Trammell Elected To Chair WM Board

By Amber Lester Kennedy Saturday, April 16, 2011

The William and Mary Board of Visitors unanimously elected alumnus Jeffrey Trammell to serve as the college’s next rector at its Friday meeting.

Trammell succeeds Henry C. Wolf, who plans to step down from the Board of Visitors this summer following two years as rector. Trammell has served on the board since 2005.

Trammell is president and founder of Trammell and Company, an external communications and public affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. A native of Blountstown, Fla. , he came to William and Mary in 1969 on a basketball scholarship. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from William and Mary in 1973 and a law degree from Florida State University in 1977.

Prior to his work in public affairs and communications, Trammell served as a senior advisor to Vice President Al Gore during the 2000 presidential campaign and headed business outreach for the Gore campaign. He was the founding chair of the Board of Advisors for the college’s Thomas Jefferson Public Policy Program.

“William & Mary has been a part of my life for more than four decades and it is a great honor to take on this new assignment,” Trammell said. “Hank Wolf has been an exceptional leader and deserves our immense gratitude for his devoted service to the board and the college. I also have a tremendous amount of admiration and respect for the faculty, staff, students and alumni of this great university, as well as President Reveley and my fellow board members. It is a high privilege to have the opportunity to serve as their rector.”

Charles A. Banks III was elected vice rector and will succeed John W. Gerdelman, class of ’75, who is also completing his second term on the board. Dennis H. Liberson, class of ’78, will succeed Janet Brashear, class of ’82, as secretary of the board.

Banks received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brown University in 1962, then served in the United States Navy. In 1967, he joined the Peebles Supply Division of Ferguson Enterprises and rose through the company to become president and chief executive of Ferguson Enterprises in 1989. In 1992, he was appointed to the board of Wolseley PLC, parent of Ferguson, and retired in July 2006.

He was named an honorary alumnus by the William and Mary Alumni Association in 2005, and was appointed to the board in 2006, then reappointed in 2010.

Liberson received his bachelor’s degree in economics and government from William and Mary in 1978, then earned a master’s degree in labor and industrial relations from Michigan State University in 1980. He spent 23 years in human resources, most recently as executive vice president of human resources and corporate real estate for Capital One Financial Corporation. Since retiring from Capital One in 2003, Liberson has served as executive chairman of DAN Holdings, Inc., which provides insurance to scuba divers. He owns and operates Lindera, LLC, which is engaged in stream and wetland mitigation banking.

Liberson was appointed to the board in 2009.