A Foundation for Leadership

By Emily Innes Stanley
February 16, 2026

“An intellectual curiosity, and the drive to continue learning after graduation, is something W&L really instilled in me and I still use today.”

~ Thomas “T.” Blair ’99

For Thomas “T.” ’99 and Tasha ’00 Blair, leadership has always been a shared pursuit, rooted in intellectual curiosity, steady integrity and a drive to give back.

The Blairs’ partnership began at Washington and Lee University, where they met as undergraduates. T. and Tasha were both looking at liberal arts schools that incorporated strong academics along with a vibrant social scene, and W&L perfectly fit the bill. The lessons the couple learned from W&L’s liberal arts tradition continue to shape their personal and professional lives and inspire them to pay it forward by modeling a life of consequence for their two sons and generously giving their time and resources to W&L.

“Simply put, W&L is the foundation of my adult life,” said T., who currently serves as the global head of commodity sales and structured origination at Bank of America. “Tasha and I owe it to give back to the school because so much was given to us.”

The Blairs, who reside in Darien, Connecticut, credit W&L with giving them the skills needed to not only navigate their careers in finance but to create a well-rounded and meaningful life. Tasha, a former director at Barclays, recalls how the small class sizes and emphasis on community helped students learn how to interact and build relationships with their peers and, ultimately, their colleagues and supervisors.

This ability to communicate and get to know the campus community on a personal level also creates a culture of accountability at W&L, which T. said is “really important in your career because people are always relying on you.” This accountability is rooted in the university’s Honor System and the value the campus community places on ethics and integrity.

“Something W&L does exceptionally well is teaching honor and ethics,” T. said. “It’s always easy to take shortcuts, but, in the end, doing it the right way is the only way for long-term success. I think W&L really instills that sense of honor that you carry with you, and you can lean on that code of ethics to do what’s right.”

After Tasha graduated in 2000, she moved to New York City to begin her career in investment banking. Originally from Middletown, New Jersey, she knew she wanted to return to the area after graduation, and it helped that T., a Garden City, New York, native, had already been in New York City for a year, working at Goldman Sachs.

“I was always sort of competitive with T., but I also got to hear firsthand about his amazing experience and all that he was learning, as well as the culture and lifestyle of New York City,” Tasha said. “I quickly realized I wanted to follow him in finance, and it helped seeing the education, support and resources you receive being part of a large investment bank.”

Even with a bit of healthy competition between the two of them, the Blairs have remained each other’s biggest supporters as they each navigated different aspects of the financial industry.

“Tasha is my number one partner,” T. said. “When I have something complex to deal with at work, the first person I go to for advice or guidance is Tasha. And having grown up together, we understand each other as well as the industry. I rely on Tasha every day.”

Tasha also appreciates how, because she and T. have known each other since college, they can navigate the intersections of their work and personal life. When Tasha was deciding whether to take on a new role that would move her from investment banking to equities, she knew she could turn to T. because he understood both her and the business.

“T. gave me the confidence to make the move, and it ended up being extremely fulfilling and a pivotal point in my career,” Tasha said. “Having someone else who knows me and has my back and wants nothing but the best for me helped me make this change, which was scary at the time.”

As the Blairs’ partnership continues to grow and evolve, it remains rooted in the shared love of learning they first developed at W&L and have continued to nurture in the years since graduation.

“When I see people who are successful, they are intellectually curious and trying to better themselves and expand their worldviews,” T. said. “This curiosity, and the drive to continue learning after graduation, is something W&L really instilled in me, and I still use today.”

The Blairs hope to model lessons for their sons that reflect the couples’ W&L experiences and frequently talk to them about being intellectually curious and the importance of a strong work ethic and expanding your horizons. Tasha wants her teenaged sons to know there is value in the hard work it takes to become successful and in understanding that things don’t always come easily. She hopes to teach them that “the real growth” happens when you go outside your comfort zone, and she and T. try to be open about how their own experiences have shaped them.

To lead by example is to lead a life of consequence — or, as Tasha puts it, to “be present and thoughtful about how my impact can shape those around me.”

It is important to the Blairs to give back to areas that reflect their personal values, which can be seen in their continued relationship with W&L as alumni. T. has served as a reunion co-chair numerous times, including for his 25th and 10th reunion committees (his 10th reunion was W&L’s first Young Alumni Weekend). He has been active in the New York City alumni chapter, having served as its president, vice president and alumni admissions program chair, and he previously served on the Alumni Association Board. He is currently a member of the Williams School Advisory Board.

Tasha served on W&L’s inaugural Annual Fund Council (now the W&L Fund Council) from 2016 to 2019, co-chaired both her 15th and 25th reunion committees and was a committee member for her 10th reunion. Tasha currently serves on the steering committee for the Lettie Pate Evans Society and the Westchester Fairfield Alumni Admissions Program.  Outside of W&L, Tasha serves on the boards of trustees at The Children’s School and the Greens Farms Academy Advisory Council.

Driven by a combination of nostalgia, gratitude and love for the entire W&L community, the Blairs have generously given their time and resources to their alma mater over the years, helping future generations of students reap the benefits of a W&L education. They feel grateful to support a place that not only “feels like home,” but has given them so much throughout their careers, personal lives and parenthood.

“I hope that current and future W&L students have the same experience I had, and I’m so grateful for it,” Tasha said. “I wouldn’t have gotten my start professionally if it wasn’t for generous alumni, and I want to help any W&L General, current or future, do the same thing.”