30th Anniversary

The University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies has been Leading the Way for 30 years, and it is time to spread the word! Our alumni came to Jepson to learn about leadership. Today, they lead organizations, effect change, and serve their communities. In short, Jepson leaders succeed. 

On Saturday, Sept. 17, members of the Jepson community gathered to reflect on the past and look toward the future. We also honored four extraordinary alumni whose personal and professional accomplishments reflect the School's mission. Watch our 30th anniversary video and read more about the evening's speakers and our alumni honorees below. 

Distinguished Speakers 

	30th Anniversary Speaker: Sandra J. Peart Sandra Peart became the fourth dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies in August 2007. An economist, she is also the E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies, president of the Jepson Scholars Foundation, and author or editor of 11 books and more than 100 articles. She holds a B.A. in history and economics, an M.A. in economics, and a Ph.D. in economics, all from the University of Toronto. Read more.
	30th Anniversary Speaker: Gill Robinson Hickman Gill Hickman is a professor of leadership studies emerita whose expertise is in management. As a founding faculty member of the Jepson School, she participated in the early structuring and formation of the program. She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Denver, an M.P.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Southern California. Read more.
	30th Anniversary Speaker: Kristin M. S. Bezio Kristin Bezio is an associate professor of leadership studies and the Jepson School’s Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Her areas of specialization include leadership in literature and film, leadership in performance, and cultural and political history in early modern England. She holds a B.A. in English literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an M.A. and Ph.D., both in English literature, from Boston University. Read more.
	30th Anniversary Speaker: President Kevin F. Hallock Kevin Hallock became the 11th president of the University of Richmond in August 2021. A labor market economist, he is an award-winning teacher and author or editor of 11 books and over 100 publications. Immediately prior to coming to Richmond, he served as dean of the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University. He holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University. Read more.
	30th Anniversary Speaker: Robert S. Jepson Jr.  Robert Jepson Jr. founded and was chairman and CEO of the Jepson Corporation, a Fortune 500 diversified manufacturing conglomerate, and later, chairman and CEO of Kuhlman Corporation, another diversified manufacturing conglomerate. Today, he is chairman and CEO of the private investment firm Jepson Associates, Inc. His vision and philanthropy led to the founding of the Jepson School. He holds a B.S. in business administration, an M.S. in commerce, and an honorary doctorate of commercial science, all from the University of Richmond. Read more.

Alumni Award Recipients

	2020 Tenth-Year Reunion Recognition Award Recipient: Luke West Parsons, '10  Luke Parsons, '10, is a partner and senior vice president at Woodruff Sawyer, one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US. He assists private equity and venture capital clients in all facets of insurance and was named to Risk & Insurance magazine's power broker list in 2020 and 2021. He co-chaired the University’s San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Chapter and serves on the Jepson Alumni Corps and the University of Richmond Alumni Association Board of Directors. He holds a B.A. in leadership studies from the University of Richmond and an M.B.A. from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
	2020 Alumni Award Recipient: Edna Renée Macbeth, '00 Renée Macbeth, ’00, is a senior academic advisor for first-year students at Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to advising students, she also teaches, mentors fellow advisors, and serves on the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. As a member of the National Academic Advising Association, she has served on conference-planning committees and as conference co-chair. She volunteers with the Jepson EDGE Institute and as co-chair of alumni engagement for the Jepson Alumni Corps. She holds a B.A. in leadership studies from the University of Richmond and an M.A. in sociology from the University of Virginia.
	2021 Tenth-Year Reunion Recognition Award Recipient: Kerrissa Lynne Richards MacPherson, '11 Kerrissa MacPherson, '11, is the program manager of community health for the Bon Secours Richmond Health System. In this role, she oversees community partnerships and collaborations for a health system service area that includes seven acute hospitals and encompasses the Northern Neck of Virginia, Metro Richmond, and parts of Southern Virginia down to the state border. She serves on the board of Urban Baby Beginnings and volunteers with the Jepson EDGE Institute. She holds a B.A. in leadership studies and a B.S. in biology and a master’s in nonprofit studies, all from the University of Richmond.
	2021 Alumni Award Recipient: Raegan Williams Morris, '99 Raegan Morris, ’99, is managing vice president of Card Channels at Capital One Financial Group in Richmond, Virginia. She is responsible for leading agent-servicing for a card business whose contact center network comprises dozens of sites across the globe and includes over 8,000 associates. She also leads Capital One’s Supply Chain Solutions organization. She is a member of the Jepson School’s Executive Board of Advisors and previously served on the University of Richmond Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Jepson Alumni Corps. She holds a B.A. in leadership studies and classical civilizations from the University of Richmond.