Youngkin fires Bert Ellis from University of Virginia Board of Visitors
The Rotunda at the University of Virginia. (Photo by Sarah Vogelsong/Virginia Mercury)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin fired businessman Bert Ellis from the University of Virginia's Board of Visitors on Wednesday and announced plans to appoint former state senator and Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to replace him.
'It is with sadness that I remove you as a member of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors,' the governor wrote in a Wednesday letter to Ellis, who has a history of making controversial statements and whose 2022 appointment to the board was protested by UVA 'faculty senate, student council and campus newspaper, the Cavalier Daily,' according to VPM News.
Youngkin thanked Ellis for his 'hard work,' but also wrote that Ellis' conduct 'on many occasions' has violated the state's Code of Conduct for state boards and commissions, and the Board of Visitors Statement of Visitor Responsibilities.
Youngkin's letter stopped short of expanding on Ellis' alleged violations.
Ellis' future on the board came into question after the Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the governor wanted to remove his appointee, despite the two sharing a common goal to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
On March 8, the board voted to dissolve UVA's DEI office to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order that threatened to strip federal funding from colleges and universities that didn't comply. DEI opponents believe that hiring and promoting people should be based on merit and not on someone's race or gender, while supporters say DEI initiatives are meant to address systematic bias that historically stalled the progress of Americans of color and women.
'This board unanimously voted to rip out the entire DEI infrastructure and everybody who works in the DEI infrastructure,' Ellis told The Daily Progress March 20. 'Absolutely every aspect of it, every aspect of every program. Every aspect of DEI is to be ripped out, shredded and terminated.'
But that wasn't the first time the outspoken Ellis has expressed his opinion on other controversial matters, including social issues and pro-Gaza demonstrations.
He has been recorded criticizing law enforcement for how they do their jobs on UVA's campus and reportedly confronted a student about a sign posted on her dorm room door referencing the university's ties to slavery.
Ellis is a 1975 UVA graduate and the former president of the Jefferson Council. He is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has founded and operated numerous companies including Ellis Capital, a consulting and investment firm focused on media, technology, healthcare, and fintech. He also serves as the Lead Director of Johnson Energy Storage in Atlanta, which is developing next-generation solid-state batteries for electric vehicles.
Shortly after dismissing Ellis, the governor announced that Cuccinelli, a 1991 UVA graduate, would join the board.
'Ken's legal and policy expertise will be incredibly valuable to ensure swift action with the ongoing changes and challenges in higher education,' Youngkin said in a statement. 'I have full confidence he will help ensure Mr. Jefferson's University remains a place of opportunity, merit, and academic freedom.'
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