RBC’s Inaugural Board of Visitors Appointed
For Immediate Release: July 1, 2025
Contact: Jesse Vaughan, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer/jvaughan@rbc.edu
Governor Youngkin’s office has announced members of the inaugural Richard Bland College Board of Visitors—a step that marks a historical milestone for the College. Like, Christopher Newport University, Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University that were once governed by the William & Mary Board of Visitors before being granted their own dedicated boards, Richard Bland College will have the advantage of a governing board focused exclusively on Bland’s unique educational mission.
“It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the new Richard Bland College Board of Visitors and its role in guiding, championing and serving a College that for too long has been considered the hidden gem of Virginia higher education,” RBC President Debbie L. Sydow said. “With Governor Youngkin’s prestigious appointees taking the reins on July 1 as charter members of the inaugural Bland board, RBC students, alumni, faculty and staff are elated to help chart the future of Richard Bland College.”
The Board, which consists of an esteemed group of local executives, public officials and legal practitioners, is as follows:
- The Honorable James W. Dyke, Jr. — Senior Advisor, State Government Relations, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and Former Virginia Secretary of Education
- The Honorable Samuel D. Parham — Mayor, City of Petersburg. He currently serves on the Richard Bland College Foundation Board of Directors and is an alumnus (’96) of the College.
- John Rathbone — Retired Chief Financial Officer, Norfolk Southern Corporation. He served as Chair of the RBC Committee of the W&M Board of Visitors.
- Charles Patton — Managing Member, Patton Holdings, LLC. He served as Chair of the Richard Bland College Foundation Board of Directors.
- Vickie Schray — Founder and Principal, Vanguard Coaching and Consulting Services, LLC
- Bouwien Smits — Site Vice President and General Manager, Civica Rx
- Albert Poole — Of Counsel, Poole Brooke Plumlee, PC
“To serve as a member of RBC’s Board of Visitors is both humbling and historic,” Parham said. “This is an opportunity to spotlight our institution and help shape its future as a driving force for regional progress.”
As a former member of the William & Mary Board of Visitors who led a committee of the board focused on Bland matters, Rathbone said, “It is a distinct honor to continue serving Richard Bland College—this time as a member of its first-ever Board of Visitors. I am deeply committed to supporting the College’s mission and advancing its strategic vision during this pivotal time in its history.”
“This is more than a governance role—it’s a defining moment in Virginia higher education,” Dyke, Jr. said. “I’m honored to help guide Richard Bland College as it steps into this bold new chapter of independence and innovation.”
As another mark of progress, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Directors recently approved Bland’s request to transition to its own dedicated governing board.
