UVA Darden Foundation Board Names New Chair, Adds Eight Trustees for 2025–26
By David Buie-Moltz
The University of Virginia Darden School Foundation announced key changes to its Board of Trustees, with eight new members joining and John D. Fowler Jr. (MBA/JD ’84) — former vice chair of corporate and investment banking at Wells Fargo — elected to serve as chair, effective 1 July.
Fowler succeeds Frank M. Sands (MBA ’94), chief investment officer and CEO of Sands Capital, whose tenure as board chair helped guide the foundation’s strategic support of Darden during a period of historic fundraising and institutional momentum.
John D. Fowler Jr.
“Frank led with clarity, conviction and heart,” said Fowler. “He leaves the board stronger, more unified and deeply aligned with the School’s purpose. It’s an honor to follow his leadership and help continue this trajectory.”
Robert W. Smith (MBA ’87), former vice president and portfolio manager at T. Rowe Price, has been elected vice chair of the board.
Dean Scott Beardsley expressed appreciation for the board’s enduring partnership and Sands’ legacy.
“Frank has been a remarkable thought partner and champion for Darden,” said Beardsley. “And John brings a depth of experience, wisdom and integrity that will serve the School well. As we look to Darden’s future, the foundation board remains essential to what we’re building — together.”
New Trustees Join the Board
The Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees, a body that provides strategic oversight, governance and support for the foundation, welcomed six new elected trustees for three-year terms beginning 1 July:
- Pablo Ciano (MBA ’00), CEO of eCommerce and member of the board of management, DHL Group
- Rodney Clemente (EMBA ’17), senior vice president of water, Energy Recovery, Inc.
- Greg Graves (MBA ’89), former chief financial officer, Entegris
- Ira H. Green Jr. (MBA ’90), managing director, head of energy, power and infrastructure capital markets, Piper Sandler & Co.
- Vincent Rague (MBA ’84), former chairman, Old Mutual Holdings, PLC
- Kelly Thomson (MBA ’99), executive director and head of capital markets, Mubadala Capital
The board also welcomed two new ex-officio trustees:
- Taylor Heaps (MBA ’13), financial sponsor coverage, Baird, and vice chair of Darden’s Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Melissa C. Thomas-Hunt, vice dean, senior associate dean for professional degree programs and John D. Forbes Distinguished Professor at Darden, and professor of public policy at UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, as one of the faculty representatives on the Board of Trustees.
New members of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees for 2025–26. Top row, from left: Pablo Ciano, Rodney Clemente, Greg Graves, Ira Green. Bottom row, from left: Vincent Rague, Kelly Thomson, Taylor Heaps, and Melissa Thomas-Hunt.
Gratitude for Departing Members
Lemuel E. Lewis. Darden yearbook photo, 1972.
The foundation extends its sincere appreciation to the following trustees whose service concluded on 30 June:
- Arnold Evans (MBA ’86)
- Kirsti Goodwin (MBA ’02)
- Lemuel E. Lewis (MBA ’72)
- Ruffner Page (MBA ’86)
- Yael Grushka-Cockayne — Ex-Officio Faculty Trustee
A special note of recognition goes to Lewis, whose decades of service to Darden — as a trustee, mentor and benefactor — have left an enduring legacy. A recipient of the Charles C. Abbott Award, Darden’s highest alumni honor, Lewis has advanced student access and global leadership through his vision and generosity. The Lemuel E. Lewis Bicentennial Award for Global Leadership stands as a lasting testament to his values and impact.
About the Foundation and Its Board
Established in 1952, the Darden School Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that supports the School through endowment management, philanthropic engagement and operational leadership of key strategic assets, including Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning and The Forum Hotel. The Board of Trustees oversees the foundation and serves as a vital link between Darden and the broader business community.
With the Powered by Purpose campaign concluding on 30 June, the foundation board enters a new chapter of strategic partnership with the School. As Darden looks ahead to its next era of impact, the board’s leadership and insights remain essential to advancing the School’s mission to develop responsible global leaders.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s graduate degree programs (Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA, MSBA and Ph.D.) and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact. Darden’s top-ranked faculty, renowned for teaching excellence, inspires and shapes modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and business publishing. Darden has Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and a global community that includes 20,000 alumni in 90 countries. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Press Contact
Molly Mitchell
Senior Associate Director, Editorial and Media Relations
Darden School of Business
University of Virginia
MitchellM@darden.virginia.edu
