A message from the Office of the President.
As many of you heard me mention in the All-University Address a few weeks ago, UMW Vice President Sabrina Johnson has announced that she will retire at the end of the spring semester. At the time of her retirement on June 24, she will have served at Mary Washington for 24 years. She began her tenure in 1997 at the helm of the University’s Department of Human Resources – first as assistant vice president and then as associate vice president. For the past three years, Johnson has held the role of UMW’s Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Equity and Access.
The first to hold this position, she was uniquely qualified by her professional experiences, including teaching in the arts and serving in Virginia’s Department of Human Resources Management in Richmond, as well as her formal education in law. Her compassionate approach has allowed her to become a voice for underrepresented populations such as first-generation and low-income students, ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ communities, veterans and international students. She has championed those who felt marginalized, regardless of reason. As the momentum behind the University’s ASPIRE values and chief institutional advocate for a variety of viewpoints, Vice President Johnson has broadened the UMW community’s understanding of important and often overlooked issues.
I plan to consult with the campus community as I consider next steps in the process to identify a new leader for equity and access. Later this spring, we will celebrate the invaluable contributions of Vice President Johnson. In the interim, please join me in expressing our gratitude for her extraordinary contributions to our community.
President Troy Paino
