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Wednesday, June 28, Va. Gov. Glenn Youngkin HON ’23 announced appointments to the College of William and Mary Board of Visitors.
State Sen. Thomas Norment J.D. ’73, R-James City County, Courtney Malveaux J.D. ’02, AnnaMaria DeSalva ’90 and College Rector Charles E. Poston J.D. ’74, P ’02, ’06 will begin their new four-year terms on July 1, 2023.
Poston and DeSalva are two of the 15 members and officers returning to the Board. Former Va. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, appointed Poston in 2019, while Youngkin appointed DeSalva to fill a vacancy created by Mari Carmen Aponte, who left the role to become the United States Ambassador to Panama.
Norment is currently serving as the minority leader in the Virginia Senate. The 77-year-old legislator announced his retirement from state government in February. In addition to his political career in the state and James City County governments, Norment taught undergraduate and graduate law courses at the College for 11 years. He also served as a legal advisor to the College and a presidential advisor to former College President Taylor Reveley.
In 2019, Norment faced controversy when the Virginian-Pilot reported his role as managing editor of a Virginia Military Institute yearbook containing racial slurs and photographs of students in blackface. Norment condemned the use of blackface and denied involvement with the creation of the racist content. The scandal came amidst the 2019 Virginia political crisis which started with the discovery of Northam’s medical school yearbook containing an image of one man in blackface and another man in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.
In 2007, Norment received the College’s Prentis Award, which is presented to individuals in the Williamsburg community in recognition of their strong civic involvement and support of the College. That same year, the School of Education also gave him the Jo Lynne DeMary Award.
Malveaux, an attorney, is the principal and co-leader of the Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group at Jackson Lewis P.C., a law firm which provides business consulting and legal services to employers. He also held positions within the administration of former Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell and the office of former Va. Attorney General Jerry Kilgore.
“We also welcome warmly Mr. Malveaux and Sen. Norment to the board as, together, we look to bring the university closer to its strategic goals,” College President Katherine Rowe said. “Both are alumni and longtime supporters of their alma mater. They will bring invaluable insight to our work ahead.”
“We also welcome warmly Mr. Malveaux and Sen. Norment to the board as, together, we look to bring the university closer to its strategic goals,” College President Katherine Rowe said in a W&M News piece. “Both are alumni and longtime supporters of their alma mater. They will bring invaluable insight to our work ahead.”
Poston previously served as the chief judge of the Norfolk Circuit Court and currently works as a mediator and arbitrator at the McCammon Group.
DeSalva currently serves as global chairman and chief executive officer at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a public relations firm in Washington, D.C.
“These leaders will help the Commonwealth’s higher education institutions build on our history of excellence,” Youngkin wrote in his announcement. “Some of the country’s best colleges are right here in Virginia and I look forward to our board members continued emphasis on diversity of thought, commitment to students and development of a talent pipeline to ensure that Virginia’s education systems are vibrant for years to come.”
The board met earlier this year to increase tuition fees and approved a $556.7 million budget for Fiscal Year 2024, as well as faculty promotions and retirements. Its next meeting, the board’s annual summer retreat, will be on July 26-27, 2023.
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