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NATIONAL NEWS

Major General Cedric T. Wins USA, Retired, Leads Virginia Military Institute as its 15 th Superintendent M ajor General Cedric T. Wins, USA, Retired (Mon- terey (CA) AL 1986) be- came the Virginia Military The state-led investigation was the result of a report from the Washington Post where Black cadets and alumni recounted a history of “relentless racism” at the college.

Institute's (VMI) 15 th Superintendent. VMI said Wins was unanimously voted in by the Institute’s Board of Visitors and has already been serving as the interim Superintendent since November 2020. “Maj. Gen. Wins has distinguished himself as a leader whose dedication to the Institute’s mission and to the Corps of Cadets has endeared him to many during his brief time as interim Superintendent,” said John William Boland, President of the VMI Board of Visitors. “VMI’s mission, Honor Code, and regimental and class systems are vitally important to the future success of our institution. There’s no question that Maj. Gen. Wins is the right person to preserve and advance VMI’s unique system of education moving forward.” During his time as interim superinten- dent, Maj. Gen. Wins’ priority has been to focus on the cadet experience. He has guided the Institute through the pandemic with a commitment to provide cadets with a VMI experience that is as normal as possible. This semester VMI has offered nearly 86% of classes through in-person or hybrid instruction and successfully conducted many key VMI experiences such as Ring Figure, breakout, Spring FTX, and athletic com- petitions. Additionally, deposits for Fall 2021 matriculants are running nearly 4% ahead of last year which was a record year for VMI. Wins took over when the previous Superintendent, Gen. J. H. Binford Peay, stepped down one week after Governor Ralph Northam and top state officials directed a third-party review of the college.

Wins is an alumnus of VMI and gradu- ated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and commissioned into the Army as a field artillery officer. “If someone had told me a year ago that today I’d be the Superintendent of my alma mater , I would have told them they were crazy,” Wins said. “However, the interactions that I’ve had over the past six months with VMI’s outstanding cadets and dedicated faculty have been some of the most rewarding interactions of my career. The fact of the matter is I believe in the honor, integrity, civility, and sacrifice that we instill in our cadets. I’m excited to once again be a part of that and am looking forward to leading this next chapter of the Insti- tute’s history.” Gene Scott Chair of VMI’s Superinten- dent Search Committee and a member of the Board of Visitors, said that the committee left no stone unturned in their search for VMI’s next superinten- dent. “VMI is synonymous with leadership. So, when an opportunity to lead an organization like VMI opens up, there is no shortage of interest,” Scott said. “Our candidate pool was very strong from the outset of the search. Maj. Gen. Wins distinguished himself as a frontrunner through his experience as a military leader and innovator. His ability to com- municate a vision for the development of leaders of character and the future of the Institute set him apart from others.” Maj. Gen. Wins spent much of the first three months of his tenure as VMI’s

interim superintendent conducting an assessment of the culture, policies, and procedures currently in place. He spent countless hours meeting with and listen- ing to cadets, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni to better understand their needs and concerns. He identified five out- comes for the Institute moving forward: 1. Honor. The VMI Honor Code must continue to be a way of life for each and every cadet and alumnus. 2. Diversity and inclusion. VMI must ensure that every cadet, regardless of race, gender, reli- gion, or nationality, feels a part of the VMI legacy.

3. The VMI brand. The out-

ward face of VMI should be built around young leaders of character who exemplify honor, civility, and service above self. 4. Competing and winning. VMI cadets must compete to win in the classroom, on the drill field, and on the field of competition.

THE JOURNAL ♦ SPRING 2021 | 41

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