Board of Visitors elects rector and vice rector

The Radford University Board of Visitors, at its meeting Friday, June 5, unanimously elected Dale S. Ardizzone '85, M.S. '86, to serve as rector and re-elected Jennifer Wishon Gilbert as vice rector. Their terms begin July 1, 2026, and end June 30, 2027.

As rector, Ardizzone will preside over meetings and actions of the Board of Visitors. He is chief operating officer of INSP, LLC, a top 10 rated cable network, and he also serves as general counsel and corporate secretary to the company's corporate parent and numerous subsidiaries. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Radford University and a Juris Doctor degree from Delaware Law School.

Gilbert will serve a second term as vice rector. She is senior Washington correspondent for CBN News and has more than 20 years of experience in broadcast journalism. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Media Studies from Virginia Tech.

Continued focus on rural health
University President Bret Danilowicz provided updates on strategic initiatives, including Radford University's focus on building a hub of medical, mental and dental health services in Southwest and Southside Virginia. Recent highlights include the June 2 meeting of the Center for Rural Health Partner Council, as well as collaboration with New River Valley Community Services and Anthem HealthKeepers on projects such as the launch of a mobile health clinic to provide medical screening throughout the region.

Danilowicz emphasized the importance of collaboration among many organizations to build and improve services. "No single institution has the resources to do this alone," he said. "We've got to work together to identify areas where we can concentrate our efforts to have the greatest impact for the region."

Board actions
In other actions, the board:

• approved updates to the university's teaching and research faculty handbook,
• agreed to discontinue two graduate degree programs: Master of Science in Data and Information Management and Master of Science in Athletic Training, and
• endorsed emeritus status for five retired faculty members:
  • Bruce Mahin, Professor, Department of Music
  • Sara Brown, Associate Professor, Graduate Nursing
  • Elizabeth Altieri, Associate Professor, School of Teacher Education & Leadership
  • Carol Bland, Associate Professor, School of Teacher Education & Leadership
  • Kristan Morrison, Professor, School of Teacher Education & Leadership

Discussion highlights
The board additionally discussed various notable achievements and measures of the university's progress, including the following:

• Enrollment for fall 2026 is projected to increase slightly over the 2025 term, with a projection of approximately 8,000. Student retention rates are also forecast to increase somewhat in the upcoming academic year.
• Over 92 percent of recent graduates were employed or continuing their education within six months.
• The university continues to build, renovate and plan additional improvements to its facilities, including an updated esports arena, new pickleball courts and dormitory refurbishment.
• Marketing and communications efforts are showing great progress, including record media coverage of the spring 2026 commencement ceremony.
• The university is actively building partnerships and involvement with communities throughout the region, including the initiation of an AdventureWorks summit in September to pursue regional opportunities for recreation and tourism.

Meeting materials and next date Copies of the meeting agendas and board reports are available online , and a full video of the June 5 meeting can be streamed through YouTube. The next meeting of Radford's Board of Visitors will be held Sept. 17-18, 2026.