Voters in the Hollins, Vinton and Windsor Hills districts will each elect one candidate to represent their district on the Roanoke County School Board. Candidates run as independents, but can receive endorsements.
Hollins District
David M. Linden
Age: 60
Family: Married with three children and a daughter-in-law
Job: Principal Broker at RealStar Realtors
Party endorsement: Republican
Prior elected office: Member of Roanoke County School Board since 2017
Other public service: Roanoke County Parks, Recreation & Tourism Advisory Commission (2018-present); President, North Roanoke Recreation Club (2009-2017)
Education: Roanoke College (‘87)
Q&A quote: “Seeing through to completion our new Career and Technical Education Center and 2 elementary schools is important. I would also like to find opportunities for increased parental and community involvement in our student’s education and to continue to work on the social and emotional issues affecting our students. RCPS must also continue to ensure our teachers, staff and administrators are properly compensated for the outstanding work they perform.”
E. Winter Schassberger
Age: 37
Family: Married with two sons
Job: Teacher-aide at Northview Preschool
Party endorsement: Democrat
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Mountain View Elementary Parent Teacher Association Treasurer (2019-2023); Mountain View Elementary Parent Teacher Association Secretary (2023-2024); Mountain View Elementary Title I Parent Advisory Committee (2020-2022)
Education: Bachelor of Science in business administration from The University of Virginia’s College at Wise
Q&A quote: “Roanoke County Public Schools deserves a school board that is aware, available, and responsive. If elected, my top three priorities are:
“1. Improve the Culture within our Schools. A positive school culture drives student attendance, engagement, behavior, and academic achievement. If we want our students to come to school, participate in their education, develop healthy relationships with their peers and mentors, and meet the academic expectations we have for them, then it is the responsibility of the school district to ensure that the culture in our buildings is positive. I have done the hard work of improving culture before and I am ready to do that work now so that our school system returns to a place where educators want to teach and every student belongs.
“2. Build Community Engagement. When students know that a community believes in their success and is invested in it, they have the wherewithal and ability to succeed. When parents are active participants in supporting their students’ education, student engagement, academic achievement, and classroom behaviors improve. I know how to do the work of fostering meaningful connections and I can’t wait to get started.
“3. Advocate for Full and Fair Funding. When schools are fairly funded, they can competitively compensate educators which helps in recruitment and retention, ensure smaller class sizes, dedicate individual attention to student needs, provide new learning opportunities, and improve infrastructure and safety. School system leaders should strongly advocate for full and fair funding at the local, state, and national level. I plan to use my school board member platform to do just that.”
Windsor Hills District
Cheryl A. Facciani
Age: 54
Family: Married with 4 children
Job: Elected Official for Roanoke County School Board Windsor Hills District; Type One Diabetes Consultant; Assistant Tennis Coach, retired Speech-Language Pathologist specialized in treatment of Swallowing Disorders and Flexible Endoscopy Evaluations (FEES) of Swallowing Disorders
Party endorsement: Republican
Prior elected office: Member of the Roanoke County School Board since 2021
Other public service: Founding member and Board of Director for the School Board Member Alliance (SBMA); Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) former Board of Director and current Community Outreach, Fundraising, and Advocate
Education: B.S. in Communication Disorders from University of New Hampshire; M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from William Paterson University
Q&A quote: “I’m running for re-election because my work to boost student achievement isn’t finished. Over my term, I have pushed for common sense policies and practical solutions that benefit all students by successfully removing politics from the classroom and refocusing on the basics, like math, reading and science. I have advocated for and adopted policies that focus not only on improved student achievement but uphold and respect parental rights. I have fought hard for transparent governance, promoting open communication, accountability, and the involvement of all stakeholders. A key success I’m proud of is expanding our Resource Officers ensuring each school has one, making our schools safer, as well as a 26% cumulative raise in teacher pay so that we retain and attract that best and most talented teachers. Another reason I’m running again is to see the completion of the RCCTC. This state of the art facility will provide the necessary training to help our students achieve great paying jobs right out of high school or a strong foundation for further education. I’ve worked to secure funding and local partnerships that will benefit our students and community. I want to keep moving this project forward ensuring tax payer dollars are used wisely and we maximize our impact locally. Running for re-election is my commitment to finish what I started; a school system that puts students first focusing on student achievement and supporting the success of every student.”
Ryan M. White
Age: 43
Family: Married with one daughter, previously fostered children
Job: Child and adolescent psychiatrist
Party endorsement: Independent
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Local community service board for the past almost four years
Education: Bachelor and masters of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio; doctor of osteopathic medicine from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine at Seton Hill; residency training at Arnot Ogden Medical Center in New York State; fellowship training at Virginia Tech – Carilion Clinic
Q&A quote: “My top priorities are simple: put students first and support our teachers. Every child in Roanoke County deserves to feel safe, welcome, and ready to succeed. That means protecting both physical safety and mental well-being of students and staff, and taking real action to stop bullying both online and in our schools. We get there by being open with families, building trust in our community, and paying our teachers what they deserve. Competitive pay that beats national averages will help us keep great teachers in the classroom. And our policies must empower educators and staff while strengthening partnerships with parents.
“We must also get politics out of the classroom. Schools are there to provide opportunities to learn for all students. Extremist ideas, and culture wars are a distraction from this mission and our leaders must work to remove this influence from policy writing.”
Vinton District
Amber P. Reed
Age: 47
Family: Married with one child
Job: Schoolteacher
Party endorsement: None, but votes Republican
Prior elected office: N/A
Other public service: N/A
Education: Bachelor of Science from Liberty University
Q&A quote: (If elected, my top priorities would be) “safety for students and staff, advocating for rigorous tier 1 instruction for all students, keeping education a priority, transparency with parents and our local school board with fostering positive commmunication/relationships, responsible spending and last but not least teacher retention.”
Timothy D. Greenway
Age: 61
Family: Married with three adult children and five grandchildren
Job: Real estate broker
Party endorsement: None
Prior elected office: Roanoke County School Board (2015-2025)
Other public service: Vinton business; community committees “furthering improvements to our community”
Education: Bachelor of science in accounting from Radford University
Q&A quote: “We must continue to advocate for our teachers, bus drivers, and all school staff to ensure they are compensated fairly. Their dedication is essential to maintaining the high standards of education that our current administration has made possible for students across Roanoke County. I’m incredibly proud of our track record—over the past 10 years, we’ve delivered consistent annual pay increases, reflecting our commitment to valuing their work.
“Roanoke County Public Schools are currently ranked first in our region and eleventh in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, according to Nico rankings. That’s a distinction worth protecting. I am committed to keeping our schools on this upward path—offering a top-tier education that parents can trust, free from divisive social or political agendas in the classroom.
“Last, I will never stop the fight to make our district equal in all facets with our other four districts. The Vinton District (Vinton, Mt. Pleasant, Bonsack, East Roanoke County) has made great strides over my tenure but there is still a lot of work to be done.”
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