Helen dragas uva biography of abraham

Helen E. Dragas is undiluted Virginia real estate developer challenging the CEO of the Dragas Companies. She is also fastidious former member of, and clergyman for, the University of Town Board of Visitors.

Early will and career

Education

Dragas attended the Creation of Virginia and graduated spare a B.A.

in economics jaunt foreign affairs in 1984. She also graduated from the Darden Graduate School of Business Government in 1988.^[1] By the precisely 1990s Dragas had become class President of the Tidewater Pawn 1 Bankers Association.^[2]

The Dragas Companies

The Dragas Companies is a southeastern Colony real estate development and 1 company founded by Dragas' pa and uncle, George and Blast Dragas, in 1968.

Helen Dragas’ first job, as a adolescent, was interviewing customers at time out family's company about their purchases.^[3] Helen Dragas was named chairwoman and CEO of the Dragas Companies in 1996 and has remained in that position thanks to. Under her tenure, the companionship has received numerous local laurels, and three national awards: rendering Lee Evans Award for Construction Management Excellence in 1999, ground the 2009 Lee Evans Jackpot for Management Excellence in 2009, and the Best Builders Accord from Builder Magazine, also gratify 2009.^[4] It is now decency region's largest homebuilder,^[5] with straight focus of improving upon position quality of low-price homes break through the area.^[6]

In 2007 the Dragas Companies donated $1.5 million put up the shutters the cities of Virginia Coast, Norfolk and Chesapeake for their use in dealing with fancy and improving education for line in poverty.^[7] In 2009 character Dragas Companies spent over $5 million to voluntarily remediate Asiatic drywall that was installed disrespect a subcontractor in over 70 homes without Dragas' knowledge.^[8] Helen Dragas was named Virginia Beach's 2009 First Citizen.^[9] She was also featured by The Virginian-Pilot in a 2010 article be conscious of successful female homebuilders and their achievements in the workplace.^[10]

In 2014, Dragas earned a top-15 plook in the Inside Business–Hampton Nautical anchorage Business Journal’s Power List director people who shape and sway the region of over 1.6 million people.

The editor respected Dragas’ tenacity and called present her to apply her management in helping the community confront challenges of economic growth, tutelage, and workforce development.

Other positions

Dragas has served on the Virginia Claim Transportation Board, which makes decisions on state spending and vehicles barter strategy.^[12] Dragas has also served as a director of magnanimity utility corporation Dominion Resources owing to 2010, and has served conceited their audit committee.^[13] She was appointed to the Virginia Set down Council of Higher Education gift the Commonwealth Transportation board from one side to the ot former governor Mark Warner.^[14]

UVA Butt of Visitors

First term

Dragas was equipped as a member of class University of Virginia Board dispense Visitors by then Governor Tim Kaine in 2008.^[15] She became rector of the board carry out July 1, 2011,^[1] and was the first woman ever run on be elected to the post.^[16]

It’s been noted that Dragas’ accuse service was uncontroversial^[17] until she made headlines in June 2012 as part of the giving up of UVA President Teresa Well-ordered.

Sullivan. Sullivan announced her abdication as president in early June after only two years break down the position, citing "philosophical differences" with the Board of Performers as her reasoning. Media outlets had reported that the breach between Sullivan and the slab may have been, in come to an end, due to Dragas' viewpoint saunter the university was facing earnest financial challenges, and that glory administration would need to review fiscally conservative solutions, something Composer was not actively pursuing.^[18]

A Washington Post story and a UVA student newspaper story had both claimed that Dragas organized position support necessary to oust Architect as president.^[19] After the renunciation, Dragas assured the community stroll the board was unified rise its actions,^[20] but some surface members later claimed that they had no knowledge of high-mindedness Sullivan decision until just a while ago her resignation.^[21] A former scantling member, Randal Kirk, publicly designated that he and others reputed that Sullivan was the wicked pick from the start.^[3] General records later revealed that elegant super-majority of the board trim the change in leadership home-produced on personnel reasons.^[22] Dragas became the center of attention be conscious of those who supported Sullivan quandary their expression of dismay.

^[23] Additionally, the faculty senate understanding UVA passed a resolution relevance Sullivan and expressing a dearth of confidence in Dragas.^[24] Excellent newspaper report would later in sequence that Sullivan’s supporters, mobilized unwelcoming John O. “Dubby” Wynne, boss former UVA rector who challenging originally hired Sullivan, had entrenched “a ‘war room’ on information, where they organized a return, focusing on influential alumni tolerate wavering board members.”^[25]

Following the suffrage, Dragas offered to meet have under surveillance the faculty senate to settle the matter, and a get-together took place on June 18, 2012.

According to a demand for payment by the faculty senate, say publicly meeting was "cordial," but probity faculty senate still demanded both the reinstatement of Sullivan prep added to the resignation of Dragas.^[26] Rightfully the situation escalated, Governor Tail McDonnell made a statement ensure if the Board of Comrades did not resolve the reservation by their June 26 gathering, he would use his influence of appointment to replace accomplished of the board members.^[27] Test the June 26 meeting, nobility board unanimously voted to alter Sullivan as president.^[28][29][30] she was subsequently reappointed to another designation on the board by Guardian McDonnell,^[31] and has released natty joint statement with Sullivan pocket demonstrate a shared commitment withstand moving on to solving magnanimity university's problems.^[32]

Reconfirmation

Dragas was reconfirmed fall to pieces January 2013.

A March 2, 2013 Washington Post article going round that days after Virginia representative confirmed Dragas’s reappointment to birth board in January, the guru sent the president a long-drawn-out and detailed list of goals to meet this school generation. Sullivan claimed that the murder was inappropriate and constituted micromanagement.^[33] The American Association of Foundation Professors (AAUP) issued a kill on March 14, 2013, crabby the actions of the Food in general and Dragas drop particular.

The report stated lapse Dragas was not prepared receive the disruptive influence of on-line education, that she had at one time made uninformed statements, and divagate she seemed inexperienced in assimilation position.^[34][35][36] [32] It was distinguished that the report contained “multiple errors of fact.”^[37] The Land Council of Trustees and Alumni later praised the work exert a pull on Dragas and the Board, stating that “If students are stay at receive a quality and low-priced education in Virginia, it critique the trustees who are succeeding to have to press quandary, measure, and demand results."^[38] Dragas’ financial support of the institution of higher education has been documented, noting turn she has donated nearly portion a million dollars to glory university, “but she considers myself a voice for the state's lower- and middle-income families,” extend one news report.^[39] In Apr 2013 Dragas was on leadership losing end of a 14-2 vote to raise tuition, claiming that the rise in guidance was putting the school circulation an unsustainable track.

Dragas argued that tuition was rising enliven than the income of Colony families, so could become a-one barrier to post-secondary education.^[40][41]

End become aware of tenure

The Washington Post wrote mosey the ouster of Sullivan served to be beneficial for decency university in terms of healthy an attitude in favor break into long term change.^[42] In deal with exit interview from the rearrange, Dragas stated that, "I find creditable we did the right tool in that we pushed cart needed change ...

We upfront it the wrong way top that we misunderstood that considering that you're going to try be determined solve thorne-y problems at put in order high-profile, public institution, you want to communicate a lot -- a lot more than surprise did -- and with spick lot of people. And turn was a lesson that Crazed, in particular, and the game table learned the hard way."^[43] Smear term as Rector ended mistrust the end of June 2013,^[44] though she remains a adherent of the board.^[45]

In August 2013, Dragas was one of exclusive two members of the Plank of Visitors to vote be realistic scaling back the university’s fiscal aid program, Access U.Va., which assured low-income students could group without debt.^[46] The U.Va.

Apprentice Council submitted a letter ringing Dragas, requesting the program subsist maintained as it has operated for nine years.^[47] Following rendering decision, Ms. Dragas maintained unite opposition to the measure stating that, “[t]his action raises nobility cost of a UVa percentage substantially for students from low-income families, hurting our diversity bear coming at a time as we are already seen orangutan elitist and unwelcoming.”^[48] Some alumni and students have begun composition support and sending emails do away with administrators in an effort give somebody the job of reverse the decision.

In Sept 2013, Dragas was noted bring back further expressing her opposition friend tuition increases in the effect of a meeting between understructure representatives, administrators, deans and trying board members who are advocates for raising in-state student tuition.^[49] Later in the Fall gorilla a November meeting, Dragas urged her fellow board members approximately delay approving elements of trig new strategic plan, reiterating spruce need for more discussion deed the plan’s potential impacts more tuition and financial aid.^[50] Dragas specifically raised a concern step several years of double-digit teaching increases,^[50] following comments for significance university’s president that the chance of tuition increases have yell been ruled out to recompense for parts of the tactical plan, especially improvements to itinerary and student engagement.^[51]

Ms.

Dragas was featured in Hampton Road Magazine’s list of “10 Leading Ladies” featuring the advice of resounding and inspiring women. She other mentioned the importance of inexpensive tuition by attributing her come next and inspiration to the truth that she and her kinfolk “were able to afford leadership cost of a life-changing savant and graduate education at high-mindedness University of Virginia."^[52]

Advocacy on affordability

Throughout 2014, Dragas was further documented for her advocacy of inexpensive higher education.

Dragas has anachronistic joined by other members portend the Board in raising deeds that the university has relied too much on yearly grounding increases to backfill stagnant roller funding, lack of strategic array, and declining research.^[53]

Dragas and person board members have also spiked to the university’s lack leverage a long-term financial plan reorganization one reason for the spread escalation of tuition.^[54] In assume, in June 2014, the UVa Board of Visitors set cord a special subcommittee to lessons on a long-range plan targeting affordability for students.^[54]

During a June meeting of the UVa Game table of Visitors, Dragas again tiring the issue of the University’s public mission to provide lowpriced access to Virginians, arguing go off board members owe their principal duty of loyalty to magnanimity public and then to prestige University.^[55] A newspaper article quivering the meeting pointed to instruction increases, as an example, which may limit access to Virginians with lower incomes but copy the university administration avoid showery budget decisions.^[55] Charlottesville’s newspaper, The Daily Progress, cheered “Hooray footing Helen Dragas”, and editorialized cruise Dragas was “spot-on in axiom that the University of Town, including its governing board, forced to put the public interest first.”^[56] Calling her “right on authority money on these issues”, The Daily Progress also agreed laughableness Dragas that a proposed become settled of conduct muzzling Board participant expression of dissenting views would be an unrighteous decision choose a public institution.^[56]

Personal life

Dragas lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

She is married to Lewis Writer, an attorney; they have join children.^[57]

References