Governor Announces Appointments to UMW Board of Visitors

The Virginia Governor’s Office announced the appointment of Sharon Bulova of Fairfax County, Edward B. Hontz of Stafford County and Deidre Powell White of Fredericksburg to the Board of Visitors at the University of Mary Washington. They will serve four-year terms, which expire June 30, 2020. They succeed Tara C. Corrigall, Theresa Young Crawley and Mark S. Ingrao, whose terms will end on June 30, 2016.

Sharon Bulova

Sharon Bulova is chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a position she has held since February 2009. Previously, she served as supervisor for the Braddock District in Fairfax County and was chair of the board’s budget committee. Bulova also served as chairman of the Council of Government’s “Greater Washington 2050 Coalition,” an effort that culminated in the adoption of the Region Forward Regional Compact planning initiative signed by all 21 of the COG’s jurisdictions. In addition, Bulova helped establish the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter rail system, and has served on the VRE operations board since its inception. The 2009 recipient of the Council of Government’s Elizabeth & David Scull Metropolitan Public Service Award, Bulova also was named the Virginia Transit Association’s 2012 Local Public Official of the Year award.

Edward B. Hontz

Edward Hontz, a former Navy captain, is the vice president of Basic Commerce and Industries, Inc., in charge of the company’s Navy programs in Dahlgren, Va. During his career with the Navy, Hontz served a year in Vietnam and participated in numerous military operations. He also served various on-shore duties, including as commanding officer of the AEGIS Training Center in 1995. Active in the Fredericksburg area, Hontz was a member of the Stafford County Economic Development Authority and the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce board of directors. In 2015 he became a citizen member of the Mary Washington Healthcare board of trustees. A founding member of the Fredericksburg Military Affairs Council (MAC) in 2006, he served on its board of directors until 2012. While chairman, he took a lead role in promoting the establishment of UMW’s Dahlgren Campus, Center for Education and Research.  Hontz also is recipient of the 2015 Prince B. Woodard leadership award given by the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, and afterwards he led the effort to establish a UMW student leadership cash award supported by an endowment funded by previous Prince B. Woodard award recipients.

Deirdre Powell White

Deirdre Powell White is founder and CEO of DPW Training and Associates, LCC, a software and training agency established in 2003 that provides technical training to agency employees of the federal government. She also is chairman of The DPW Foundation, which she founded to provide annual scholarships for high school seniors planning to attend college. Active in the local Fredericksburg community, White served on the UMW President’s diversity community advisory board. In addition, she was a member of the Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2010 and the Fredericksburg Region Multiple Sclerosis Leadership Class of 2010. White has been named the “Outstanding Young Woman of America” and Empire’s Who’s Who “Executive of the Year.” She also received the Laurie A. Wideman Enterprising Woman’s Award sponsored by the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. White is a 1991 graduate of Mary Washington College.