THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 1997 TAG: 9702120464
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 74 lines
Virginia Beach businessman William R. Miller III, who operates the Duck-In restaurant, was elected rector of Norfolk State University's Board of Visitors Tuesday.
Miller, 52, was appointed to NSU's board in 1995 by Gov. George F. Allen. He succeeds Dr. L.D. Britt, who had been rector since 1994. Britt was among five members of NSU's 13-person board not reappointed by Allen last week.
Britt was chairman - and Miller a member - of the search panel that helped select Marie V. McDemmond to succeed NSU President Harrison B. Wilson in July.
A rector is the equivalent of chairman of the board. Leaders of university boards operate in different styles - from giving presidents free rein to immersing themselves in day-to-day campus affairs. Miller said in an interview after the meeting that he wouldn't be overbearing.
``I just feel humbled to be in a position of leadership with the people around this table,'' Miller said. ``. . .I don't see myself as a dictator; I see myself as bringing people together and arriving at a consensus to move forward. . . .
``We want to be sure Harrison Wilson goes out with the honor that he so much deserves and that we welcome Dr. McDemmond and help her be in a position to start right out on July 1st.''
Another Virginia university that recently had a major board realignment as a new president took over has been mired in controversy. At George Mason University last fall, the board's new rector, Washington engineer Marvin Murray, helped defeat President Alan G. Merten's proposal to hire a counselor for gay students. Murray has also vowed to investigate the curriculum to eliminate liberal bias.
Miller said he didn't expect such initiatives or disagreements at NSU. ``I don't see philosophical problems or conflicts,'' he said.
NSU supporters have feared that the loss of five board members - especially Britt, who has been on the board since 1989 - could slow progress at the university. But Miller said the new board members were eager to take on their jobs. ``The best way I can say it is, it's an exciting time,'' he said.
Three of the new board members have previous connections to Norfolk State. Both retired Army Col. Chauncey Crenshaw of Loudoun County and the Rev. Geoffrey V. Guns, senior pastor of Second Calvary Baptist Church a few blocks from the campus, are NSU alumni. And retired attorney J. Hugo Madison was rector of NSU's board two decades ago, when Wilson was hired.
``I'm delighted to be back on the board,'' Madison told fellow board members. ``I'm happy to be here to do what I can to assist in the continued operation of this school.''
Miller is president of Miller Enterprises Inc., which operates the Duck-In. Before he went into business, he spent 14 years working at Norfolk Academy, including serving as assistant headmaster and upper-school principal.
He received his bachelor's degree from Hampden-Sydney College and a master's in education from the College of William and Mary.
Wilson said afterward that Miller was an ``excellent choice. He's a dedicated person who's interested in - and concerned with - Norfolk State.'' McDemmond, who attended the meeting, said Miller ``will bring a great deal to the board,'' with his ``breadth of experience and education background.''
McDemmond is spending most of the week at Norfolk State, meeting with Wilson and other campus officials, as well as legislators in Richmond.
``One of my big concerns is to come in and know the actual status of everything on Norfolk State's campus,'' she said in brief remarks to the board. ``I want to make sure that all the facts are known.''
The board also elected Corey D. Walker as vice rector and Alphonso L. Grant as secretary. Walker, who lives in Charlottesville, graduated from Norfolk State in 1993. He is a theology student at both the University of Virginia and Virginia Union University.
Grant, a Lynchburg resident, is president of Grant Inc., an insurance company. The terms for all board officers last two years. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by STEVE EARLEY/The Virginian-Pilot
William R. Miller III, who operates the Duck-In restaurant in
Virginia Beach, was appointed to NSU's board in 1995 by Gov. George
F. Allen.
KEYWORDS: NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY