Founders College officially closed

 

Berry Hill to focus on resort business; new management confirmed

 

Founders College is officially closed – this, after students and faculty quietly went home more than a week ago, about a month ahead of the scheduled end of the spring semester. The college’s seven-month run is a disappointment to local leaders, some of whom originally hailed the start-up, for-profit venture as perhaps the best thing to happen to the area. A news release from Berry Hill Resort also publicly confirms a change made more than a month ago when Chairman and CEO Tamara Fuller told employees that Trish Miller, former chief of staff at the school, would

run its sister business, the Berry Hill Estate resort. At the time, Fuller declined to comment. The statement this week says Founders Land Co. assumed management of the property earlier this month. Courthouse records indicate Founders Land Co. is the owner of the bulk of the old estate holdings, bought last spring for $10.7 million from former owners Berry Hill Hotel Associates with a credit line of up to $21.4 million. (However, a contiguous piece of land, enlarging the property, was bought from Eva Harris by Founders College Development. Records indicate four entities holding land or lines of credit regarding the business: Founders Land Co. LLC, Founders Land SPE LLC, Founders College Education LLC and Founders College Development LLC.) Things started to go awry for the school about the time Dr. Gary Hull, director of the Program on Values and Ethics in the Marketplace at Duke

University, pulled out of the project last summer after having planned the college for years. The school was then squarely in the hands of Fuller, who eventually would run not only the school but Berry Hill, with which the college

shared grounds, facilities and even the dining room. Despite recruiting only 12 students for its opening class, Founders pushed forward with a gala opening that featured a NASA astronaut and hot-air balloons. At the first semester’s end at Christmas, however, more than half the class dropped out, huge debts had mounted, and both college professors and managers at Berry Hill Estate had departed in droves. Since then, the college and Fuller personally have been served with a barrage of high-dollar collection lawsuits, foreclosures and a lien by

the Virginia Department of Taxation. A press release e-mailed to newspapers on Tuesday read in full: "The

Berry Hill Estate is under new management. On April 3 the lease to Founders College Education ended. On that date the owner of the property, Founders Land Company, assumed direction of management. The exclusive focus of new management will be on hotel operations rather than the college. Its goal is to develop this historic local treasure

to its full potential as a destination hotel, resort and center for important events in the South Boston Community."

Miller did not return phone calls seeking comment. Berry Hill continues to book weddings and events and is currently advertising on its web site a jazz concert this Friday night and a high school prom package April 26.