Heywood Fralin appointed chair of State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia said Tuesday it has selected W. Heywood Fralin as its chair, effective July 1. He succeeds outgoing chair G. Gilmer Minor III, who is not eligible for reappointment after serving two terms.

Fralin is the chairman of Medical Facilities of America Inc. and co-chairman of Retirement Unlimited Inc., which are both based in Roanoke. He was first appointed to the council in 2013 and had served as vice chair for the prior term.

The council also chose Gene Lockhart as vice chair and Henry Light as secretary. Lockhart is a special adviser at General Atlantic, a growth equity firm. Light’s experience includes working for Norfolk Southern Corp., and its predecessor, for 32 years, and serving as counsel with Crenshaw, Ware & Martin PLC in Norfolk.

Among his first duties as chair, Fralin filled two council leadership roles, naming Marge Connelly chair of the council’s resources committee and Katharine Webb chair of the academic affairs committee.  Connelly has held senior roles in Virginia with Capital One, Wachovia Securities and Barclays in London. Webb served many years as senior vice president of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association.