Left to right are Shantaram Talegaonkar, M.D., Keith T. Parker and H. Benson “Ben” Dendy III.

Five named to VCU Board of Visitors

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John A. Luke Jr.
John A. Luke Jr.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe has appointed three new members to the Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors and reappointed two others.

H. Benson “Ben” Dendy III, Keith T. Parker and Shantaram Talegaonkar, M.D., will join VCU’s governing body on July 1. Reappointed to a second four-year term on the board are John A. Luke Jr. and Robert Holsworth, Ph.D. Talegaonkar will fill the unexpired term of Sudhakar Shenoy.

Dendy has served as a senior staff member for two Virginia governors, holding positions as diverse as secretary of the commonwealth, secretary to the governor’s cabinet and special assistant to the governor. He began his career in state government in 1978 as a legislative assistant to the lieutenant governor. Dendy currently serves as president of Vectre Corporation, a lobbying firm. He is chair of the board of trustees of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, among other board positions.

Robert Holsworth, Ph.D.
Robert Holsworth, Ph.D.

Parker is the general manager and CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, the nation’s ninth-largest transit system. Previously, Parker served as the CEO for transit systems in San Antonio and Charlotte. Parker serves on President Barack Obama’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council, among other appointments. Parker is a VCU alumnus, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree. He also holds an MBA from the University of Richmond.

Talegaonkar is a board-certified ophthalmologist who started practicing in the Richmond region in 1975. Talegaonkar serves as a member of the board of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, among other board appointments. He is also a founding member of the Hindu Center of Richmond. Talegaonkar is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.