A Bank of America senior vice president and corporate affairs market manager will be the first Richard Bland College alumnus named to the William & Mary Board of Visitors.
Victor K. Branch, a 1984 W&M graduate, will join Sue H. Gerdelman, William H. Payne II and Lisa E. Roday, who were reappointed by Gov. Ralph Northam, the university and Northam’s office announced Wednesday.
Branch, whose four-year term begins July 1, is the first graduate of Richard Bland College to serve on the board, which governs both institutions. He succeeds Christopher M. Little, who is stepping down at the end of his current term.
“The reappointment of Sue Gerdelman, Will Payne and Lisa Roday is excellent news,” said board member John E. Littel, who will become rector July 1. “All three have been remarkably engaged and productive members of the Board of Visitors, to the benefit of William & Mary. I am gratified that they have agreed to continue to serve.”
At Bank of America, Branch is responsible for managing an annual corporate foundation and marketing sponsorship budget of about $4 million and distributing the bank’s corporate social responsibility initiatives and resources throughout Virginia. Since 1997, Branch has also worked in Virginia government relations for the company, according to W&M.
He also has served on multiple boards, including the Richard Bland College Foundation from 1987 to 1991, and 2009 to 2015. He is chair of the board of directors for the Virginia Gateway Economic Development Alliance and a member of the executive committee for Housing Opportunities Made Equal. Branch is also a trustee for the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges and Chamber RVA, and he serves on the boards of Venture Richmond and the YMCA of Greater Richmond. He is also a member of the Virginia State University Reginald F. Lewis School of Business marketing advisory committee.
Branch graduated from Richard Bland College in 1982 with an associate’s degree and from W&M in 1984 with a bachelor’s in sociology. He also attended the Virginia Bankers Association School of Retail Management at the University of Virginia.
