Estate Planning Council Chair Robert L. Bradshaw, Jr.
Ferrum College’s Estate Planning Council is comprised of professionals who provide valuable input on the estate planning industry, in addition to serving as advocates of the College. Among this group of respected professionals is Chairman Bob Bradshaw, a Senior Vice President of Client Administration with The Trust Company of Virginia.
Bradshaw graduated from The University of Virginia with a BS in Commerce and began his career with a bank in Durham, NC. Some time later, he moved to Roanoke to manage the regional trust office of what is currently Bank of America. In 1999, Bradshaw opened the Roanoke office of The Trust Company of Virginia, which began its operations in 1993, as an independent provider of trust and estate settlement and investment management services; currently, The Trust Company of Virginia has offices in six locations across the state. Bradshaw believes his career allows him a wonderful opportunity to work with individuals, families, organizations, and the professional community in addressing complexities such as financial asset management, estate planning, and applying a long term conservative perspective to such issues.
In its history, Bradshaw says the Ferrum College Estate Planning Council has not been the active and engaged board it is today. In a dormant state for several years, Bradshaw says the Council is “re-energized under President Braaten.” Currently, it functions as both an educational resource for the College and an outreach program for the community. Bradshaw notes the council is comprised of knowledgeable business professionals who enjoy assisting Ferrum College and participating in this capacity. Speakers at the twice yearly meetings address current issues in estate planning, providing the council members opportunities for growth in their industry while offering strategic feedback for use in estate planning at Ferrum College.
In the years since Bradshaw has served on the council, he has seen tremendous growth at Ferrum. “It is wonderful to see such progress and the energy of Dr. Braaten and her staff.” He notes the enthusiasm and dedication of the Ferrum community, saying, “Ferrum has hit a home run.” The increase in the public relations and social media communication has raised awareness of the events and opportunities at Ferrum—“you can’t pick up the paper without seeing Ferrum in the news!” While Bradshaw is not an alumnus of Ferrum, the progress he has witness is extremely encouraging.
Bradshaw believes it is important for professionals to participate in endeavors such as the Estate Planning Council, to give back to one’s community and never stop learning. At the same time, councils such as this provide opportunities for relationship building between the College and the surrounding community. He feels that while the people who work at Ferrum College have changed over time, the College itself is a strong citizen of the community and will remain so in the future.