VCU news

By Brian McNeill

Todd P. Haymore, the managing director of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s Global Economic Development, Commerce and Government Relations Group, will serve as rector of Virginia Commonwealth University. His nomination to serve as rector was unanimously approved by the VCU Board of Visitors, and his two-year term is effective July 1.

“It is an honor to lead such a committed, thoughtful board, and I thank my colleagues for placing their trust in me,” Haymore said. “VCU is one of the nation’s premier urban research institutions, and a place where creativity and innovation thrive in the arts, sciences and health care. I am humbled to have a hand in helping to chart its future.”

As rector, Haymore will chair VCU’s 16-member Board of Visitors. He currently serves as secretary of the Board of Visitors and succeeds H. Benson Dendy III as rector. Andrew C. Florance, founder, director, president and CEO of CoStar Group, will serve as vice rector.

“Todd will continue to bring thoughtful leadership and extensive government and policy experience to VCU,” said Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU. “I’m grateful for his guidance and warmly welcome him as rector of our Board of Visitors. I also welcome Andy Florance as our new vice rector; his economic and business background is an asset to VCU. My deepest thanks go to outgoing rector Ben Dendy and outgoing vice-rector Carolina Espinal for their commitment and service.”

Additionally, Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday reappointed Anthony R. Bedell, senior corporate and government relations director for Becker and Poliakoff, to the Board of Visitors and appointed three new members:

• Rooz Dadabhoy, CEO, Data Concepts.
• Steven Deluca, vice president, head of state and local government relations, Capital One.
• Gurpreet “P2” Sandhu, president and CEO of the Sandhu Group LLC and an alumnus of the VCU School of Business.

“We warmly welcome our three new appointees to the Board of Visitors, and welcome Anthony Bedell’s reappointment,” Rao said. “Along with Gov. Youngkin, we are grateful for their willingness to serve the state by providing thoughtful oversight to Virginia Commonwealth University. These new board members bring experiences and ideas that will help us as an organization to learn and grow. My gratitude is with outgoing board members for their service. I look forward to learning from and working together with our entire board as we maintain VCU’s unique mission of modeling what a truly public research university must be for the commonwealth.”

Haymore was appointed to the Board of Visitors by then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2017 and reappointed by then-Gov. Ralph Northam in 2021. He serves as managing director of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Global Economic Development, Commerce and Government Relations Group, the firm’s full-service public affairs consultancy. He previously served as secretary of commerce and trade and secretary of agriculture and forestry under Governors Terry McAuliffe and Bob McDonnell, and commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Gov. Tim Kaine in addition to various executive roles in the private sector. He received his MBA from VCU, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Richmond.

In addition to his service on the VCU Board of Visitors, Haymore is vice chairman of the GO Virginia Region 4 Council and a member of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and RVA757 Connects’ Board of Directors.