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Board of Overseers
Thomas E. Gottwald ’83 is chairman of the board of NewMarket Corp., the Richmond-based parent company of Afton Chemical Co. and Ethyl Corp. He assumed this position in 2014.
Gottwald became president and CEO of NewMarket in March 2004, having previously served as president and CEO of Ethyl Corp. from June 2001 through June 2004 and, prior to that, president and chief operating officer of Ethyl. He has also served on the board of Tredegar Corp.
Gottwald holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Distinction in chemistry from VMI and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School. As a cadet, he was president of his class and played football for four years. As a football player, he was an Academic All-American for one year and an Academic All-Southern Conference player for three years. He served VMI as a member of the Keydet Club’s Board of Governors from 1998 to 2004.
Gottwald is involved in numerous civic activities in the Richmond area, including the Virginia Home for Boys, the Valentine Museum, and the Children's Museum of Richmond.
Related to numerous alumni, he also is the father of two, Thomas D. Gottwald ’09 and Edward P. Gottwald ’14.
Stephen M. Goddard '83 is the founder and managing principal of The London Company, which is a majority employee-owned investment advisor founded in 1994. With a strategic focus on U.S. equity management, the firm has approximately $25 billion in assets under management. The London Company’s clients include major endowments, corporate pension plans, financial institutions, and high net worth family offices.
Mr. Goddard was a Distinguished Graduate in Economics from VMI and holds an MBA from the University of Richmond. He is a Certified Financial Advisor charter holder and a member of the Financial Analyst Society of Richmond. Mr. Goddard is a member of the Executive Advisory Council of the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond and a member of The Community Foundation Investment Committee.
He has been a member of the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees since 2016 and has served on the board of VMI Investment Holdings since 2013.
Widely recognized for his leadership in business and civic affairs in Virginia, Bruce C. Gottwald is the former chairman of the board of New Market Corp., the Richmond-based parent company of Afton Chemical and Ethyl Corp. He also served as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Ethyl Corp. from 1992 to 2001.
A member of the VMI Class of 1954, Gottwald has served VMI as a member of the VMI Board of Visitors for three terms, from 1978 to 1982 and from 1995 to 2003, serving as president from 1998 to 2001. He served on the VMI Keydet Club’s Board of Governors from 1960 to 1973 and was the organization’s president from 1971 to 1973.
From 1985 to 1992, he was a member of the VMI Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Center of Leadership and Ethics as well as the foundation of the Jackson-Hope Fund.
Gottwald is one of the few VMI alumni who have been presented with the highest honor of both the VMI Foundation and the VMI Keydet Club. He received the former’s Distinguished Service Award in 1993 and the latter’s Spirit of VMI Award in 2004.
William T. Hupp '77, who graduated from VMI as a Civil Engineering major, is the Executive Vice President & COO of the Richmond-based Estes Express Lines. Estes is one of the largest freight transportation providers in the United States and offers ground, air and ocean transportation, supply chain management, and customs brokerage services. With more than 16,000 employees, Estes has more than 200 terminals and provides services in all 50 states as well as in Canada and Mexico. A member of Este Board of Directors since 1998, he has been Chairman of the Board for Estes Forwarding Worldwide, a subsidiary of Estes Express Lines, since 2005. He also served as president of the American Trucking Association’s Sales and Marketing Association.
Mr. Hupp has been involved with alumni affairs for many years and served on the VMI Keydet Club’s Board of Governors from 1991 to 1997.
After retiring from the Air Force, he was named as the chairman and CEO of SAIC, then a $11 billion public company. He shepherded it through a split into two companies and then led the new public company, Leidos, as its CEO from 2012 to 2014. He continues to serve on the board of Leidos and has served on those of other numerous corporations, including the Goodrich Corporation and Rolls-Royce North America, he also is a member of the boards of the George C. Marshall Foundation, the Museum of the American Revolution and the Air Force Village Charitable Foundation.
General Jumper has served the Institute in various capacities. He served for one year as a trustee of the VMI Foundation before joining the Institute’s Board of Visitors in 2009. He was the president of the Board of Visitors from 2016 to 2017. He was a member of the Campaign Cabinet for An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI from 2011 to 2017.
In May 2018, the Institute presented him with its highest honor, the New Market Medal, in recognition of his record of public service that reflects the values of the Institute. He is only the 15th person to receive this prestigious award since it was established in 1962.
A Distinguished Graduate in Electrical Engineering from VMI, General Jumper has a MBA from Golden Gate University, and he is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the National War College.
A graduate of the VMI Class of 1985, Meade King has served as an advancement professional in admissions, alumni relations, and development for two Virginia prep schools and two Virginia Colleges. Currently the Chief Operating Officer of the VMI Foundation, he also serves as the interim COO of the VMI Alumni Association. Additionally, King helped lead the VMI Keydet Club as its chief executive. He holds a degree in Modern Languages from VMI and two development certifications from the School of Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Richmond. He has also served as a member of the VMI faculty.
He is married to his wife of 32 years, and they have three adult children.
Charles S. Luck IV ’83 is president and CEO of Luck Stone Inc., a position he has held since 2000. Headquartered in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, and employing more than 1,100 people, Luck Stone is best known for providing construction aggregates and decorative stone, but it also has interests in commercial real estate and tennis court products.
In April 2011, Luck, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from VMI, was honored as the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business Executive of the Year. Luck is active in civic affairs in Virginia, involved with such institutions as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, St. Christopher School, and the YMCA.
Luck also raced stock cars for many years, including his time at VMI. A third-generation graduate of the Institute, Luck’s son, Richard, is the vice president of the Class of 2012.
John C. Miller II ’61 spent his professional career in the insurance business. He started with Aetna Insurance Co. in 1963. He returned to his native Saint Louis in 1971 to work with a national insurance brokerage firm, and, in 1975, he helped establish C.J. Thomas Co. Inc., which now is one of the largest regional insurance brokerage firms in the Midwest. Miller has served as a director and is chairman emeritus of the company.
In 1986, he founded Rural Housing Reinsurance Co. Ltd. of Hamilton, Bermuda, and he now serves as that company’s president.
Miller graduated from VMI with a degree in history and served two years in the U.S. Army as a cavalry officer.
Miller served two terms as member of the VMI Foundation’s Board of Trustees, from 1991 to 1999 and 2007 to 2015.
A member of the VMI Class of 1960, G.G. Phillips Jr. is the former chief executive officer and chairman of Henderson & Phillips Inc., an insurance company in Norfolk, Virginia. He is former chairman of Seaboard Financial Group.
A dedicated alumnus, he served as president of the VMI Keydet Club from 1973 to 1975, was a member of the VMI Board of Visitors from 1979 to 1985, a trustee of the VMI Foundation from 1986 to 1997, and the Foundation’s president from 1993 to 1995.
In early 2000, Phillips became chairman of the comprehensive capital campaign, Reveille: A Call to Excel, a five-year effort that raised more than $207 million in gifts and commitments for VMI. He also developed the concept of the Jackson-Hope Fund and has been the chairman of its Board of Overseers since the Fund’s inception. To celebrate his service to VMI, the VMI Foundation presented Phillips with the Distinguished Service Award, its highest honor, in 1998.
James E. Rogers '67 has been the chairman of the board of BackOffice Associates LLC since 2011. Prior to that, he was president of SCI Investors Inc., a private equity investment firm.
From 1982 to 1991, he held senior positions with the James River Corp. He was the founding president and CEO of Specialty Coatings International from 1991 to 1993 and the founding chairman of the board of Customs Papers Group from 1993 to 1996. From 2003 to 2007, he was the chairman of the board of Caraustar Industries Inc. Rogers also has been a director of numerous companies, including Owens & Minor Inc., NewMarket Corp., and Mohawk Paper Mills Inc.
A prominent leader in civic and charitable affairs, he was the founding president of the Richmond Historic Riverfront Foundation, and he is a trustee of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Foundation and a former vice chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. He also is a member of the George C. Marshall Foundation’s Council of Advisors.
At VMI, Rogers majored in physics and was a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society. He was a member of the Honor Court and a track and field athlete and was listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.
Rogers holds a Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Virginia and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School.
A member of the VMI Foundation’s Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2004, he was its president from 2000 to 2002. In July 2004, he began eight years of service on VMI’s Board of Visitors, and, from 2007 to 2012, he was its vice president. He now is vice chairman of An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: The Campaign for VMI.
John Williams ’88
Since 2012, John has led Powell Strategies, a boutique communication and management consultancy specializing in all aspects of strategic communication — including crisis and risk communication, as well as outreach and engagement strategies addressing the challenges of Veteran transition in education, employment, and mental wellness. Powell Strategies serves clients across the private and public sectors, along with numerous cause-based nonprofit organizations. As a firm, Powell is passionate about “work that matters” and actively seeks opportunities that create meaningful impact for its clients, their missions, and society.
Before founding Powell, John built a distinguished career as a United States Marine, serving as an infantry officer, an intelligence officer, and a Foreign Area Officer. His combat deployments supported Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom. John spent extensive time deployed in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Israel, and concluded his military service as Associate Chair of the Political Science Department at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA).
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, John continued to serve as a civilian at the USNA Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies. He later became a Program Manager in the National Security Analysis Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and subsequently served as Chief Operating Officer of the Institute for the Study of War. John views his transition to the private sector—founding a small company that provides high-value consulting to mission-driven organizations—as a continuation of his lifelong commitment to service.
John proudly serves as President of the VMI Foundation, and Immediate Past President of the Board of Trustees at the Boys Home of Virginia in Covington, where he helps provide boys from challenging backgrounds with the tools and guidance to become successful men.
John earned his BA in English from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), which provided a strong foundation for his continued education. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School, studied Serbian and Croatian before moving to Croatia, and completed the MIT Seminar XXI National Security Program. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a licensed U.S. Coast Guard Captain, a graduate of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Veteran Institute for Procurement, and an alumnus of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Babson College.
John’s broad experience in leadership, business, education, and strategic communication brings significant value to organizations where managing cross-functional teams and cultivating strong relationships are essential to mission success.
Jamie Inman ‘86 is the Director of Planning and Logistics for Afton Chemical Company in Richmond, Virginia.
After graduating from VMI with a degree in English, he joined the U.S. Army where he served for 27 years.
His assignments prior to retirement include Commander of the Walter Reed Warrior Transition Brigade. In this capacity, he was responsible for all wounded, ill and injured soldiers in the National Capitol Region. Other assignments include chief of staff, U.S. Army Cadet Command; field artillery branch chief, Human Resources Command; and commander 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division.
Military awards and decorations that Colonel Inman has received include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, and Purple Heart.
Col Inman holds Master’s degrees from the National War College and Louisiana State University.
He served as the Institute’s chief of staff for eight years, from 2013 through 2021.
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Furness graduated summa cum laude from VMI with a degree in history. He attained the rank of first captain and regimental commander, the highest-ranking position a cadet can earn. He commissioned into the Marine Corps, where he served for 36 years before retiring in 2023.
Throughout his distinguished career he has served in a variety of command and staff billets in both the operating forces and the supporting establishment. As a lieutenant he served as a platoon commander; as a captain and major he served in the 1st Marine Division as the commanding officer of Company K, and the operations officer of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines. As a lieutenant colonel he again served in the 1st Marine division as the G3 Plans officer, deputy G-3, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, then as the executive officer of the 1st Marine Regiment. As a Colonel he commanded the 1st Marine Regiment.
As legislative assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps from 2013 to 2017, he served as liaison between the Marine Corps and both chambers of congress, advocating for funding while navigating the new Budget Control Act. A lifelong learner and proponent of education, Furness created curriculum and delivered training to organizations of up to 17,000, led a flagship professional military education program, and pioneered a two-year Master of Public Policy program with George Mason University in Fairfax.
From 2017 to 2018, he served as the senior U.S. military officer on the African continent for Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa, focused on counterterrorism, regional security, and strategic relations development across 11 nations. He introduced process improvements which brought $2 million in monthly savings and elevated aircraft utilization rates to 90% which delivered another $12.78 million in savings.
From 2018 to 2020, he was Commanding General of the 2nd Marine division, leading a combined organization of 17,000, and held global responsibility for supporting operations in Indo-Pacific, European, African, Middle Eastern, and South American regions. He managed over $2 billion in assets and executed the largest Marine Corps training exercise in over 40 years. He also pioneered a peer-to-peer personal counseling program that reduced suicide and suicide attempts by 66% in just 18 months.
As a three-star general he served as Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policy and Operations at the Marine Corps headquarters in the Pentagon from 2020 to 2023, synchronizing operations and the global deployment of 200,000 active-duty and reserve Marines across 17 countries and 24 time zones.
Most recently he has been employed by J.A. Green & Company, a bipartisan government relations firm, as executive vice president of defense programs.
Furness holds two master’s degrees. One in military studies from the Marine Corps University at Quantico, and the second in national security and strategic studies from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
His personal decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with combat distinguishing device, Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
As VMI’s chief academic officer, he oversees curriculum, majors, support services, governance, faculty, staff, and all things relating to the academic program.
After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1988 with a Ph.D. in economics, Moreschi steadily climbed the corporate ladder at several Chicago-based investment and money management firms for 14 years. For 13 of those years he was also an adjunct professor, teaching finance to undergraduate and MBA students.
In 2002, because of his love of teaching, he embarked on a career change, joining VMI’s faculty as an associate professor of finance, became a full professor in 2007 and was tenured in 2008. In 2013 he was appointed head of VMI’s ECBU department. As department head, he led the program’s reaffirmation of accreditation with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) – an impressive feat for a college of VMI’s size, as less than 6% of all AACSB accredited schools are undergraduate degree-granting only institutions.
In 2016, Moreschi was named the John and Jane Roberts Institute Professor in Free Enterprise Business. In 2018, he was awarded the Nanette and Thomas Watjen 1976 Chair in Economics and Business. During his years on the faculty, he served on numerous Institute and department committees, including the Core Curriculum Oversight Committee, the Chairs and Professorships Committee, and the first chair of the Discrimination Appeals Committee. He was also the faculty representative to the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees and for 16 years served as faculty advisor to the Cadet Investment Group.
An active member of the community and his profession, Moreschi is an elder and assistant treasurer of the Lexington Presbyterian Church and served on the Audit and Oversight Committee at the Kendal at Lexington retirement community and on the board of the Lexington/Rockbridge United Way. In 2018 he completed a two year term as President of the Academy of Financial Services (AFS), an international organization of academics and practitioners interested in financial planning research and education, after previously serving six years as a member of the board of directors.
Capt. Michael J. Sebastino is VMI’s associate dean for academic administration and planning. From 2003 to 2009, Sebastino was the Institute’s grants, contracts, and intellectual property administrator. In this position, he established strong working relationships with state and federal agencies, the VMI Foundation, and faculty and staff across post. He supported the development of the undergraduate research initiative and played a key role in organizing the academic program’s funding requests and in reporting to the Jackson-Hope Board of Overseers.
Sebastino holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from The Citadel and a master of business administration degree from Old Dominion University. Prior to his arrival at VMI, he worked as a licensing associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and he is a retired, commissioned officer who served for 30 years in both the active and reserve components of the U.S. Navy.