Virginia529 Announces Board Appointments

RICHMOND , VA--(Marketwired - August 01, 2013) - Virginia529 College Savings Plan (Virginia529) announces recent appointments to its board, effective July 1.

William S. Jasien of Clifton joins the board for a four-year term. Jasien is president and CEO of StoneHedge Global Partners, a financial services firm. Governor Bob McDonnell appointed Jasien to replace Mark Steppel of Reston whose four-year term expired June 30. 

Vincent Carpenter, founder of Chesapeake Financial Services, was reappointed to a second full term by the Senate Rules Committee. Carpenter, a resident of Chesapeake, currently serves as vice-chairman of the board. 

R. Fern Spencer of Midlothian and John Whitlock of Richmond were reappointed by Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William Howell. Spencer is the chief financial officer of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She was originally appointed to the Virginia529 board May 20, 2010. Whitlock is the chairman of audiovisual and videoconferencing services firm Whitlock. His initial term began July 1, 2009. Both were reappointed through June 30, 2017. 

Virginia529 is governed by an 11-member board. Shawn P. McLaughlin, president of McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc., is chairman of the board and currently serving a second term. The board is rounded out by members Peter Blake, executive director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; Dr. Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System; Manju Ganeriwala, Treasurer of Virginia; David Van Moll, Comptroller of Virginia; Philip R. Langham, benefits administration and payments director at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; and Amy P. Nisenson, executive director of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation.

About the Virginia529 College Savings Plan:
Virginia529 is a 529 college savings plan that offers flexible, affordable, tax-advantaged savings for qualified higher education expenses through its four programs -- Virginia529 prePAID (SM) (prePAID (SM)), Virginia529 inVEST (SM) (inVEST (SM)), CollegeAmerica® and CollegeWealth®. With 2.3 million accounts and more than $43 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2013, Virginia529 is the largest 529 plan in the country. For more information on Virginia529's college savings options, visit Virginia529.com.