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Virginia Wesleyan University Announces New Board Members
G. Robert Aston and Michael Rawls ’91 join the Board of Trustees
University News | January 25, 2021
G. Robert Aston, of Suffolk, and Michael Rawls ’91, of Dallas, have been elected to the Board of Trustees of Virginia Wesleyan University, according to John F. Malbon, Chair of the Board. Aston serves as Executive Chairman of the Board at TowneBank and Rawls is Chief Executive Officer of Xome.
“We are pleased to welcome such well-respected business and civic leaders to our outstanding Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Scott D. Miller, President of the University. “In this case, we are welcoming both Mike and Bob back to VWU since Mike is an alumnus and Bob previously served as a Trustee. We value their leadership and are honored that they have chosen to remain connected to the University in this very special and impactful way.”
According to Dr. Miller, as a private, non-profit institution, VWU is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. Board members are elected on the basis of commitment to the programs and purposes of VWU. The Board establishes the broad guidelines of philosophy and institutional purpose and names the president to carry out its guidelines. The VWU Board has a maximum of 40 members.
The University enrolls approximately 1,600 students annually in undergraduate, graduate, and online programs, approximately 400 students at LUJ/VWU Global (Japan), and approximately 3,000 non-credit learners in VWU Global Campus.
G. Robert Aston
Through 50 years of service to the community as a hometown banker and the leader of several community banks, G. Robert Aston has gained a significant level of management experience in all aspects of community banking. He began at Citizens Trust Company in 1964 and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from 1981 to 1985. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Commerce Bank from April 1985 to January 1995, then as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BB&T of Virginia from January 1995 to June 1998. He served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TowneBank from April 1999 to March 2018 and has also served as the President of TowneBank. Currently, Aston is the Executive Chairman of the Board at TowneBank. He also serves as a Director of Bon Secours Health System, Inc.
Aston and TowneBank have been tremendous friends and supporters of the University. TowneBank Foundation’s charitable gifts include TowneBank Park, which is comprised of the Tom and Betty Broyles Field for softball and Kenneth R. Perry Field for baseball. In the summer of 2020, Convocation Hall in the Jane P. Batten Student Center became TowneBank Arena, adding seats, new flooring, new branding, and upgrades throughout the auxiliary areas. Aston received a Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa) in December 2020 from VWU. This is Aston’s second tenure on the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees.
Michael Rawls ’91
Mike Rawls serves as Chief Executive Officer of Xome, a subsidiary of Mr. Cooper Group, the nation's largest non-bank mortgage company. Prior to joining Xome in 2020, Mr. Rawls served as the Executive Vice President of Mortgage Servicing for Mr. Cooper Group, where he held operational responsibility for the company's mortgage servicing portfolio. Since joining the company in 2000, he has served in several leadership positions, including President of Champion Mortgage and senior roles in the company's originations channels.
Previously, Mr. Rawls held leadership roles at Banc One Financial Services and at Household Financial Services.
A Virginia Beach native, Mr. Rawls earned a B.A. in Business Management from Virginia Wesleyan in 1991 while playing basketball and golf for the Marlins. He and his wife Lisa have three children and one grandson.