Shane Goodwin announced as FCPS Assistant Superintendent
Frederick County Public Schools announced the hiring of Shane A. Goodwin as the new Assistant Superintendent for Administration.
Goodwin brings with him more than 25 years of experience in public education.
He currently serves as the Director of Human Resources and Communication for Warren County Public Schools.
His start date for FCPS is effective on June 1st, 2023.
He recently held other roles in WCPS including Assistant Principal from 2018-2019 at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School before becoming Principal from 2019-2021.
FCPS Superintendent George Hummer spoke on the hire acknowledging Goodwin’s organization and work ethic as important factors and “more importantly… was his consistent demonstration of being student focused.”
Goodwin says he looks forward to “working where students come first, where people are cared for, and where success matters.”
Goodwin holds a Bachelors degree in psychology and masters of arts in teaching from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Winthrop University.
He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Shenandoah University.
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Kate Flannery announced as SABF Co-Grand Marshall
The 96th Annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival announced an additional Co-Grand Marshall will join this year’s celebration in Kate Flannery.
She is an actor, singer, and writer best known for her role in nine seasons of The Office as Meredith.
Flannery was also a fan favorite on Season 28 of Dancing with the Stars and has appearances on numerous other shows including Young Sheldon, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and New Girl.
She is also part of an anti-cabaret act with Jane Lynch called Two Souls that has performed across the country.
Jane Lynch’s hit song “A Swingin’ Little Christmas” features Kate and reached the Billboard Top 10 for several weeks.
Flannery joins Brian Sullivan, who was announced as the other Co-Grand Marshall and both have local ties with Sullivan being a graduate of James Wood High School and Flannery a former student of the Shenandoah Conservatory.
She will appear in the Grand Feature Parade on Saturday, May 6th.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Valley Health and SU address nursing shortage
Shenandoah University is working with Valley Health and the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association to address the area’s nursing shortage.
Through the program NextGen Nurses, they will attempt to enhance training to inspire nurses and create a pipeline of future healthcare professionals.
The program utilizes the experience of semi-retired and retired nurses before they leave the profession and is designed to provide a replicable model for the rest of the state.
NextGen Nurses is funded in part by a $496,000 GO Virginia Economic Resilience and Recovery Grant.
This is part of a state-funded initiative by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to diversify the economy and create higher-wage jobs in strategic fields.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
4th Annual Housing Summit returns to SU
The Housing Coalition of the Northern Shenandoah Valley is holding their Fourth Annual Housing Summit on March 14th at the Shenandoah University School of Business’s Stimpson Auditorium.
The event will start with a breakfast and meet and greet at 8 am.
The first speaker will start at 9 am and the event will conclude around 3:15 pm.
Two of the featured speakers include Ryan Price, Chief Economist of Virginia REALTORS, and Sean Suder, the Lead Principal and Founder of ZONEco.
Some of the topics covered include the state of affordable housing, building our way out of unaffordability, zoning, planning, and more.
The event is free to attend but registration is required before Wednesday, March 8th through Eventbrite or the housing coalition’s website.
Janet Michael spoke with Kim Herbstritt, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity, and Barbara Marmet, staff attorney for Blue Ridge Legal Services, about the event and more in a recent episode of the Valley Today.
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Front Royal fills Town Council seat
Front Royal has filled their vacant Town Council seat after appointing Dr. Melissa DeDomenico-Payne to the role.
She was born in New York and then moved to Front Royal where she is a graduate of Warren County High School.
She received her Bachelors Degree from Shenandoah University, Masters from Marymount University, and her Doctorate in Public Administration from Capella University.
Her career experiences include work in executive and administrative roles in non-profits and educational organizations.
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Winchester helps bring back native thistle
The City of Winchester’s Arborist Jordan Herring and retired Shenandoah University professor and wetlands expert Woody Bousquet are assisting the US Fish and Wildlife Service with a new project.
They are working together to help bring back native thistles.
Native thistles are an important part of the ecosystem, especially for pollinators and birds.
They have been disappearing rapidly due to habitat loss and indiscriminate weed control efforts.
Native thistles are often mistaken for the invasive Canada thistle which also leads to their removal.
Three native thistle seeds are being collected for the project including pasture, field, and swamp.
Abrams Creek in Winchester is a great source for swamp thistle but the project is still in need of pasture thistle.
If you are interested in learning more about this project or would like to submit native pasture thistle seeds, contact Kathleen Patnode at 814-357-1735.
To learn more about the importance of native thistle, click here.
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SU is certified a Virginia Values Veterans employer
Shenandoah University (SU) announced that the school is now a certified Virginia Values Veterans employer.
Virginia Values Veterans was introduced by the Department of Veterans Services to help train and help employers implement best practices in recruiting hiring and retaining highly skilled and dependable veterans.
SU’s certification is an important step toward the school hiring the most qualified employees.
The university already employs more than 30 military affiliated faculty and staff members.
The school is working on expanding its veteran opportunities to become a regional anchor.
New services at the school will include providing comprehensive support and resources to veterans their families and caregivers and survivors as well.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Royals ban sunflower seeds and peanuts
The Winchester Royals of the Valley Baseball League made the difficult but necessary decision to ban sunflower seeds and peanuts from Bridgeforth Field.
The concessions stand removed those products and fans cannot bring their own.
The team made the decision to stay compliant in their agreement with Shenandoah University to use the newly renovated stadium and turf field.
SU had asked the Royals to keep the field in the same or better condition from when they started the season which includes keeping the surface clean of any peanut or sunflower seed shells.
Those shells can burrow into the surface over time and cause issues with the drainage system and lead to the growth of mold.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
SU president wins Virginia Business Women in Leadership Award
Shenandoah University President Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons is a recipient of the 2022 Virginia Business Women in Leadership Awards.
She will be featured on the cover of the Virginia Business July ’22 issue.
Dr. Fitzsimmons was awarded in the large business category and selected from more than 300 nominees.
She was chosen based on her overall career accomplishments, mentoring work with women and girls, and community engagement.
Dr. Fitzsimmons is the first female president in SU history as well as the vice-chair for Shentel’s board of directors, secretary of the Loudoun Education Foundation, and member of the GO Virginia Region 8 Council.
Reflecting on the award, Dr. Fitzsimmons said, “I am honored to have been included among such an inspiring group of women leaders. But more importantly, I am mindful that this award is really about the strength, creativity and vision of the whole SU community.”
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SU joins the Common Application
Students interested in applying to Shenandoah University will soon be able to do so using the Common Application.
The Common App is a not-for-profit member organization that helps universities, students, counselors, and advisors streamline the application process.
Joining the Common App will also help expose SU to more students who may not have previously considered the school.
Over 1 million applicants use the Common App each year.
A third of those are the first in their family to attend college.
In addition to the application system, students will also have access to a mobile app, virtual mentors, counseling resources, 24/7 technical support, financial aid, and scholarship information.
The Common App also has a separate application designed for transfer and adult students.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.