The board of visitors of the Virginia Military Institute will not renew retired Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins’ contract as superintendent.
The move follows weeks of debate among Virginia lawmakers about whether Wins’ tenure should be extended or whether efforts to keep him were solely based on efforts to advance a diversity, equity and inclusion agenda. Wins is the first Black superintendent of the state-run military college and was selected after allegations surfaced that racism plagued the Lexington campus.
Ten of the 16 board members who met for a special meeting Friday morning voted to remove Wins. There was no discussion of Wins’ employment or board members’ views during the board’s public session.
All 10 board members who voted against an extension for Wins were appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Among them were Jonathan Hartsock and Stephen Reardon, who were named Wednesday to replace Youngkin appointees rejected by the General Assembly.
Four of the six who voted in favor of extending Wins’ contract were Democratic appointees.
In response to questions about Wins’ ouster, Christian Martinez, Youngkin’s press secretary, said that the governor has consistently said that the board of visitors at VMI is “comprised of experienced individuals who both believe in the institute’s mission and would do what they believe to be in the best interest of this prestigious military college.”
Martinez said that Youngkin respects both the board’s authority and its decision.
Wins attended the meeting, sitting at a conference table with the board members. He did not speak during the public session and did not visibly react as the vote was tallied. The meeting was livestreamed.
Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt County, represents House District 37, where VMI is located. Austin said he didn’t know the details behind the board’s vote.
“Everything he’s asked me to do has always been in the best interest of the institution,” Austin said of Wins during a phone interview Friday. “I just find him to be a very honorable and credible individual, and I really enjoy my friendship and association with him, and I find it a great honor to represent VMI. I’m a huge proponent of that institution in the commonwealth of Virginia.”
Austin had asked Wins to serve on the African American advisory panel for the VA250, a commission to celebrate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. He said he has “no idea whatsoever” about who could or should take Wins’ place as the next superintendent of VMI.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, the institute said Wins would complete his term ending June 30 and information about a search for a new superintendent would be provided at a later date.
“The BOV is supremely grateful to Major General Wins for his service to the Institute during some very difficult times,” VMI Board of Visitors President John Adams said in a statement. “The foundation he has provided us will ensure VMI continues to fulfill its vital mission of educating future leaders.”
Sen. Chris Head, R-Botetourt County, whose district includes VMI, did not respond to a voicemail requesting comment on Wins’ ouster. Neither Rear Adm. (Ret.) Terence McKnight or C. Ernest Edgar IV, both Youngkin appointees to the board who voted to keep Wins as superintendent, responded to an email requesting comment.
Wins, a VMI alumnus, was named interim superintendent in November 2020 and was formally appointed in April 2021. His contract expires June 30.
The superintendent has received several salary bonuses during his tenure and has been credited with improving the atmosphere at the institute, which was found in a 2021 report to have widespread racism issues. That investigation was ordered by then-Gov. Ralph Northam, a VMI graduate.
Enrollment has also ticked upward as the institute has recovered from the dual challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and criticism of its campus culture.
“This decision by the VMI Board is not based on performance or character — it is purely political,” House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said in a statement Friday. “Over the past week, we have witnessed a systemic purge of high-ranking military leaders, including the recent firing of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair CQ Brown [by President Donald Trump].”
“The Board’s decision is a clear signal that VMI is choosing to move in the wrong direction, caving to political pressures rather than continuing on the path of necessary reform,” Scott added.
Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, called the move “shameful” in a post on X on Friday afternoon. Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton and chair of the Senate Rules Committee, called it “shameless.”
Northam also weighed in.
“Our country has purged too many patriotic military leaders this week, and now Virginia has done it too,” he said in a statement. “These are dark times.”
“VMI needs to take a hard look and ask, how long will we cling to the past? If the institute wants to survive, it needs to start looking to the future. Time is running out,” he added.
Both Scott and Northam are former military officers.
Conservative alumni have rallied against Wins and VMI’s diversity, equity and inclusivity efforts, claiming that VMI has never had a problem with racism and that the school has gotten too soft on students, known as cadets.
The Spirit of VMI, a political action committee founded in 2021 to “help restore VMI’s reputation as an elite leadership institution” has called itself “instrumental” in the selection process for several Youngkin appointees to the VMI board.
The General Assembly voted during its session this winter to reject two Youngkin appointees endorsed by Spirit of VMI, alumni Quinton Elliott and Clifford Foster. The reasons for the legislators’ rejection of the appointees were not made clear.
“The General Assembly should allow the Board to do its job without continuing to exert their political influence into a process that has been vested to the Board of Visitors by law,” the PAC said in a Feb. 24 email to its mailing list.
VMI board of visitors member Teddy Gottwald is the PAC’s top donor. He has contributed $50,000 since 2021.
The PAC has criticized Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Petersburg, claiming she has meddled in discussions about Wins’ tenure at the institute. Carroll Foy is a VMI alumna.
In a statement Friday, Carroll Foy noted Wins’ achievements during his time as superintendent. Wins increased state funding by 7%, reversed declining applications, drove major capital improvements, and boosted athletic and academic performance, she said.
“Now, hyper-partisan MAGA Republican appointees have taken over the VMI Board with their political agendas. These dangerous political games destabilize VMI, and removing an outstanding leader in this unprecedented manner dishonors VMI’s legacy,” Carroll Foy added.
The PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an additional statement issued Friday, Carroll Foy said she suspects the board of visitors may have already selected a replacement for Wins. She called on Youngkin to “support an independent expert investigation of the Board’s mishandling of the current situation.”
