Graves brings financial experience to Randolph Board of Trustees

Kathy Graves ’80

Kathy Graves ’80 has called Lynchburg home since she came to college in 1976. Since that time, she has served the community as a volunteer and as a member of numerous committees and boards. Now she has the unique opportunity to make a difference at her alma mater as one of the newest members on the Randolph College Board of Trustees.

“I wanted to give back to the College because it’s such an integral part of my life,” Graves said. “I wouldn’t be who I am and wouldn’t be where I am, and I wouldn’t have the friends and probably wouldn’t have the family that I have today if it were not for my four years at Randolph.”

Graves, who joined the Board this fall, brings a wealth of experience in the financial sector. She has spent most of her career in banking and is currently a client relationship advisor for SunTrust Bank in Lynchburg. She is a past president of the Lynchburg Estate Planning Council and the Lynchburg Morning Rotary Club, and has served on the boards for the YMCA and the governance committee for Centra Health. In the realm of education, she was a member and at one time served as chair of the James River Day School Board of Trustees. She has also worked as a volunteer for the R-MWC Alumnae and Randolph College Alumni Association.

In her spare time, Graves is an avid runner and a regular contender in the Virginia 10 Miler. A lifelong athlete, she played basketball and field hockey in college and has recently discovered a love for golfing and skiing. During her downtime, she enjoys reading.

As a Randolph trustee, Graves plans to use her expertise in finance and community relations to help the College succeed.

“My biggest goal is to help Randolph continue to grow and thrive as a coeducational institution,” she said. “I think there are a lot of challenges for higher education, particularly smaller liberal arts colleges, as we see changes both within the economy and within higher education in general. But I’m a strong believer in liberal arts education.”