“What sets military schools, like Fishburne, apart from others is its everyday teaching of teamwork and self-discipline to develop leaders in young men. We deliver education that builds skillsets based on the cadets’ individual passions, teach them to work with others, and then apply their craft to the world they will live in as adults.”

Colonel Randal E. Brown
Apr 5 2022 \ Press,

New Leadership Plans Big for Fishburne Military School and Augusta County

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Waynesboro, VA – Fishburne Military School (FMS) welcomes its new president, Randal E. Brown, on Friday, April 1, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. Brown will publicly re-commit his oath of office and be promoted to Colonel, testifying his allegiance to the Commonwealth of Virginia and to Fishburne Military School.

Colonel Brown will have his new rank placed on him by his wife, Mrs. Kristen Pryor Brown, and Brigadier General William W. Alexander, Jr., the former Fishburne Military School Superintendent and 1964 graduate of FMS, who currently serves as a trustee on the school governing board.

With 30 years of experience working in school leadership, and 23 years of service in the Army National Guard, Brown will be a key leader in Fishburne’s daily educational operations and long-term visions for the school and its community.

FMS is advancing through its school rebrand and campus master plan. Brown states, “We want Fishburne to be a network for the community: where the cadets have active participation in its community as volunteers, and the school to continue to assist in the development of Waynesboro and Augusta County as an attractive destination of Virginia.”

FMS is marching towards 2029 to celebrate its 150th year as an educational establishment, making it the oldest military school in Virginia still in operation. For the school to continue offering education since 1879 demonstrates its ability to honor its historic values and be forward-thinking.

Nicole Overton, formerly Interim Superintendent, will work alongside Colonel Brown as Deputy Superintendent of the school. “I’ve had many conversations with Colonel Brown, and he is passionate about Fishburne. He has a common-sense approach to how we need to move forward to be successful. I am sincerely looking forward to working with him for many years.”