Nick Langridge, Class of 2009

Vice President, University Advancement
James Madison University
Harrisonburg

What is new and exciting with you now or since your LEAD VIRGINIA class year?

After graduating 13 years ago, James Madison University continues to be where I go to work every day. I guess that makes me a "Failure to launch!" Thankfully, I continue to be offered new and meaningful ways to serve my alma mater. Since completing from LEAD VIRGINIA in 2009, I took on additional roles for University Planning and Institutional Research along with my position as Assistant to the President. This was followed by a chance to work on the Presidential Transition at JMU as the secretary to the presidential search committee, something that occurs very rarely for at the time we had only five presidents in our 104 year history. This type of continuity is extraordinary in Higher Education and the university has benefitted from prudent leaders who have governed with a long-term perspective to frame decision making. A national search yielded our sixth President, Jonathan R. Alger who was just inaugurated in March. In the midst of the transition, outgoing President Linwood H. Rose afforded me the chance to serve as the Acting Vice President of University Advancement. After a year in that acting role, President Alger and the Board of Visitors graciously made my position permanent and that is where I currently serve today. James Madison has a very people centered culture, it's one of those places that offers more than just a job, it feels like your life's work.

How did your LEAD VIRGINIA experience help to shape you as a leader?

LEAD VIRGINIA gave me a great perspective of evolving industries in the Commonwealth, economic opportunity, challenges facing health care, and a comprehensive view of the higher education landscape. Such insight has been valuable as we seek to serve goals of the Commonwealth and build synergy with partners in business and research on important issues on the horizon. It also gave a nice glimpse of the changing landscape of the economy that our graduates are entering after commencement.

Since LEAD VIRGINIA, how have you put social capital to work?

Working in University Advancement, the external relations arm of the university, is all about social capital. We have 116,000 alumni and graduate over 4,000 students every year. Creating meaningful ways for our alumni to reengage with the university and with each other around purposes and projects that matter, has been a very similar model as that of LEAD VIRGINIA. We tackle problems together, explore aspirations, learn, stretch, invest time, engage with students and focus on results. It's win-win, as we find the product of such social capital to be a true symbiotic relationship.

What is something that LEAD VIRGINIA inspired you to do that you were not doing before your class year?

Fellow alumni of LEAD VIRGINIA now represent partners in the Virginia Community College System, corporate partners of the university and even parents to JMU students! The dialogue which started on our journeys across the state have continued and proven to be productive.