Randolph-Macon College President Robert R. Lindgren welcomes a recently elected member, Gilbert T. Bland, to the college’s Board of Trustees.

“We welcome Mr. Bland and are grateful for his leadership,” says Lindgren. “He will play an important role in providing valuable guidance for Randolph-Macon and help to ensure its continuing prosperity.”

Gilbert T. Bland
Bland, chairman of the GilJoy Group, has been a franchisee of Burger King and Pizza Hut for over 30 years, and has owned and operated more than 70 restaurants. He earned his B.S. in accounting and economics from James Madison University and his M.B.A. from Atlanta University. He began his business career as a commercial lending officer in Chicago.

He has received numerous awards for his community service and business initiatives, including the 2008 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award, and the 2015 Albert B. “Buck” Gornto Jr. Regional Service Award from Old Dominion University.

Bland has provided leadership for various boards including: State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (chairman); Burger King Minority Franchise Association (president); Hampton Roads Community Foundation; Old Dominion University Board of Visitors; James Madison University Foundation; Virginia Chamber of Commerce; LEAD Virginia; and Sentara Healthcare. In 1993 Bland established the Gilbert Bland/Burger King Scholarship at James Madison University.

Bland and his wife, Joyce, live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They are the parents of five children.