Bill Reeder, Founding Dean of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, Dies After Battle with Cancer

MANASSAS, Va. — Bill Reeder, the founding dean of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), died over the weekend after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by family in hospice care, according to a message shared by current Dean Rick Davis.

Reeder joined George Mason University in 2001 and led the newly established CVPA for 14 years. Under his leadership, the college expanded its offerings to include now-thriving programs in Film and Video Studies, Computer Game Design, and Arts Management. These additions played a pivotal role in shaping the college into a comprehensive institution for arts education.

“He had a transformative physical impact on the arts landscape at Mason,” Davis wrote in a Facebook post announcing Reeder’s passing. “Bill will be remembered for his energetic and passionate advocacy for artists of all kinds and at every stage of their journeys.”

Reeder spearheaded the creation of the Art and Design Building on Mason’s Fairfax Campus and coordinated philanthropic, university, and state support to expand and renovate other key arts facilities.

Perhaps his most enduring legacy lies in Prince William County, where his advocacy and vision led to the creation of the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Mason’s Science and Technology Campus in Manassas. Through countless community meetings, strategic partnerships, and tireless campaigning, Reeder brought to life a long-held dream of an arts hub serving western Northern Virginia.

“At times it seemed as if Bill was almost single-handedly willing the center into existence — but it was really his tireless behind-the-scenes coordination of university, civic, and volunteer energy that carried the day,” Davis wrote.

Former Prince William County Supervisor Marty Nohe shared his personal memories of Reeder in a heartfelt tribute posted to Facebook. Nohe recalled their first meeting, where instead of jumping into a pitch for the Hylton Center, Reeder asked about Nohe’s children and shared advice drawn from his experience at the Newark Community School of the Arts.

“It is still the best lobbying meeting I have ever had,” Nohe wrote. “He explained that he loved talking to parents of young children about their dreams for their kids and about how to help those kids become the best version of themselves, just like he had done with me years before.”

Reeder’s influence extended beyond academia and the arts. In 2015, he ran for a seat on the Prince William County School Board, driven by his belief in public education and support for children’s creative growth. While he did not win the election, Nohe said Reeder described the campaign as “one more chapter in his extraordinary biography.”

“Bill loved being in front of an audience and could command the attention of any room,” Nohe wrote. “He didn’t need trophies or titles or to see his name carved into a plaque. He absolutely had an ego; but it grew not from having people tell him that he was great, but rather from knowing that he had helped others find their own greatness. He certainly did that for me.”

Reeder continued teaching and mentoring students in arts management after stepping down as dean in 2015. Memorial service details will be announced in the coming days.

The Hylton Performing Arts Center will honor Reeder’s legacy at its upcoming gala. “At this year’s Gala we will take a moment — or three — to remember Bill’s foundational contributions,” Davis noted.