Leadership

Joel Gardner

President

Joel Gardner is president of The Jefferson Council and a 1970 alumnus of UVA. His dedication to the well-being of the University has always been a priority. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of the Z Society, TILKA, the Raven Society, ODK National Leadership Fraternity, and Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. After serving on active duty with the Army Reserves, he returned to UVA to obtain his law degree and was an editor of the Law Review, a member of the Order of the Coif, and served on the Student Council. After graduation, he initially practiced law with a major Wall Street law firm, then segued into investment banking, where he spent the next 30 years as a corporate finance banker specializing in transactions with the Pacific Basin.

While he was no longer in Charlottesville, Joel never truly left the University. He has served on four University boards, including being a founding member of the Rotunda Society Board, has chaired more than a half dozen fundraising efforts, and most recently served on the University’s Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry. He has been a UVA parent twice and is the author of From Rebel Yell to Revolution, which tells the story of the momentous four years in UVA’s history while he was an undergraduate. He has traveled around the country giving book talks to numerous UVA alumni clubs. He has also published a number of articles dealing with UVA for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. Joel was actively involved in the creation of The Jefferson Council and served on its first Executive Committee.

Joel’s dedication to the well-being of the University has always been a priority in his life, and he enjoys continuing these efforts as President of The Jefferson Council.

Chip Vaughan

Secretary emeritus

Chip Vaughan is secretary emeritus of The Jefferson Council and a 1969 alumnus of UVA, where he played soccer and was a member of SAE fraternity. He served in the US Army and at the Virginia State Corporation Commission, after which he attended law school. He practiced law in Richmond until his retirement in 2019. Alongside other UVA alumni, Chip organized the Jefferson Scholars presence in Richmond and was an active member of the Richmond Chapter of the UVA Alumni Association.

Andy McLean

Treasurer

Andy McLean is treasurer of The Jefferson Council and a 1972 UVA alumnus. A native of Charlottesville, Andy briefly worked in real estate, followed by a career in banking in Richmond for the past forty-five years. Notably, after serving in several Richmond banks, Andy founded the Bank of Goochland and was president until the bank was acquired by Essex Bank. Most recently, Andy served as the market president for First Bank/Richmond until his retirement in December 2023.