W&M Board of Visitors elects rector, vice rector and secretary

Ardine Williams will serve as rector, Kendrick F. Ashton '98 as vice rector and John Brownlee J.D. '94, P '22 as secretary, effective July 1, 2026.

The William & Mary Board of Visitors has elected new leadership. Ardine Williams will serve as rector, Kendrick F. Ashton '98 as vice rector and John Brownlee J.D. '94, P '22 as secretary, effective July 1, 2026.

The 17-member board, which serves as the governing body of the university, held the election during its April meeting on campus Friday.

A former vice president for workforce development at Amazon, Williams is known for her expertise in economic and talent development. She is currently vice rector of the board.

The rector serves as chair of the Board of Visitors and its executive committee. Williams will succeed Charles E. Poston J.D. '74, P '02, '06 in that role. Appointed to the board in 2019 and reappointed in 2023, Poston has had a long, distinguished career in law, including serving as chief judge of the Norfolk Circuit Court.

"I'm grateful to have been entrusted with the leadership of this board," said Williams. "Alongside Kendrick and John, I am eager to build upon the legacy of the rectors who came before me and advance our leadership for William & Mary. We are thankful to Charles for his leadership and are committed to continue the momentum he started."

Ashton, currently secretary of the board, is the co-founder and co-chief executive officer of The St. James, a leading developer and operator of performance, wellness and lifestyle destinations, brands, experiences and technologies. Brownlee is a litigation attorney and co-chair of Holland & Knight's National White Collar Defense and Investigations Team.

Williams, Ashton and Brownlee will serve two-year terms in their new roles.

"Congratulations to our newly elected board leaders," said President Katherine A. Rowe. "They exemplify the qualities we lift up in the Year of Civic Leadership: integrity, curiosity and a lifelong commitment to service. Their care and wisdom will serve the university well in the years ahead."

Ardine Williams

Williams was recruited out of retirement by Amazon in 2014 to work for its Amazon Web Services cloud computing business, where she worked until 2022. In her role as vice president for workforce development, she accelerated the company's initiative to retrain 350,000 employees by 2025 for careers in high-demand fields. She's worked alongside community and state leaders to ensure education pathways include the digital skill sets necessary for the rapidly changing careers of today.

She was appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2021 and reappointed in 2025. In addition to serving as vice rector, she previously served as secretary for the board. She currently chairs the Committee on Administration, Building, and Grounds and is a member of the Executive Committee, the Committee on Audit Risk and Compliance and the Compensation Subcommittee.

Ardine and her husband Curtis live in Williamsburg. They regularly join campus events and may be heard cheering on the Tribe from the sidelines at basketball and football games.

As rector, Williams will preside over all meetings of the board and determine its order of business. Additionally, she'll perform other duties as prescribed by board bylaws, including member appointments to committees of the board, special committees and ad hoc committees.

Kendrick F. Ashton '98

An alumnus with a deep connection to his alma mater, Ashton earned his Bachelor of Arts in international relations before starting a successful career in business and finance. Outside of his work at The St. James, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cronos Group, an innovative global cannabinoid company and also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. He is also an emeritus member of the William & Mary Foundation Board of Trustees.

During his time at William & Mary, Ashton was a star football player who made all-conference. After earning his bachelor's degree, he went on to receive a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and a master's degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2012 and reappointed in 2022, he serves on the Committee on Athletics and the Executive Committee and chairs the Committee on Institutional Advancement.

John Brownlee J.D. '94, P '22

Brownlee has a distinguished career in public service, serving more than 10 years in the U.S. Department of Justice as both the United States attorney for the Western District of Virginia and assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

He is most well-known for leading the team that secured the first conviction of Purdue Pharma for its role in the opioid epidemic in the United States. During his tenure at the department, he led several other high-profile investigations and prosecutions, including the first conviction of a major defense contractor for violating the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. He also helped develop a new legal theory by using the Violence Against Women Act in a successful double-murder prosecution.

Before beginning his education at the law school, Brownlee served in the U.S. Army's infantry and later in the Judge Advocate General Corps. After law school, he served as a judicial law clerk for U.S. District Judge Sam Wilson in Roanoke, Virginia.

Appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2024, Brownlee serves on the Committee on Institutional Advancement and the Committee on the Student Experience.

William Oster, Communications Specialist

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