Governor McAuliffe – C-VILLE Weekly

UVA students join March on Mansion protest

Four “brides” decked out in distressed wedding gowns joined the March on the Mansion demonstration July 23 to protest Governor Terry McAuliffe’s relationship with the fossil fuel industry.

UVA third-year Maria DeHart was one of four women sporting glitzy wedding dresses that were caked in debris, torn and accessorized with chains. They walked in unison with a gangly depiction of a skeleton that was labeled as McAuliffe.

“There were four brides performing a ‘marriage’ with a puppet of McAuliffe,” says DeHart. “My costume represented the coal industry, and the other brides were oil, natural gas and pipelines.”

Over the past two semesters, art students teamed up with student leaders in environmental justice groups at Virginia Commonwealth University to form the Trillium collective, which aims to combine creative arts with environmental and social justice strategies. The collective created the mobile art demonstration.

“The piece that I was a part of was called the ‘Toxic Marriage,’ and it aimed to show the toxic/corrupt relationship between Governor McAuliffe and the fossil fuel industry in Virginia,” DeHart tells C-VILLE.

More than 600 protesters demanded that McAuliffe recognize the welfare of civilian lives over the interests of the Virginian fossil fuel industry.

DeHart attended the protest as a member of both UVA’s Climate Action Society and the statewide college-run group Virginia Student Environmental Coalition.

“It was really, really hot in that dress but it was so worth it,” she says. “Our outfits attracted so much attention, and the image of us walking in formation was very powerful.”

DeHart is no stranger to environmental demonstrations—one of which led to her arrest. But she says her arrest contributed to her fervor, and actually sparked her interest in attending the protest.

DeHart, who says she didn’t receive any animosity from counter-protesters, hopes the governor will have a change of heart.

“The governor did not respond to our message to him, but he definitely heard us and knows who we are,” she says. —Melissa Angell

Changing of the BOV guard

Every year, the governor announces appointments to the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors. While donations are not a prerequisite, it’s been common in the past to find that appointees have contributed to the governor, and this year is no exception. Three out of the four new members have made significant donations. President Teresa Sullivan’s four new bosses will begin their terms July 1.

Elizabeth Cranwell

Hailing from Roanoke, Cranwell is a public relations professional and a Democratic activist. A UVA alumna, she holds a bachelor’s degree in American government and Spanish along with a master’s in public communication from American University. She is married to Richard “Dickie” Cranwell, former Democratic Party of Virginia chairman from 2005-2010 and former majority leader in the House of Delegates. Cranwell is the only new visitor who is not a major McAuliffe donor.

Thomas DePasquale

DePasquale is chairman of Yopine and former president and CEO of Outtask Inc., a company that introduced Cliqbook, a service that aids with online corporate travel management, as well as a self-proclaimed visionary, according to his LinkedIn page. DePasquale attended the McIntire School of Commerce at UVA and graduated with a degree in commerce with a concentration in accounting. He’s also the biggest donor of the new appointees, writing checks totaling nearly $124,000.

Babur Lateef

Lateef is an ophthalmologist who has his own practice in Woodbridge and who has improved accessibility for patients within the region who require extensive eye care treatment. Lateef is also a volunteer physician for the Prince William County Area Free Clinic, and he holds a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University and an M.D. from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

James. Murray Jr.

Charlottesville native Murray is a venture capitalist who has been a founder or a founding partner of various companies, including Court Square Ventures and Columbia Capital, which he started with former-governor-now Senator Mark Warner. He is the author of Wireless Nation: The Frenzied Launch of the Cellular Revolution in America, which provides his industry-insider account. Murray, a founder of the Presidential Precinct, has previous BOV experience at the College of William & Mary, where he served for six years and where he earned a law degree. He attended UVA as an undergraduate. Murray, who makes 100-wealthiest-Virginians lists, is also a big donor to both sides of the aisle.

Mark Bowles of Goochland was reappointed for a second term to the BOV. Bowles is a partner and executive vice president of McGuireWoods Consulting. He graduated from James Madison University with a degree in English and political science and attended law school at the University of Richmond. He joined the board last year as a replacement for Dr. Edward Miller, who resigned after disagreements arose with the board about discrepancies in UVA’s medical system and the 11 percent tuition hike.

Frank Atkinson of Ashland, Victoria Harker of McLean and Bobbie Kilberg of Herndon were all appointed by Republican Governor Bob McDonnell on July 1, 2012, and were each eligible for reappointment, but were not reinstated. Atkinson noted that he would not seek reappointment.

Helen Dragas of Virginia Beach concluded her second BOV term June 10, which is also the four-year anniversary of her announcement while rector that Teresa Sullivan would resign as president. Neither faculty, students nor alumni took kindly to her efforts, expressing their rage through protests, which, after 18 days of leaderless turmoil, saw Sullivan reinstated. While Dragas was an advocate for keeping tuition low, her legacy is inextricably tied with the 2012 debacle.