This week, the College of William and Mary announced the short list of those who might permanently replace Sam Sadler ’64 as the vice president for student affairs. While it was great to see such strong candidates from all over the nation applying for the position, in this instance we really did not need to look further than our own doorstep. Virginia Ambler is perfect for this position.
A two-time alumna with both a BA and a Ph.D. from the College, Ambler has already grown very strong roots in this community. She also knows the job; after almost twenty years working for the College, she was the natural choice to stand in for Sadler when he had to take a year off for surgery, and later after his retirement as interim vice president. And, frankly, under Sadler she learned from the best.
While we respect the skills and experience of the three other candidates, none of them know the workings of this college like Ambler does, and right now we suffer a deficit of institutional memory. With former College President Gene Nichol having stepped down and Provost Geoff Feiss retiring, Ambler’s knowledge of this College’s unique traditions and personality will be invaluable.
