VMI installs Youngkin ally as interim board president amid ongoing upheaval

The Virginia Military Institute is once again navigating turbulent waters after the abrupt resignation of board president John Adams — and the installation of a high-profile political donor as his short-term replacement.

Thomas Gottwald, chairman and CEO of NewMarket Corporation, was elected interim president of the VMI Board of Visitors on Wednesday, less than a week after Adams resigned without public explanation. The move was first reported by The Washington Post.

Gottwald, a 1983 graduate of VMI and a longtime supporter of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, was appointed to the board by the governor. Like most of the current board, he is aligned with the administration. Gottwald received 10 of the 13 votes, defeating fellow nominee Damon Williams, a bank officer and co-founder of the nonprofit Youth Sports Inc. 

He will serve the remainder of Adams’ term through the end of June. 

In brief remarks following the vote, Gottwald thanked the board for its support and outlined a short-term focus on budget planning and improved communication with alumni.

“My interest is in serving out John’s term, which ends at the end of June,” Gottwald said. “I do not have an interest in continuing beyond that point, and so my effort will be focused on May and June. At the upcoming board meeting, we can elect a president and vice presidents that will, together with the newly constituted board in July and new superintendent, be in a good position to move us forward.”

Gottwald has been a major donor to Youngkin’s political efforts and to the Spirit of VMI PAC, a group composed of alumni, parents and students that has pushed back against diversity reforms and called on supporters to “reject the woke assault on VMI.”

During the meeting, VMI Superintendent Ret. Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins emphasized that the next board president will play a critical role in setting a tone of stability and leadership at a time when public trust in the institution is in flux.

“They’ll have to be focused on how to reinforce and endorse the work that’s being done by the institute and the leaders of the institute to fulfill the mission, to drive towards the vision and uphold the values of the institute,” Wins said.

Wins, who did not recommend any candidates for the position, criticized the board’s recent focus on what he called the “mundane and the trivial” — including debates over The Cadet, a publication backed by cadets and alumni — rather than academic and strategic priorities.

He also noted that several members have walked away from their responsibilities in recent years, leaving the institution in what he described as a vulnerable position.

“Does the next board president have the staying power to deal with the challenges of the institute alongside the superintendent and be fully supportive of the direction,” he asked, “or is the board member if they have an agenda or they see things differently, are they going to walk off the board and leave the hard work to the remaining members of the board and institute officials?”

The superintendent search

Gottwald’s election as an interim board president comes at a pivotal moment for VMI, as a search committee begins the process of replacing Wins — the first Black leader in the institution’s history — following the board’s controversial vote to end his tenure after four and half years.

On Feb. 28, the board voted 6-10 against renewing Wins’ contract. Then-president Adams had previously expressed appreciation for Wins’ leadership, even after voting with the majority. The board is largely composed of appointees selected by Youngkin.

In the wake of the vote, Wins said his departure stemmed from “bias, emotion, and ideology” rather than objective decision-making. 

The political tensions surrounding Wins’ tenure are tied closely to his efforts to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as well as Title IX protections. In 2022, he requested $6.1 million in state funding to support these efforts — a move that drew strong backlash from some alumni and conservative groups.

Despite the board’s decision, the search to replace Wins is underway. Last month, the superintendent search committee met to review logistical and legal guidance for the hiring process. The group also worked with the selected executive search firm, Buffkin/Baker, to outline stakeholder surveys, refine the search timeline, and establish priorities for the role.

Details of the search process have been made publicly available on VMI’s superintendent search webpage.

The committee includes seven board members and six advisory members and is co-chaired by C. Ernest Edgar IV and Jamie Inman — who were opposite sides of the vote to renew Wins’ contract. Edgar supported renewing, while Inman opposed.

Inman, who previously served as VMI’s chief of staff and special assistant to former Superintendent Ret. Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, was appointed to the board by Youngkin in June 2023.