W&L Welcomes New Trustees James Y. Kerr II ’86, P’27 and M. Roy Burns ’99

W&L Welcomes New Trustees James Y. Kerr II '86, P'27 and M. Roy Burns '99 Kerr and Burns were sworn in as trustees on Feb. 6.

Office of Communications and Public Affairs
February 6, 2026

James "Jim" Y. Kerr II '86, P'27 and M. Roy Burns '99 joined the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees on Feb. 6, at the board's winter meeting in Lexington.

James "Jim" Y. Kerr II '86, P'27 graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in politics. He received a juris doctorate with honors in 1992 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. He is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Southern Company Gas, one of America's leading natural gas providers and a subsidiary of Southern Company.

Kerr began his career at Southern Company in 2014 as the executive vice president, chief legal officer and chief compliance officer. During his tenure, he has helped direct the successful execution and regulatory approval of several transactions, including the merger with AGL Resources, the acquisition of PowerSecure and the divestitures of Gulf Power and other assets. Before joining Southern Company, Kerr was a partner at McGuireWoods LLP and senior advisor at McGuireWoods Consulting LLC. In addition, Kerr served on the North Carolina Utilities Commission, which regulates the rates and services of all public utilities in the state, for eight years. He served as president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners from 2007 to 2008 and president of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners from 2002 to 2003.

As a Washington and Lee student, Kerr was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, the basketball team, Kathekon, the Student Activity Board, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, and Omicron Delta Kappa and Pi Sigma Alpha honor societies. As an alumnus, Kerr has supported W&L in a variety of volunteer roles, including as co-chair of the reunion committee for his 40th reunion, as a committee member for his class's 35th reunion, as a member of the Parents Leadership Council Steering Committee, as a board member of the alumni chapter volunteers and as a speaker/panelist at the 2025 Energy Forum.

He is a member of the board of directors of Westerman, Inc., a large industrial equipment fabricator, and serves his community as a trustee for the Georgia Aquarium and the mental health treatment organization Skyland Trail. In addition to serving as an appointee to the National Petroleum Council, he is a member of the executive committee of the American Gas Association and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, as well as a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta.

Kerr and his wife, Frances, reside in Atlanta and have two children.

M. Roy Burns '99 graduated from Washington and Lee with a bachelor's degree in both politics and business administration with special attainments in commerce as a Robert E. Lee Scholar. He earned an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2006 as an Arjay Miller Scholar. Burns currently serves as managing director and co-head of financial services at TA Associates.

Burns has spent his professional career in finance and private equity. After a stint in leveraged finance at Banc of America Securities, he joined the investments organization at TA Associates in 2001. After completing his graduate degree, he returned to the company's Boston office and progressed to the organization's leadership team. A member of the company's Core Investment Committee, he opened the firm's Austin, Texas, office in 2022. In his role in leading investments for TA Associates, Burns serves on the board of many private companies, including Orion, Wealth Enhancement Group, Cliffwater, 8am, Fintech, Rectangle Health and Kline Hill Partners, among others.

In addition to his finance career, Burns has been an active philanthropist in his community. He has served as a past trustee of the Boston Ballet, past advisor of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and is a current member of the Leadership Circle of The Honor Foundation.

As a W&L student, Burns was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, the Interfraternity Council, Kathekon, the Contact Committee and the inaugural class of the Williams Investment Society. As an alumnus, Burns has supported the university in a variety of volunteer roles, including as a Class Gift Committee member for every Class of 1999 reunion and as a past director of the New England chapter's Alumni Admissions Committee.

Burns lives in Austin with his wife, Emily, and their three children.