Tonya Salley-Goodwin

Tonya Salley-Goodwin has proudly served as an educator, administrator, and entrepreneur for over 20 years. Born and raised in Southside, Virginia, she assumed her undergraduate studies at Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA). Upon graduating, she found her calling in working with exceptional and behaviorally challenged children with United Methodist Family Services and St. Joseph’s Villa, both located in the Greater Richmond area. Evolving through various positions of increasing responsibilities, Ms. Goodwin found success in her field, not only as a teacher but ultimately as a principal within UMFS Charterhouse School-Richmond Day School, having completed a Master’s degree in secondary education administration and principalship certification. Her ability to connect with students, parents, and education partners saw her being charged with the establishment of UMFS’s educational footprint in the Shenandoah Valley as the Principal of Charterhouse School-Edinburg from 2013 until 2018. Concurrently, she, along with her business partner, established a successful one-to-one behavioral counseling service, Mending Fences, LLC, in 2007, which continues to provide support to Richmond and Shenandoah Valley area school districts and private day schools. Tonya and her business partner also opened Stemtree of Midlothian in Midlothian, Virginia, in 2019, which focuses on science, technology, and engineering, aligning with today’s nationwide emphasis on STEM. While making Harrisonburg her home for the last seven years, she has become invested in her community just as she is in Richmond. Her ease in connecting with people from all walks of life, coupled with her ability to effectively and efficiently manage the operational and administrative components of an organization, has led her to her next adventure working with Lutheran Family Services of Virginia as Principal of the Minnick School-Harrisonburg in 2019. Again, she brings a dearth of knowledge, compassion, and experience that compliments the mission and goals of the organization.