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VWU Announces New Board Members
Sharon S. Goodwyn and Joseph R. Thomas join the Board of Trustees
University News | November 7, 2018
Sharon S. Goodwyn of Norfolk and Joseph R. Thomas of Virginia Beach have been elected to the Board of Trustees of Virginia Wesleyan University, according to David L. Kaufman, Chair of the Board. Goodwyn serves as Counsel at Hunton Andrews Kurth and Thomas is a retired Regional Vice President of GEICO.
“We are honored to have these distinguished civic leaders as members of our Board of Trustees,” Kaufman said. “Their leadership, experience, and expertise will be a tremendous asset to the University, its students, and alumni.”
Virginia Wesleyan University is a private, non-profit institution governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. Board members are elected on the basis of commitment to the programs and purposes of VWU. The Board establishes the broad guidelines of philosophy and institutional purpose and names the President to carry out their guidelines. The VWU Board has 36 elected members with the President of the University, Resident Bishop of the United Methodist Church, two District Superintendents of the UMC, and Alumni Council Chair serving ex-officio.
Sharon S. Goodwyn
Counsel, Hunton Andrews Kurth, Norfolk
Sharon S. Goodwyn is a member of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s labor and employment group, where she represents employers in a wide range of labor and employment issues. She counsels employers on compliance with federal and state labor and employment laws, represents employers in administrative proceedings before federal and state agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and National Labor Relations Board, and in employment arbitration and litigation. She is active in the community and, among other activities, is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, serves on the Board of Directors of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, and is the President of the Board of St. Mary’s Home. She has earned many distinctions, including honoree recognition in YWCA South Hampton Roads Women of Distinction in Law 2016, and selection as a “Best Lawyer” from 2008-present in the The Best Lawyers in America. She holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a JD from the University of Virginia.
Joseph R. Thomas
Retired Regional Vice President, GEICO, Virginia Beach
Joseph R. Thomas is a retired Regional Vice President of Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO). Thomas was responsible for general management of Virginia Beach regional operations as well as the national Motorcycle and Military operations at GEICO, and held a variety of positions in sales, service, underwriting and human resources since he joined the organization in 1972. He returns to the VWU Board of Trustees following prior service to the University and also served on the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Hampton Roads Chamber and the non-profit group Teens With A Purpose. He is the past chairman for the Insurance Federation of North Carolina and the past chairman for the United Way of South Hampton Roads chapter. Thomas holds a B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Maryland. He is originally from New York City and currently resides in Virginia Beach with his wife, Allison, and their three children.