Mehul Sanghani, Octo Consulting Group, Inc.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe last week announced his appointments to the boards that govern the state’s systems of higher education. They include appointments to the boards of public colleges, universities and community colleges.
“Virginia’s higher education system is one of the best in the world and a cornerstone of our economic future,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “As I spoke with each of these appointees I urged them to use their positions to help manage our colleges and universities prudently, to find cost efficiencies in order to keep tuition rates as low as possible and to embrace innovation in order to prepare every Virginia student to compete in a 21st Century economy.”
Among the appointees was Mehul Sanghani, the president and chief executive at Octo Consulting Group, Inc. Sanghani will join two other new appointees to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University‘s s four-person governing board.
“As someone who grew up in the Town of Blacksburg, VA, and has so much love for the school and it’s community, I am truly elated,” Sanghani said. “Quick thank you to the Governor for his appointment. Looking forward to coming home for the the board meetings and doing what I can to advance my alma mater.”
“I couldn’t be happier to hear Mehul was elected to the Board of Visitors. His passion and drive for VT’s progression complemented by his professional acumen will add tremendous value to the board. It’s refreshing to know the strategic direction of our school is in such good hands,” Paul Lombardi, President and CEO of TeraThink.
The Virginia Tech network also features prominently in federal IT. Read our insight here.
The appointments to the state’s Boards of Visitors are as follows:
Christopher Newport University
- Bill Ermatinger, of Newport News, Corp VP & CHRO of Huntington Ingalls Industries
- *Vicki Siokis Freeman, of New York City and Newport News, Owner, PS Paperie
- Charles B. “Brad” Hunter, of Portsmouth, Assistant Vice President – Commercial Lending, TowneBank
- The Honorable Gabe Morgan, of Newport News, Sheriff of Newport News
- The Honorable Dr. Ella P. Ward, of Chesapeake, Chesapeake City Council member
College of William and Mary
- *Sue H. Gerdelman, of Williamsburg
- Christopher M. Little, of McDowell, Retired
- William H. Payne, II, of Henrico, Principal with Bull Moose Strategies, LLC
- Lisa Roday, of Henrico, Consultant
George Mason University
- Mahfuz Ahmed, of Great Falls, CEO, Digital Intelligence Systems LLC
- Claire Dwoskin, of McLean, President, Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute
- Jon Milton Peterson, of Fairfax Station, Principal, The Peterson Companies
- Tracy Schar, of Fairfax, Vice President of Marketing, Comstock Companies
James Madison University
- The Honorable William T. Bolling, of Mechanicsville, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for RCM&D and former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
- Warren K. Coleman, of Henrico, CFO Harper Associates LLC
- Vanessa M. Evans, of Charlottesville, Associate Director, Ron Brown Scholar Program
- Lucy Hutchinson, of Falls Church, Senior Manager for Executive and Commercial Recruiting of Capital One
- Edward Rice, of Vienna, Consultant
Longwood University
- Eileen M. Anderson, of Glen Allen, CFO of InfoPro Incorporated
- Katherine Elam Busser, of Goochland, CEO, Virginia Children’s Hospital Alliance
- Lucia Anna “Pia” Trigiani, of Alexandria, Attorney at Law, MercerTrigiani
Norfolk State University
- The Honorable Lamont Bagby, of Henrico, Director of Operations at Peter Paul Development Center and Henrico County School Board Member
- Elwood B. Boone III, of Virginia Beach, President, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
- *Thomas N. Chewning, of Richmond, Retired Executive Vice-President and CFO of Dominion Resources
- *Bryan D. Cuffee, of Virginia Beach, Vice President of Development for Gold Key / PHR Hotels & Resorts
- Larry A. Griffith, of Annandale, Senior Vice President Programs and Student Services, UNCF – the United Negro College Fund
Old Dominion University
- Carlton Bennett, of Virginia Beach, Law Partner at Bennett and Zydron, P.C.
- Jay Harris, of Bristol, Connecticut, Sportscenter Anchor, ESPN
- The Honorable William D. Sessoms, Jr., of Virginia Beach, President/CEO of Towne Financial Services Group and Mayor of Virginia Beach
- Lisa Smith, of Norfolk, Community Volunteer
- *Fred J. Whyte, of Virginia Beach, President of Stihl Incorporated
Radford University
- The Honorable Andrew Fogarty, of Chesterfield, retired
- Susan Whealler Johnston, of Berryville, Executive Vice President and COO, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
- *Steve Robinson, of Chapel Hill NC, Assistant Basketball Coach at the University of North Carolina
- The Honorable Javaid Siddiqi, of Chesterfield, Director Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows
State Board for Community Colleges
- Dr. Thomas Brewster, of Falls Mills, Superintendent, Pulaski County Public Schools
- Eleanor Saslaw, of Springfield, retired career educator and former President of the Virginia State Board of Education
- The Honorable Michael J. Schewel, of Richmond, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
- Marge Connelly, of Keswick, financial services executive
- Henry D. Light, of Norfolk, retired Senior VP Law of Norfolk Southern Corporation
- Bill Murray, of Henrico, Managing Director, Public Policy, Dominion
University of Mary Washington
- *Holly Tace Cuellar, Coronado, CA, Membership Development Coordinator, IABM
- The Honorable R. Edward “Edd” Houck, of Spotsylvania County, former State Senator
- Fred M. Rankin III, of Stafford, President and CEO of Mary Washington Health Care
University of Virginia and Affiliated Schools
- L. D. Britt, MD, MPH of Suffolk, Henry Ford Professor & Edward J. Brickhouse Chairman, Eastern Virginia Medical School
- Frank M. “Rusty” Conner III, of Alexandria, Partner, Covington & Burling LLP
- Barbara J. Fried, of Crozet, Chairman, Fried Companies, Inc.
- John G. Macfarlane III, of Darien, CT, Managing Partner of Arrochar Management LLC
Virginia Commonwealth University
- *William M. Ginther, of Midlothian, retired banking executive
- The Honorable Franklin P. Hall, of Richmond, Attorney and Chairman of the Board of Hall & Hall, PLC, former Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Colette Wallace McEachin, of Richmond, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
- *The Honorable Alexander B. McMurtrie Jr., of Richmond, retired and former Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia Military Institute
- *Bruce Gottwald Jr., of Richmond, Managing Director of Jonah, LLC
- Conrad M. Hall, of Norfolk, retired President and CEO of Dominion Enterprises
- Richard K. Hines, V, of Atlanta, GA, a partner of the law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
- The Honorable Joe R. Reeder, of Alexandria, Shareholder at GreenbergTraurig and former United States Under Secretary of the Army
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- *Michael J. Quillen, of Bristol, Founder/retired Chairman Alpha Natural Resources
- Wayne H. Robinson, of Greensboro, North Carolina, Chief Diversity Practice Leader, Wyndham Mills International, Inc. and Senior Pastor, New Millennium Christian Center, Inc.
- Mehul Sanghani, of Vienna, President & CEO of Octo Consulting Group, Inc.
- Horacio A. Valeiras, of La Jolla, CA, Managing Principal of HAV Capital LLC
Virginia State University
- *Harry Black, of Baltimore, MD, City of Baltimore Chief Financial Officer
- Thursa D. Crittenden, of Suffolk, retired broadcast television and public affairs executive
- Charlie W. Hill, of Hampton, President of the Hampton Roads Prostate Health Forum and retired Executive Vice President, Human Resources of Landmark Communications, Inc.
- Dr. Alma C. Hobbs, of Richmond, retired
- Xavier R. Richardson, of Spotsylvania, Executive Vice President, Mary Washington Healthcare
*denotes reappointment
