July 30, 2019

Dear Colleague,

It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of two persons who recently joined our Old Dominion University community.

New Board of Visitors member MacArthur A. DeShazer Sr., president and CEO of Aethiops Business Solutions, died Sunday.

ShaRhonda Nickelson, administrative office specialist in the Office of Research, passed away Monday.

Mr. DeShazer began his term on the Board on July 1. He was also executive director of the MacArthur and Janice T. DeShazer Foundation and formerly worked for Lockheed Martin Information Systems. Before entering the private sector, he was a commissioned colonel in the U.S. Army, associate deputy under secretary for International Labor Affairs, president of the National Summit on Africa and director of African Affairs with the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton.

Ms. Nickelson, who worked as a financial tech under the Assistant to the Vice President for Research Tawana Hardy, joined the University on June 25.

Unfortunately, this sad news comes less than two weeks after the passing of former Board of Visitors Rector Bill Rueger. He served on the Board from 1992 to 1996 and as rector from 1994 to 1996.

I know all of you join me in extending our condolences to their family and friends.

Sincerely,

John R. Broderick
President