Randolph-Macon College President Robert R. Lindgren is pleased to announce that the College’s 2019 Commencement speaker will be Alan B. Rashkind, RMC alumnus and distinguished attorney, who will retire this spring after 10 years as Chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees.

Randolph-Macon’s Commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 1, at the Frank E. Brown Fountain Plaza on campus.

“We are thrilled that Alan—a dedicated alumnus, generous philanthropist and established leader—will serve as our Commencement speaker,” says Lindgren. “Alan’s commitment to the College is simply unparalleled, and we are honored that he will share his wisdom and perspectives with our graduates and their families. It is particularly fitting that this Commencement will mark the closing out of his highly successful tenure as our Board Chair, and while he will be celebrating his 50th class reunion during graduation at the same time.”

Mr. Rashkind graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He was a very active and involved student who excelled academically, and was elected to Pi Gamma Mu, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Pi Delta Epsilon. He was also Captain of the Debate Team, served as the President of both Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity and the Council of Fraternity Presidents, and was listed in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.

Mr. Rashkind then earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and is the senior member of the firm Furniss, Davis, Rashkind and Saunders, P.C. in Norfolk, Virginia, where he specializes in defense of civil litigation and insurance coverage matters. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Bar Foundation and the Virginia Law Foundation, he is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Virginia Super Lawyers, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in American Law. Beyond the courtroom, Mr. Rashkind taught as an adjunct professor at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary for 11 years.He is also the co-author of the leading insurance text in Virginia, the Virginia Insurance Case Finder, now in its third edition. He and his wife are among the co-founders of Chesapeake Bay Academy, a private K-12 school in Virginia Beach serving students with learning differences, and Mr. Rashkind formerly served as chair of their Board of Trustees.

Mr. Rashkind recently announced that he will be retiring from the RMC Board of Trustees. His service on the Board spanned 29 years, during which time he tirelessly shared his time, talent and expertise with the college community and beyond. He has been active on numerous Board and College committees, including the Society of Alumni Board and his 25th and 50th Class Reunion Committees.

Since 2009, Mr. Rashkind has served as the Board’s Chair, and his contributions have had a significant impact on the life of the College. Under his leadership, the College concluded its historic $125 million capital campaign, Building Extraordinary; facilitated its current Strategic Plan; experienced significant enrollment growth; increased its endowment by 29 percent; and completed facilities such as Andrews Hall, Brock Commons, Birdsong Hall, Macon F. Brock, Jr. Hall, the Banks Tennis Center, the new Day Field, the John B. Werner Pavilion at McGraw-Page Library, and Hugh Stephens Baseball Field at Estes Park.

Mr. Rashkind and his wife, Suzette, are extraordinarily philanthropic and are recognized among the College’s most generous donors as members of the Presidents Society and Heritage Society. Moreover, the entire Rashkind family has been integral to the success of a wide range of projects, academic programs, and initiatives for decades.

In 1989, the Rashkind Family Foundation established the Rashkind Faculty Development Fund to reward the efforts of tenured faculty during sabbatical leaves and promote research and advanced study by tenure-track faculty. This initiative was spearheaded by Alan’s mother, Eleanor, and father, Julian, who himself served for 12 years as a Trustee of the College. To date, the fund has generated nearly $1 million in faculty grants to over 100 recipients. The Rashkind Fund is also generously supported by Alan’s brother, Michael Rashkind ’71; his son, Graham Rashkind ’96 and daughter-in-law, Cameron Morgan Rashkind ’94; and his son, Doug.

“He has been a visionary and strategic leader,” says Lindgren, “effectively steering the College towards success. This, combined with his style of encouraging inclusiveness and showing respect towards others, has earned him the trust and support of faculty, staff, students and his colleagues on the Board. He certainly lives his values every day, and they are reflected in everything he does. He has left an indelible mark on his alma mater and we are decidedly better for his service and dedication.”