William Ginther to Serve as Rector of VCU Board of Visitors

By Anne Buckley

William M. Ginther will serve as rector of the Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors effective July 1.

Ginther, a retired corporate banker, has been on the board since 2010 and also serves on the VCU Health System Authority board of directors.

“I am looking forward to working with Bill as he leads the Board of Visitors through an important time in VCU's implementation of our strategic plan, Quest for Distinction,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “He is an accomplished VCU alum who continues to give generously to his alma mater.”

Ginther worked at SunTrust Bank, formerly Crestar, for 37 years, managing several large projects and overseeing the technology team that designed the bank’s customer information system as well as the Internet development team.

He also launched a mentoring program for minority employees in 1996, which led the way to today’s diversity councils. Before retiring in 2007, he managed the successful consolidation of Citizens Bank of Maryland into Crestar.

On the VCU Board of Visitors, Ginther has served on the following committees: Audit and Compliance; Finance, Investment and Property; Student Affairs, Athletics and International Programs; Academic and Health Affairs Policy; and External and Alumni Relations.

He previously has served on both the boards of the VCU School of Business Alumni Society and the VCU Alumni Association, serving as president of the latter group in 2003. He is a founding trustee of the School of Business Foundation and a 2000 recipient of the VCU Alumni Star award. He and his wife support the Ginther Family Merit Scholarship in the School of Business and many other initiatives across the university. 

He has served with various organizations in the community, including board positions with the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and Virginians for the Arts. He was a court-appointed special advocate for CASA Richmond, where he spoke for the best interests of children brought before the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court as a result of abuse and/or neglect. He also has received numerous professional awards, including the “Industry Impact Award” from the Greater Richmond Technology Council.

Ginther earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 1969 and his master’s degree in 1974, both from VCU. He and wife, Marsha, live in Midlothian.