
Virginia Early Childhood Foundation Elects New Board Chair and Vice-Chair
Media Contact: Sara Hunt | SaraHuntPR@gmail.com | 804-994-1120
Richmond, VA (June 16, 2021) – Robert Hurt, of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., was elected for a two-year term as board chair of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) at the organization’s annual board meeting on June 16. Richard Bynum, of The PNC Financial Services Group, was elected vice-chair of the board.
VECF is a statewide public-private entity that serves as the non-partisan steward of Virginia’s promise for early childhood success, supporting equitable opportunities for all families with young children to thrive.
Robert Hurt, who has been a member of the VECF board since 2017 and had served as the board’s vice-chair since 2019, succeeds Ned W. Massee, president of Croatan Advisors in Richmond. Prior to joining Liberty University in 2017, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Virginia’s Fifth District for three terms from 2011-2017. He was the founding director of Liberty’s Center for Law & Government, where he developed numerous programs that have provided students with exceptional opportunities to engage with influential leaders from the nation’s capital and across the country. In 2019, he was asked to serve as dean for the Helms School of Government. Earlier in his career, he worked as a lawyer and citizen-legislator from Southside Virginia. He brings a wealth of legal, governing and leadership experience to his role as board chair of VECF, having served terms in the Virginia Senate, the Virginia House of Delegates and in local government.
Richard Bynum also joined the VECF board in 2017. Currently serving as chief corporate responsibility officer of The PNC Financial Services Group, he had previously served as regional president of PNC Bank in Greater Washington and Virgnia and had been a member of PNC’s retail executive leadership team, where he led the company’s small business division. In that role, he was responsible for targeting clients across the bank’s footprint with commercial solutions including lending, deposit services, merchant card processing and treasury management services. His experience in executive leadership spans nearly 20 years.
Continuing in their roles on the VECF board as treasurer and secretary, respectively, are Kevin Curtis, vice president for electric transmission at Dominion Energy, and Cynthia Romero, M.D., FAAFP, director of the M. Foscue Brock Institute for Community and Global Health at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
“VECF is fortunate to have such a talented team of board officers with Robert, Richard, Kevin and Cynthia. Each of them brings a unique, strategic perspective and strong commitment to transform Virginia’s early childhood landscape,” said Kathy Glazer, president of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. “We extend our sincere thanks to Ned for his exceptional leadership as board chair, especially during these unprecedented times caused by the pandemic. His vision, guidance and unwavering dedication helped VECF make tremendous strides in our long-term mission.”
“I look forward to collaborating with VECF’s fully engaged board of statewide business and community leaders, as well as with elected officials from both political parties,” said Robert Hurt. “Working together to lead change is essential as we strive to create a strengthened and more equitable child care system to support the families and children of Virginia.”
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About the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation: VECF creates results-oriented partnerships to ensure that young children are healthy and prepared for school, life and workforce success. To learn more about VECF and the Back to Work Virginia Task Force, visit www.vecf.org.