Havird ’90: New Commandant Focuses on Leadership Development

“We need a lot more George C. Marshalls coming out of the Institute for the next few decades.” That’s what retired U.S. Air Force Col. Lawrence “Ley” Havird ’90, the Institute’s new commandant, has to say about his vision for producing leaders.

The mission of VMI is about “developing leaders, regardless of where they go on to after leaving the Institute, whether it’s in the corporate world, civil service, or military service,” said Havird. “Our nation is in a deficit of leadership across all areas, and I’m pleased to be a product of VMI, having the opportunity to pay [it] forward back to VMI in the development of the future leaders that our nation will need.”

Havird, who served in the Air Force for 32 years, began his new position as the Institute’s 59th commandant Aug. 5, 2024. Prior to his return to post, he served as an academic advisor for the College of Health and Human Development at Pennsylvania State University. His last military posting was also at Penn State, where he served as detachment commander for the Air Force ROTC unit from 2020–23.

Havird’s father was a career naval officer, and by the time Havird was in high school, his father was assigned to the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, and the family was living in nearby Portsmouth. Havird, a baseball player, first heard about VMI from Carl Rhodes ’66, his coach at Churchland High School, but with the high concentration of VMI alums in Tidewater, there were plenty of other influences, as well, like the late Bill Crone ’64. Havird would go on to be roommates with Rhodes’ and Crone’s sons, Carl “Trey” Rhodes III ’90 and Steven “Dusty” Crone ’90, during his cadetship.

When the late Donnie White ’65, then the Institute’s baseball coach, recruited Havird as a walk-on baseball player, Bill Crone drove Havird to post for a look around and an interview with Col. William “Buck” Buchanan ’50B, then-director of admissions. Based on that interview, Havird was admitted—but a severe academic challenge lay ahead.

Havird described himself as a “middle of the road” student in high school whose grades and SAT scores didn’t reflect his true ability. “I would say I had the potential, but I had not been tested,” he noted. At VMI, the rigors of the Rat Line, coupled with academic demands, left him with a grade point average below 2.0 by Thanksgiving—and that earned him a tongue-lashing from his irate father. “He gave me the vector of, ‘You either get north of a 2.0, or you’re not going back,’” Havird recalled. “So, I learned how to study between the third week of November and finals. I got through finals, and I managed above 2.0, and it was kind of the tipping point for me academically. I learned that I was capable.”

With the help of Col. Mike Monsour (Hon), Ph.D., then-professor of modern languages, Havird overcame his academic challenges and became a distinguished graduate of VMI, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. In addition, he lettered on the baseball team his 2nd and 1st Class years.

When Havird commissioned into the Air Force, a long military career wasn’t his goal, but he kept being offered interesting assignments. Then, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, became a defining moment in Havird’s career and solidified the self-acknowledged “late bloomer” as someone willing to go all in.

“I was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington state in an operations officer position when 9/11 occurred, and the world changed,” he stated. “The sense of duty and service—it more leaned into the things I had recollected but probably didn’t recognize at VMI in terms of tactical level leadership and positively influencing others.”

During his military career, Havird held various officer leadership assignments at multiple locations and was deployed to Kyrgyzstan, Diego Garcia, and Qatar. He was a squadron commander for four units and led three maintenance groups as a colonel. In addition to his VMI degree, he holds two master’s degrees: One in military studies from the American Military University in Charles Town, West Virginia, and the second in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

“The chance to serve in this capacity at my alma mater is both humbling and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Havird. “I wish to thank Major General Wins [’85] for his support and confidence in extending the chance to continue service in the development of future leaders. The lessons and mentorship I received as a cadet at VMI were foundational to a successful Air Force career. My goal as commandant is to inspire, challenge, and guide cadets in becoming the confident, decisive, and innovative leaders our nation will need to navigate future challenges.”

Joining Havird in Lexington will be his wife, Jennifer, and their two teenage daughters.