Virginia Military Institute has a new superintendent.
VMI’s Superintendent Search Committee narrowed the pool of candidates to six for interviews in July and invited three finalists to the Lexington campus this week to meet with cadets, faculty and the board.
After those talks, Lt. Gen. David Furness, a 1987 VMI grad, was voted in by the school’s Board of Visitors late Friday. Furness served in the Marine Corps for 36 years and retired in 2023. Most recently, he's been employed by a government relations firm, according to the announcement.
The president of VMI's Board of Visitors said Furness rose to the top of a strong field of candidates. "His strong military record, passion for the VMI experience, and strong ability to advance the Institute’s mission makes him the right person to lead the Institute in this next chapter of its history," Jamie Inman said in a statement.
Furness succeeds Lt. General Cedric Wins, who's contract was not extended. When Wins, the first Black Superintendent in the school’s 186-year history, spoke at the end of his tenure in May, he discussed the importance of VMI’s current strategic plan but said the new hire would likely conduct their own assessment of the school’s direction.
"I hope most importantly that the board will continue to understand the changes to the culture and the climate of VMI that have occurred that has created an environment supportive of a very diverse group of young men and women," Wins said. "Whether it's racial diversity, whether it's gender diversity, whether it's sexual orientation diversity or whether it's diversity of thought."
Maj. Gen. Bill Rapp, currently a faculty member at a West Point leadership institute, and Brig. Gen. Dallas Clark, who’d served as interim superintendent since May, also made it to the final round of interviews.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
