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”

James (Jimmy) W. Gladhill graduated from FMS in 1989 as Platoon Leader 1st Lieutenant Alpha Company. He is currently Vice President of both Cooper Building Services and Knight Solutions, the latter being a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned General Contractor with offices in Frederick, Maryland, and Leesburg, Virginia. Project concentration is primary focused on construction, expansion, and renovations for the National Cemetery and Veteran Hospitals throughout the country.   

Prior to working for Knight Solutions, Jimmy worked for Hess Construction as Executive Vice President. During his 20 years at Hess, he was part of a team that led the company from a small general contractor to a multi-delivery organization completing nearly $300M annually, including large, complex, fast-track design build projects of educational facilities. Projects included Public/Private K-12 Schools and Higher Education Facilities. Project and personal awards include AGC Build-North and ABC Regional Excellence in Construction Awards. Accreditations and memberships include Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, OSHA 10 & 30, Procore Certification, USACE Construction Quality Management of Contractors, and LEED Green Associate.

Jimmy’s family has a long history with Fishburne that dates back to the early 1960’s. His father Jim graduated in 1961, Uncle Roger Coll in 1973, Cousin Jimmy Coll in 2008, and his Son Dylan Gladhill in 2019. His Mother and Aunt are graduates of Fairfax Hall.   

He and his wife Teri reside in New Market, MD and are proud parents of a sons, Dylan Gladhill FMS 19, and Justin Sweeney.

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!

Carl W. Kerby is a lifelong resident of Waynesboro and a 1955 graduate of Fishburne Military School.  Following graduation, he served two years in the U.S. Army. He is retired from Westhills Company that he founded and has recently sold.  He also founded Westhills Ltd. Realtors in 1988.  Since 1961, Carl has developed many residential subdivisions, townhome complexes, multifamily residential complexes, and has built commercial and office buildings throughout Waynesboro.  He is Past Chairman of the FHEF Buildings and Grounds Committee, and has been the liaison to the contractors building Hobby Hudgins, the Hitt-Millar Field House, and the Alumni House.  Carl was a member of the Rotary Club of Waynesboro. He also served on the Salvation Army Board, the Valley Mission Board, and was previously a three-time elected president of the Augusta Homebuilders Association.  Carl has been recognized for his contributions to the Valley Vocational Technical Center Building and Trade School, and Augusta Medical Center.

In 1999, Carl was named Fishburne’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year.  He also received the honor of having the Fishburne Alumni House named The Carl W. Kerby ’55 Alumni House in 2019. Carl is married to the former Sara “Scottie” Cale.  They have one son, Kendall, who resides and owns a business in Williamsburg.  His leisure activities include boating and antique cars. He is a lifelong member of First Baptist Church

“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.

Colonel Shelby T. Stevens, USA (Ret), Class of 1966, matriculated at Fishburne Military  School in the 9th Grade from Pinehurst, NC. He attended FMS for four years, graduating in 1966. Shelby graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Commission in the US Army as an Infantry  Lieutenant. He also earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He served in multiple positions over a 30 year career including Command of Infantry and Aviation Platoons through battalion command in Ranger, Light Infantry and aviation units. His services included Viet Nam, FT Bragg, FT Benning, FT Campbell, FT Drum, the Pentagon, Atlanta, GA,  Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Canberra Australia, and Paris, France.

During Shelby’s career,  he graduated from the Command and General Staff College, FT Leavenworth,  KS, and the National War College in Washington DC.  His spent his last 7 years in the Army in Australia as  the Army Attaché, and in Paris as the Senior US Liaison Officer to the French Army. Following  retirement from the Army, Shelby worked 15 years as a contractor for the US Army in Soldier Weapons and Small Arms acquisition as a Department of the Army Systems Coordinator. He retired from that position in August 2015.

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.

Andrew Teubner graduated FMS in 1989 as the Battalion Commander.  Andy then went on to Graduate from Stetson University in Deland, FL with a BBA in Marketing where his was a proud member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity.

Andrew currently serves as the President & Chief Operating Officer of Ghost Tequila.  In addition Andrew sits on the Corporate Board of the Eau Claire Distillers in Calgary, Alberta CA.  In this capacity Andrew has day to day responsibility for the overall brand strategy, sales execution, production, HR, and finances of Ghost Tequila.  In just Four years under Andrew’s leadership Ghost has exploded from under 4k cases annually in two states to in excess of 80K cases in all 50 US states plus 35 countries and is one of the top three fastest growing Tequila brands in the US.

Andrew began his career in distilled spirits while still in college working summers at Seagram’s Relay Maryland distillery (the former Calvert Distillery) in bottling.  Upon graduation from Stetson University in Deland, FL Andrew worked briefly with RNDC distributing in Florida before joining Seagram.  With Seagram Andrew moved up the ranks quickly as on & off premise FL Manager then on to Sales Director for the Country of Taiwan, General Manager of Hong Kong.  Moving on from Asia to New York Andrew served as the Director of Off-Premise US Chains in New York building Seagram’s key account and category management strategy.

Upon the sale of The Seagram Spirits & Wine Group to Diageo & Pernod Ricard in 2001 Andrew joined Coors Brewing Company as the Retail Sales Director of the South-Central US.  In this role Coors grew double digits with chain retailers while the brands remained stagnant in the balance of the trade.  In the mid 2000’s Andrew moved on to take an entrepreneurial role with the pro sports merchandising brand Fathead.   Working closely with Camelot Ventures (Cleveland Cavaliers, Quicken Loans) Andrew served as General Manger/Retail building and leading a team that took a direct response product to retail gaining placement in over 18k retail locations while creating and implementing a channel strategy which paired channel specific product offerings with specific retailers.

In 2009 Andrew left Fathead to join The Patron Spirits Company as VP of Control States implementing brand strategies and tactics that led growth vs. open states.  Building on experience with retail and category management Andrew was promoted to VP of National Retail Sales.   In this role Patron brands grew over 300k cases in US chain retail.  Utilizing account focused packaging solutions, unique brand partnerships, and category management principles Patron solidified itself as the #1 Tequila brand in the US in terms of retail dollar sales.  In 2017 Andrew joined Tequila Casa Dragons a 100% agave luxury tequila brand as the Vice President of National US Sales.

Andrew has a passion for entrepreneurship, building strong performance-based cultures, and brand development.  It was with this in mind that Andrew took on the charge to build not only a brand but a company and culture at Ghost Tequila a 100% Agave Super Premium Spicy Tequila brand.  Seeing a clear opportunity in a very crowded space Ghost has been shooting up the brand rankings.  In 2021 Andrew formed a national distribution partnership with Republic National Distributing (RNDC). With a keen eye for talent Andrew has built a strong team of industry professionals with a focus on growth and performance.  Ghost has cemented itself as the go-to Spicy Tequila brand around the US.  In 2020 prior to the pandemic 90% of Ghost sales were in the on-premise channel.  Most of the business disappeared overnight.  At that time under Andrew’s leadership the brand pivoted to an off-premise focus adding in excess of 3000 off-premise points of distribution while not furloughing a single employee.  Execution of this plan led the company to double in size and thus increase headcount and profile with the distribution network.

The distilled spirits industry is a family affair for Andrew as he represents the third of four generations to work in spirits.  His grandfather helped start the Distillery Workers union in Relay, Maryland at Calvert Distillers post prohibition serving as a union foreman.  Andrew’s father Gordon served as Chief Production Officer for Seagram, rebuilding the Seagram Relay plant (now Guinness) along with several other distilleries around the world.  Andrew’s nephew Camden, an FMS Alumni ’20, works as a field rep for Ghost in Tampa, FL.

Andrew resides at his home with his wife Jesse, stepson Mack, and two-year-old son Jett in Jacksonville, FL.  Andrew remains active as an alumni and board member of Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, VA, as well as a supporter, survivor, and fundraiser for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.   Andrew was also just named one of the Top 25 C-Level Executives in Jacksonville, FL by C-Suite Magazine.

Rick Tiemann is an accomplished consultant with over 40 years of business experience in both national and international arenas, including having owned three businesses. He has held positions of Director of Sales and Marketing, VP of Sales, Asian Business Development Manager, and President of Koorsen Fire and Security.  He is Fishburne Class of 1970 and is a graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Rick’s background encompasses business development with experience in mergers and acquisitions as well as turnarounds.  He founded The Executive Group in 1991 to help organizations improve their organizational effectiveness. This experience led Rick to write and publish his first book in 2016, Developing World Class Leaders: The Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development.

Rick is an accomplished Executive and Behavioral Coach. He is also a sought after speaker and presenter providing informational and relevant programs to national organizations and associations throughout the country.

Rick was a 4 year cadet at Fishburne Military School, graduated as BC and Hudgins Rifles Commander, and named Outstanding Cadet of his class. He is Academics Committee Chair and sit on the Admissions Committee as a member of the Board of Trustees at Fishburne Military School.