Things don't change too quickly at Virginia's oldest military prep school. Over its 133-year history in Waynesboro, Fishburne Military School has had only 11 superintendents, but a changing of the guard is about to bring in the 12th.
When Superintendent Rick Zinser retired at the end of August, he left Fishburne with a growing enrollment and new classroom technology, including iPads for all cadets. To help the school take its next steps, Fishburne's board of trustees turned to a familiar face.
Friday, the military prep school in Waynesboro introduced Gary Morrison as its next superintendent. He's a 1981 graduate of Fishburne, a former admissions director and teacher there, and a two-time alumnus of the year. Morrison comes in with business and industry experience that he hopes is valuable to the historic school.
Morrison said, "Being able to reach out, being able to organize, being able to reduce costs without affecting the program… I think all of that is going to be what benefits me stepping into this position."
Morrison says Fishburne is "in his blood." He says that as superintendent, he will serve as guardian of the school, its traditions, and especially its cadets.
Morrison officially takes over on October 1. He says his goals right out of the gate will be to increase alumni giving, and bring the cadet enrollment up to 200.
