediate attention, strongly suggesting a search would not be a constructive or productive endeavor — a view we found was widely held.”

“Taylor stepped into a complicated situation and handled it with grace. With his deep knowledge of and experience with the community, he tirelessly reached out to faculty, students, staff, alumni, public officials, and major donors to assure them that he would advance the important priorities of the school. And, in a very short period, he has indeed advanced those priorities. Taylor zeroed in immediately on the need to restructure our financial model, given the unreliability of state funds. He navigated the College through substantial budget cuts, making difficult decisions but keeping our priorities at the forefront.”

Reveley’s major and very obvious drawback is twofold — his age prevents him from relating fully, if at all, to the student body. The question, which can be legitimately argued both ways, centers around the extent to which Mr. Reveley’s ability to get jiggy with it actually matters in the grand scheme. In being the John McCain of Williamsburg, as I call him, he may not have the ability to electrify the student body like presidents of the past — but if Mr. Reveley can keep the dollars flowing, at least we students will be able to attend a college with a concrete endowment, rock solid infrastructure and a bright financial future. The BOV here made the right choice.

[NCF]