Known for his approachable attitude, and his honest and open demeanor, UMW President Richard V. Hurley gained a reputation for greeting students with high-fives instead of handshakes. Now, after nearly six\u00a0years at the helm, Hurley plans to slap palms with one more wave of Mary Washington graduates on Ball Circle in May, then ride off into the sunset to enjoy retirement with his wife of 46 years, Rose.<\/p>\n
With UMW since 2000, Hurley served as executive vice president, chief financial officer, and acting president, before taking Mary Washington\u2019s top spot in 2010. He has worked in higher education, including at Longwood University and with Vermont State Colleges, for three decades.<\/p>\n
In addition to high-fives, Hurley is beloved for hosting students for dinners and ice-cream socials at his home at Brompton and regaling them with stories of his blue-collar roots and unconventional rise through the ranks. After serving in Vietnam, the New Jersey native pumped gas, waited tables, and worked in construction before returning to school to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree in environmental studies from Richard Stockton College.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever in a million years did I dream of becoming a college president,\u201d Hurley told University of Mary Washington Magazine<\/em> in the wake of his inauguration.<\/p>\n But his strong work ethic got him noticed, and as doors began opening, he waltzed through each one, working his way toward a master\u2019s degree in public administration at Central Michigan University. He also holds diplomas and certificates from the University of Kentucky and Harvard.<\/p>\n UMW\u2019s ninth president, Hurley has passionately supported the liberal arts, pushing his vision to make Mary Washington the nation\u2019s best public liberal arts and sciences university. He has worked to maintain the University\u2019s reputation for strong academics, outstanding value, and retention and graduation rates, while leading major campus renovation. During his tenure, he\u2019s overseen construction of the 52,000-square-foot William M. Anderson Center, the 72,000-square-foot Hurley Convergence Center, the 100,000 square-foot University Center, and the Eagle Village mixed-use development.<\/p>\n Involved with the Rappahannock United Way, Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Fredericksburg Regional Alliance, Hurley also has increased community engagement through initiatives like the Town and Gown Committee, and kept Mary Washington on track to reach its current $50 million Mary Washington First campaign goal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Known for his approachable attitude, and his honest and open demeanor, UMW President Richard V. Hurley gained a reputation for greeting students with high-fives instead of handshakes. Now, after nearly six\u00a0years at the helm, Hurley plans to slap palms with one more wave of Mary Washington graduates on Ball Circle in May, then ride off […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":26,"parent":0,"menu_order":400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-25","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n