As rector of GMU’s board, Stimson bears the highest fiduciary duty to Virginia’s largest public university. This responsibility is not optional; it is the core principle of governance for every nonprofit and public university board. However, the rector of a public university is not a private citizen. Fiduciary loyalty requires more than a promise of compartmentalization — it requires the elimination of conflicts that erode public trust. For George Mason University and for Virginia, the message needs to be even clearer now: “Excuses not accepted.”