Shenandoah Alumni And University Leaders In Public Service
SU graduates and leaders across generations have answered the call to serve

As this week’s elections come to a close, we are reminded that public service extends far beyond the ballot box. For generations, Shenandoah University graduates and leaders have answered the call to serve, helping shape the communities, institutions and policies that define our region and beyond.
Their efforts are felt year round in our local communities, regional municipalities to state legislatures, their contributions spanning civic, judicial and legislative roles across the city of Winchester, the Northern Shenandoah Valley, the commonwealth of Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region.
We are proud to recognize some of the notable graduates and university leaders throughout Shenandoah’s history who have used their education to shape communities through elected and appointed positions.
| Name | Shenandoah connection | Public office or service | Jurisdiction / years |
| Tinesha Allen | B.S. in Nursing, 2021 | Board of Supervisors | Stafford County, Virginia; Griffis-Widewater District 2024-2027 |
| Chris Collins | Graduate, 1992 (A.S. Respiratory Care) and 2000 (Certificate in Public Management) | House of Delegates; district judge; Board of Supervisors (Frederick County) 2010-2015) | Virginia House of Delegates 2016-2020; Virginia’s 26th Judicial District since 2020 |
| Jay Foreman | Arts & Sciences graduate, 1998 (Psychology) | School Board member, vice chairman and chairman | Frederick County, Virginia; vice chairman in 2019 and chairman for 2020. Term ended in 2021. |
| Richard “Mark” Garber | BBA, 1983; MBA, 1990 | City treasurer | Winchester, Virginia; elected in 1997 and served more than 15 years |
| Robert Parks Good | Shenandoah College graduate, Dayton campus, 1948 | Mayor; Town Council; School Board; Board of Supervisors | Shenandoah, Virginia, mayor 1956–1959; Page County School Board 1956–1976; Page County Board of Supervisors 1988–2002 |
| Wendy Gooditis | Graduate, 2012 (Master of Science in Education) | House of Delegates | Virginia; 10th District, 2018-2024 |
| Jordan Harding | Graduate, 1950, Dayton campus | Mayor; City Council | New Carrollton, Maryland; mayor for 14 years |
| Charles Harbaugh IV | BBA, 2009; MBA, 2011 | Mayor, 2012-present | Middletown, Virginia |
| Lois Amsel Jarman | Doctor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership, 2011 | Board of Education | Frederick County, Maryland; 2019–2020 |
| Tiffany Lawrence | MBA, 2006 | House of Delegates | West Virginia; 2009–2015 |
| Chanelle Scott McCullum | Doctor of Pharmacy (nontraditional), 2002 | Township Council; Board of County Commissioners, elected 2021 | Piscataway Township and Middlesex County, New Jersey |
| Albert “Al” Orndorff | Ed.D. in Administrative Leadership, 2015 | Board of Supervisors | Frederick County, Virginia; Back Creek District; appointed November 2025, elected to complete a term in 2026 |
| H. Otto Wachsmann Jr. | Pharm.D., 2001 (nontraditional) | House of Delegates | Virginia; began serving in 2022 |
| Lawrence Webb | B.A. in Mass Communications, 1997; graduate certificate in Public Management, 2004 | City Council; School Board member and chair; state correctional education board member and chair | Falls Church, Virginia; elected to Council in 2008 and School Board in 2013, reelected 2017; appointed to state board in 2004, chair 2010–2012 |
| Richard “Dick” Shickle Sr. | Former vice president for administration and finance | Board of Supervisors member and chairman | Frederick County, Virginia; 20 years, including 16 as chairman, retiring in 2015 |
| Dr. Miles K. Davis | Former business dean and faculty member | Planning Commission appointment proposed; final appointment needs confirmation; City Council member | Winchester, Virginia; appointment appeared on the February 10, 2026, Council agenda; elected to City Council in November 2026. |
| Bryan Pearce-Gonzales | Faculty member; professor of Hispanic studies | School Board member | Winchester, Virginia; 2017-2026 |
| Mary Tedrow | Faculty member; lecturer of education studies, director of Shenandoah Valley Writing Project; M.Ed. from SU | School Board member | Winchester, Virginia; 2025-present |





