Jan. 30, 2026: Presidential Search Update

Washington and Lee University About W&L Presidential Search Updates Jan. 30, 2026: Presidential Search Update
Presidential Search

January 30, 2026

Dear Members of the W&L Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I write with an update on our presidential search.

Search Committee

We are pleased to announce the appointment of the following members of the W&L community to serve on the Presidential Search Committee, which will be charged with conducting a national search for Washington and Lee’s next leader.

  • John Robinson ’94, Chair, Presidential Search Committee and Chair, Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees
  • Wali Bacdayan ’92, Rector of the Board of Trustees 
  • Aliaa Bassiouny, Lawrence Term Professor of Finance
  • Caleb Dance, Associate Professor of Classics
  • Michelle Drumbl, Robert O. Bentley Clinical Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, W&L School of Law
  • Jack Huffard ’90 P’28, Trustee
  • John Jensen ’01, Executive Director of Alumni and Career Services 
  • Geordy Johnson ’05, Trustee
  • Andrea Lepage, Pamela H. Simpson Professor of Art History
  • Samantha McLemore ’02, Trustee
  • Joelle Phillips ’95L, Trustee
  • Sally Stone Richmond, Vice President of Admissions and Financial Aid
  • Brodie Riordan ’03, Trustee
  • Jack Sharman ’83, P’20, ’22, Trustee
  • Lloyd Tanlu, Ehrick Kilner Haight Term Associate Professor of Accounting
  • Jonathan Wortham ’04, Trustee
  • John Beekman Youngblood ’27, Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Student Body

Search Committee Staff:

  • Maria Feeley ’97L, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel (Administrative Liaison)
  • Jessica Willett ’95, Vice President of Communications and Strategic Initiatives and Secretary of the University (Administrative Liaison)
  • Katherine Brinkley, Director of Board Operations (Administrative Support)

Next Steps and Community Outreach

The search committee’s work will get underway in early February. Its first priority will be to develop the leadership profile for the next president. This will include broad outreach to students, faculty, staff, and alumni through interviews, focus groups, and surveys in the coming months.

We have recently launched a dedicated search website (presidentialsearch.wlu.edu) that includes committee membership, information about Isaacson, Miller, a record of our correspondence with the community, and a nomination form for submitting candidate recommendations directly to the search firm. More information, including the presidential leadership profile and details of community outreach opportunities, will be added to this site as it becomes available.

We look forward to sharing more details about community outreach soon. In the meantime, we welcome your input. You may reach us at presidentialsearch@wlu.edu.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Wali Bacdayan ’92 
Rector, Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees