Linda Hershey—Secretary

A letter from Linda:

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

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!