While a college student, David Lyons remembers one Christmas break calling on local businesses, handing out his resume, and looking for summer work.

“That was before internships were really a thing,” said Lyons, an alum and a current member of the University of Richmond board of trustees. He eventually snagged a job with a manufacturing plant where he met an incredibly diverse group of employees.

“I was a 21-year-old in a lab coat and clipboard. I knew absolutely nothing, but I learned a lot about management, employee dynamics, and how to build relationships,” he said. Economics professor Bob Nicholson sponsored him for an independent study that summer.

“I had monthly check-in calls and wrote a 20-page paper for him and, as a result, received academic credit for it,” Lyons said.

He majored in business administration and especially enjoyed finance classes. He took three courses with finance professor, R.T. Partain. “He taught in a way that resonated with me and he had a great sense of humor,” he said.

Lyons graduated in 1987 and later received his MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

While at Richmond, Lyons was involved in Robins School of Business Student Government and the Interfraternity Council. He fondly reflects on the closeness of the Class of 1987. “It was one big friend group of students that bridged across Greek affiliations and made being on campus a great experience.”

Today, Lyons is managing director, chief operating officer, and chief compliance officer at Brockenbrough, a Richmond-based financial investment and wealth management firm. His firm usually hires at least one University of Richmond intern every summer.

“David is the consummate Spider. He is always kind, welcoming, and humble, and his passion for advancing the University of Richmond is evident in all that he does,” said Frank Allen, director of employer relations for the University’s Career Services. “He has provided opportunities to help launch students’ careers in finance through internships and mentorship.”

Lyons serves as a mentor, along with the firm’s founder Austin Brockenbrough III and other fellow Spiders who work with Brockenbrough.

Lyons regularly attends University events and especially enjoys the chance to take in Spider athletic events. He is an unabashed fan of the basketball program and can be found cheering on the Spiders at lacrosse and football games as well. During the football season, he lends a hand with the lively “42 & the Tree” tailgate, a pre-game gathering of  friends who’ve been meeting for the last 40 years.

“Over the years, I have enjoyed some of the best tailgates you will find in the FCS football league.  It is come one, come all, and a ton of fun.” he said.

He has served for 10 years on the Robins School of Business Executive Advisory Council and previously served for six years as a member of the University of Richmond Alumni Association Board of Directors — including as a past president for both.  

“I really enjoyed my time on the URAA board. I loved serving with alumni from different eras. It was a huge treat to work with the awesome alumni relations team who remind us of the value of our Richmond connections, and what it means to be alumni of this university.”

Lyons was recently appointed to his first term as a member of the UR board of trustees.

“I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to have been given the opportunity to become involved as a volunteer and a contributing member of the University community,” he said. “I have gained such respect for the University’s leadership which effectively executes on the school’s mission, and I am equally impressed with the amazing generosity of donors that have had such a profound impact on the university through their philanthropy.”

Lyons is also active on a few boards and charities in the Richmond community, including as a member and treasurer of the Maymont Foundation’s board of directors and a member and past chair of the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center advisory board.  

Lyons returned to Richmond in 1996 after working in Charlotte, New York, and Baltimore.  

“I live a mile away and work a mile or so from campus,” he said, “so it’s easy for UR to be a big part of my day-to-day life.”