Board of Trustees

“I grew up in a rural area of North Carolina and had very little exposure to anyone from another country.  During my time as a cadet, Fishburne had several foreign cadets from Thailand and South America. This early exposure, including a roommate from Thailand, gave me quite a head start in learning that people are people regardless of where they are from.”

Joe Johnson, Jr., class of 1971, was elected Chairman of the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation in September of 2020. He served on the Fishburne Board of Visitors prior to joining the Board of Trustees in 2013.

He recently retired from Holly Hill Hospital in Raleigh, NC, where he was the IT specialist. Mr. Johnson retired after 22 years in public safety and law enforcement, including 12 years as police and public safety director at two campuses of the University of North Carolina system. He spent 10 years in customer service management at three large hotels before beginning his career in Information Technology.

Mr. Johnson served in volunteer leadership roles with the American Society for Industrial Security, the North Carolina Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts. He was a CPR Instructor for the American Red Cross. Within his church, served as a trustee, bible study leader and a youth ministry volunteer. He is also trained in Mental Health First Aid.

Mr. Johnson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the North Carolina Public Manager Program.

Joe is married to Sue Price Johnson. They have three adult daughters and live in Raleigh, NC.

Mr. R. Keith Shackleford is a member at Warren, Shackleford & Thomas PLLC, a law firm in Wake Forest, North Carolina. After graduating from Fishburne Military School, he attended college and law school at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  Mr. Shackleford’s legal career has been largely in the practice areas of civil litigation, personal injury and criminal law.  He currently focuses on estate planning, probate administration and civil litigation.  He has served as a trustee for Wake Technical and Community College, a director for the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce,  a member of the unit board for Wake Forest Boys & Girl Club, a board member of the Banks Kerr YMCA and a director of the Wake County Bar Association.

Brigadier General William W. Alexander, Jr., is a native of Waynesboro, Virginia and a 1964 graduate of Fishburne Military School. He graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1968 and received his commission through the ROTC Program. He holds a Master’s degree in Middle East Studies from the University of Kansas and is a graduate of the Armor Officer Advanced Course, Foreign Area Officers Course, the Army Command and General Staff College and is a 1987 graduate of the United States Army War College. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Bronze Star with “V” Device, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and Army Commendation Medal. Additionally, he holds a Parachutists Badge and the Ranger Tab.

BG Alexander retired with nearly 30 years of service in December 1997 and became the Director of Development at Fishburne Military School in June 1998. In February 2004, he assumed the position as President and Superintendent of the school. On August 17, 2006, Fishburne Military School was formally inducted into the Virginia Militia and Colonel Alexander was promoted to Brigadier General in the Militia. BG Alexander has served on the Board of Directors of the following organizations: The Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States, where he served as President in 2008-2009, the Waynesboro Heritage Foundation, Center for Cold Waters Restoration and Habitat for Humanity. He is past President of the Waynesboro Historical Commission. BG Alexander retired as the 9th Superintendent of Fishburne Military School on 31 October 2008 and currently serves as a trustee on the schools governing board.

BG Alexander is married to the former Ms. Hannelore Brigitte Keller of Berlin Germany.

Edward Clement, FMS Class of 1951, is the longest-serving trustee for the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation and a man whose low-key leadership has had a tremendous impact on the school over the years.

When he was named Alumnus of the Year in 1994, Ed had already done much in life and very much for Fishburne. He was the driving force behind the creation and naming of the Colonel Young Brigade and remains the “Voice of the Brigade.” He created the John T. Hardy Legacy Fund and the Young Lieutenants.

He was integral in maintaining Fishburne Military School’s relationship with the Cannon Foundation and his visionary leadership transformed the Development Office into a first-class operation.

His historic preservation efforts in Salisbury, North Carolina, drive his daily work these days. His wife Nancy says you’ll find him most days in one of the many houses undergoing preservation. Those efforts have created something special in Salisbury and at Fishburne as it continues to upgrade its campus.

Shirley Crowder and her son, John, operate Bradham Auto Electric in Alexandria, Va., the Crowder family business. She joined the company in 1976 as its Business and Accounting Manager and took over operations with her son when her husband, George, retired in 2010. Prior to joining Bradham Auto, she worked as an intern in the City of Alexandria’s Planning and Zoning Department and for the AB&W Bus Company.

When her sons George Thomas and John Emmett were in high school, Shirley volunteered as a coach for the West Potomac High School Rifle Team and served as an assistant coach for the Acorn Junior Rifle Team at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Those roles gave her the opportunity to work with junior shooters and travel to Canada, Los Angeles and locations on the East Coast. She retired from coaching in 2003.

Shirley’s ties to Fishburne include her husband George, a 1960 graduate of FMS, and her son John, Class of 1991. Both sons attended The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

She and George are the proud grandparents of Brennan, Bryce, Preston Louise and Harper. In her spare time, she enjoys boating and spending time at their farm in Rappahannock County, Virginia. She also enjoys making porcelain dolls and quilting.

One of her favorite quotes is attributed to Kelley Earnhardt Miller:

“Work for a cause, not for applause

Live life to express, not to impress

Don’t strive to make your presence noticed

Just make your absence felt”

Robert (Rob) Grey serves as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IntelliDyne. After the company opened its doors in 1999, Rob acted as President and CEO until 2008, when he took on the role of Chairman for over a decade. During his first term as CEO, IntelliDyne experienced explosive growth, making the Deloitte Fast 500 for North America in 2005 and the Deloitte Fast 50 for the Washington Metropolitan Area in 2006 and 2007. Rob is also a founder and partner in several other technology ventures.

Rob has over 20 years of diversified leadership experience in the technology sector. Before founding IntelliDyne, he held engineering, management, and business development positions at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and BTG, Inc. supporting multiple large-scale IT programs for various Federal Agencies.

Rob holds a B.A. from George Mason University and is a graduate from the EDS Systems Engineering Development program.

“FMS was the best investment I have ever made. Transferring Glenn from public school as a sophomore, he entered Fishburne with poor grades and no motivation. It did not take long for him to appreciate the structure of the classes and the discipline of the JROTC training. What he found was a brotherhood of Cadets, faculty, and administration whose encouragement was there no matter what the situation. His confidence showed in his appearance and he wore his achievements on his uniform with honor. Glenn was excelling in areas he once thought were impossible.”

“As a senior Cadet officer, Class of 2008, Glenn proudly wore his sword. He found himself reflecting on what he had learned from his experiences. He learned to lead by example, to be fair and when to delegate authority. With that knowledge, Glenn learned that these attributes mold a leader into a person that others will not just follow, but follow with enthusiasm. His appointment to the Virginia Military Institute with the Class of 2012, would not have been possible had I kept him in a public school. His Fishburne sword will forever hang on his wall as a reminder of his transition from a teenager to a young man and a bond that will last a lifetime.”

“Fishburne will always remain close to my heart and highly recommended as a school of excellence. Thank you for being there for Glenn!”

Respectfully,
Linda Hershey

About Linda

Linda Hershey is the retired President & CEO of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Linda was previously involved in the hospitality industry in Roanoke; including Director of Sales & Marketing positions at Hotel Roanoke and Bernard’s Landing Resort at Smith Mountain Lake.

She is presently a Trustee with the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation and Chairs the Advancement Committee for the board. She is also serving on the Executive Board for the Virginia Headwaters Council Boy Scouts of America.

Linda is a 1975 graduate of Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia with a B.A. in Urban Affairs. She is also a graduate of the Virginia Association of Chamber Executives Institute, the International Sales & Marketing Association and the Institute for Organizational Management through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

She presently serves on the Executive Board for the Virginia Headwaters Council Boy Scouts of America. Linda recently completed her six year term on Mary Baldwin University’s Advisory Board of Visitors where she served her last two years as Chair.  Board seats, while Chamber President, included the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Executives, Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board and the Wilson Workforce & Rehabilitation Foundation. Her committee seats were with Blue Ridge Community College-Workforce Investment and Education, Shenandoah Valley Partnership-Marketing and the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission-Fields of Gold, the valley’s regional agritourism program.

In recognition for collaborating community partnerships, Linda was honored with the Dennis O. Burnett Community Excellence Award from the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Virginia Headwaters Council Boy Scouts of America.  Also, Linda and her husband are past Co-Chairs for the SAW Habitat for Humanity Hope for Homes Gala. Linda was involved in two trade missions to China with officials from the City of Waynesboro, a familiarization trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi with a select group of Chamber Presidents from around the USA, and Chamber education ventures to Cuba and Peru.

She is married to Burk Hershey and has one son, Glenn (Trey) Copenhaver, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and Fishburne Military School. She is particularly proud of her FMS Senior Class Heidi Shipman Star Parent Award- 2008!

“While I did not attend as a cadet, I did spend 28 years at Fishburne, including the formative years of my adult life and career. I am very grateful for the opportunities and lessons that Fishburne provided and forever will be!”

Robert C. (Bob) Miller is a native of Asheville, NC. Dr. Miller graduated from the University of North Carolina/Asheville and holds a Master’s Degree and Doctorate in Education from the Curry School of the University of Virginia.

Professionally, Dr. Miller served from 1970-96 at Fishburne Military School as teacher, coach,  athletic director, guidance director, headmaster and, from 1986-96, as superintendent. From 1997 until retirement in 2013 he served as dean at Fork Union Military Academy. Currently, he is administrative coordinator for the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association.

Dr. Miller has served as a director of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools, Virginia Council for Private Education, Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association, Virginia Academic Decathlon, Waynesboro YMCA, Waynesboro/Augusta United Way and Fishburne Military School.

Dr. Miller resides in Waynesboro, is married, and has one daughter.

Edward (Ted) C. Moroney, III graduated from FMS in 1973 as Salutatorian and “A” Company Commander and cum laude from Norwich University with a BA in Government.

He served as Chairman and CEO of Superior Foundation, Inc. located in Vienna, Virginia, from 1984 to 2017 when he retired. In 1992, he was a founding member and Director of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Association of Drilled Shaft Contractors and served as the organization’s President from 1992 to 2004.

He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the HOA of Ocean Pines, MD the largest residential community on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and as a volunteer served as a key member in the oversight of multiple new projects built for the community.

Elected to the Board of Trustees of the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation in 1992, he served as President of the Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2014 and is currently Chairman Emeritus. He chairs both the Strategic Planning Committee and the Campus Master Plan Task Force.

He and his wife Sue reside in Derwood, Maryland. They have one son, Mike, a 2006 Fishburne graduate, and two granddaughters, Allison and Gia.

Douglas Payne is a senior level marketing executive who has worked in the field of advertising and communications for more than 25 years. Throughout his career, Doug has worked with and for a variety of companies, agencies, nonprofits and trade associations. His specialties include increasing organizational visibility, market share and driving revenue growth.

As the agency-of-record for Washington DC-based Business Roundtable from 2008-20012, Doug’s firm, Payne & Co., worked directly with top national brands including Coca-Cola, ATT, GE, Newell-Rubbermaid and Stihl. He has also worked with regional brands such as  Dominion, the Virginia Lottery, The Trust Company of Virginia and Kings Dominion. Over the years Doug has been recognized with top industry awards for his work, including the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Richmond Ad Club, and the International Association of Business Communicators

Doug is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia where he received a B.A. in Government and Foreign Affairs. He later earned a graduate certificate in Marketing for Nonprofits from the University of Richmond. Doug has served on boards for a variety of civic and historic preservation societies, including the Sons of the Revolution in Virginia, the National Society of Washington Family Descendants and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

Since 1994, Doug has made Richmond, Virginia, his home where he and Lynn continue to raise a family that includes Turner, Charlie and Kate.

Spencer Smith graduated from FMS in 1985 as Battalion Commander, graduated from Longwood University and retired from the U.S. Army after serving 28 distinguished years of honorable service in the U.S. Army as a highly decorated Combat Veteran Colonel.  Spencer currently serves as the Director of Government Procurement for the Small Business Administration award-winning Gilchrist Law Firm, P.A. and Gilchrist Global Strategies where he provides strategic vision and leadership.  He is directly responsible for leading all activities within the federal and state contracting environment. The companies currently provide professional legal services, real estate, appraisal, staffing, court reporting and other critical professional support services throughout the country.

Spencer is from Sterling, VA and is married with three children.

After graduating from Fishburne Military School in 1983 David Stroehmann went on to earn his Master’s in Business Administration from East Carolina University and currently calls Emerald Isle NC home. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the Automotive Industry including dealer principal roles in several product lines. He also holds numerous industry awards such as “Best in Class” with GM, a workshop presenter at annual NADA shows and was a Certified GM Trainer. He has received numerous CSI and sales awards, and at one time had the highest CSI scores in his region.

David is now the founder and Chairman of Stroehmann Commercial Trucks & Equipment. A commercial truck and equipment dealer located in Eastern NC.

David was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Fishburne-Hudgins Educational Foundation in 2016.