ODU board names new rector, other officers

The Old Dominion University Board of Visitors has elected a new slate of officers, including former newspaper executive Bruce Bradley as rector, the university announced Monday.

Bradley was the president of Landmark Publishing Group and executive vice president of Landmark Media Enterprises LLC before he retired, and he was previously president and publisher of The Virginian-Pilot, which Landmark owned until 2018. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and an MBA from ODU. He was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in 2010 and a distinguished alumni award in 2015. Bradley is also a Navy veteran and helped establish the Bruce and Lily Bradley Distinguished Research Fellowship in Coastal Resilience in 2018.

Bradley takes the place of Kay Kemper, who will remain on the board but stepped down as rector.

Toykea S. Jones, a Norfolk native, was named the vice rector. Senior manager for commercial operations of Johnson & Johnson, Jones has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s in environmental engineering from ODU. She has endowed three scholarships.

Yvonne T. Allmond was elected secretary. She is an executive vice president and the community financial engagement officer at TowneBank and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University.