Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis, the executive vice president and chief operating officer at the University of Virginia, will assume the role of acting president upon the effective date of President Jim Ryan’s resignation.
Ryan submitted a letter of resignation to the UVA Board of Visitors on Thursday, and confirmed the move publicly on Friday – with an effective date of no later than Aug. 15, though the letter noted that the board could consider the resignation to be effective immediately.
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Davis will take the reins in Ryan’s stead as the BOV works to appoint an interim president amid the ramping up of a nationwide search for a permanent replacement, the outgoing rector of the Board of Visitors, Robert Hardie, and Rachel Sheridan, who will begin as the rector tomorrow, noted in an email to the UVA community sent out Tuesday afternoon.
“At this important time for higher education, UVA’s mission – to develop citizen leaders, advance knowledge through research, and provide world-class medical care – is more vital than ever. Equally critical for our own communities, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the broader public, and our nation is to preserve the autonomy of higher education, which fuels the research and innovation happening on our Grounds,” Hardie and Sheridan wrote in their email.
“We share the sentiments of so many members of the University community who have expressed their sorrow about President Ryan’s resignation and their appreciation for his remarkable service to the institution. Based on his outstanding record as president, it should come as no surprise that one of Jim’s last acts in office put the needs of the University ahead of his own,” the rectors wrote.
Davis has been a member of Ryan’s inner circle since the early months of his tenure as president of UVA, which began on Aug. 1, 2018.
Her job has had her in charge of setting financial policy and overseeing the financial affairs of the University, including its schools and the UVA Medical Center.
Davis, a Penn State alum, came to UVA from a stint as senior vice president for administration and finance at George Mason University.
The email from Hardie and Sheridan spelled out how the search process will get under way. Sheridan, as the new rector, will convene a search committee that will seek out input from a full range of stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff and alumni.
“This process will commence shortly, and we will continue to keep the community informed,” the rectors wrote in their email.
Sheridan, a Glenn Youngkin appointee, is a 1994 UVA alum and 1998 graduate of the UVA Law School, and a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where she focuses on capital markets transactions.
She was elected to a two-year term in the BOV leadership post on June 13.
Hardie, a 1987 UVA alum with an MBA and Ph.D. from the Darden School, was appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2017 by Terry McAuliffe and reappointed in 2021 by Ralph Northam.
Their joint email struck a bipartisan tone that is noteworthy considering the circumstances of Ryan’s forced departure, which came amid reports that two UVA alums who work in the Trump Department of Justice were pressuring him to step down, alleging that he was slow walking a Board of Visitors directive to dismantle the school’s DEI office.
“We must continue to invest in supporting our exceptional students, faculty, and staff who form the heart of this vibrant community; we must ensure that our community is one where open dialogue, innovative research, and academic freedom not only persist but flourish; and, as a public research university, we must maintain our partnership with the Commonwealth and the federal government,” Hardie and Sheridan wrote in their email.
“The Board, individually and collectively, affirms our confidence in this great University and our understanding of the responsibility we have to ensure UVA remains a leader in academic excellence, free speech, and responsible governance. We are committed to UVA’s most enduring values – service, excellence, and honor.”
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Chris Graham
