Jeremy Franklin Executive director About Jeremy
Jeremy joined the MSL staff in July 2023 and became the executive director in May 2025. A 2004 graduate of Washington and Lee University, he has spent his entire adult life in Lexington, working on the W&L campus for 17 years and spending a decade as both a board and staff member of Lime Kiln Theater. He also broadcasts and writes about local and regional college and high school sports, and he still finds the time to attend concerts and music festivals. Jeremy is excited to build on MSL’s strong legacy as an integral resource for supporting, enhancing, and promoting downtown Lexington. |
Merryn Williams staff About Merryn
Merryn moved to Lexington with her family in 2004 after her father retired from the Air Force, and she grew up in the local schools with her two siblings. After graduating from Rockbridge County High School in 2016, she joined the Virginia Tech Class of 2020 to study Interior Design, with plans to work at a large firm after graduation while enjoying her art on the side. But she pivoted during the pandemic, returning to Lexington to pursue her art business full-time. Having previously volunteered with MSL, Merryn joined the staff in September 2023, and she loves being a part of the work that the organization is doing in her hometown. Outside of work, you can find Merryn volunteering with the Jaycees, chatting with her mom at Downtown Books, swimming laps at the Bubble Pool, or being walked by her big yellow dog through town. |
Daisy Barron intern About Daisy
Daisy is a senior at Washington and Lee University. She joined MSL as our summer intern in 2025, and she continued on as a work-study student for the 2025-26 academic year. |
John Morman Board president About John
John currently serves as Board President. A native of Dunfermline, Scotland, John joined the Royal Navy after high school, achieving the rank of Chief Petty Officer (equivalent to an E-9 rating in the U.S. Navy). He also received a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Royal Navy Engineering College. Upon leaving the Navy, he moved to Saudi Arabia, where he met his wife, Mary Jo; they were later married in San Diego, where his company had transferred him to its corporate offices. After 22 years in California, John and Mary Jo determined that it was time to head in a different direction. They moved to Lexington in 2005, where they now own and operate Celtic Tides on Jefferson Street. |
Jared Covington vice president About Jared
Jared joined the MSL board in 2021, and he currently serves as Vice President. He moved to Lexington in 2020 upon joining the faculty at Southern Virginia University, where he teaches marketing in their Business Management and Leadership Program. He and his family enjoy taking advantage of all that our area has to offer, from the amazing restaurants and shops on Main Street, to our picturesque farms and hiking trails. Jared is passionate about the work that MSL supports, bringing our community together, beautifying our city, and creating lasting traditions. |
Adam Sandridge Treasurer About Adam
Adam is a native of Rockbridge County. He joined the MSL board in 2022 and currently serves as the Treasurer. Adam is a proud Hokie, graduating from Virginia Tech in 2005 with a degree in finance. He has worked in banking for over 20 years and is currently a commercial and construction lender for Bank of the James. Adam serves on the Rockbridge County Planning Commission and is a member of New Providence Presbyterian Church. In his free time, Adam enjoys bowling in a league with his father, playing golf, and spending time with “his girls” – wife Marybeth and daughters Madalyn and Emma. |
John Kirkpatrick Parliamentarian About John
John serves as the board Parliamentarian and the Chair of the Development Committee. John and his wife, Jillian, are transplants from northern New Jersey who have lived in Vesuvius for the past 10 years. John is retired from his role as a corporate employee benefit consultant; he owned a brokerage agency with 20 employees for 35 years. John and Jillian now live a simpler life on a 50-acre farm, complete with horses, chickens, cats, and a boxer. John enjoys restoring vintage cars and trucks, riding motorcycles, boating, shooting, and golf. John and Jillian moved to Rockbridge County after spending eight years vacationing on the East Coast looking for a place to call home. |
David Feinauer Past President About David
David joined the MSL board in 2020, shortly after his arrival in Lexington. He currently serves as Past President and Chair of the Economic Vitality Committee. Originally from Northern Kentucky, he graduated with his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kentucky, and he feels right at home living in a Lexington complete with Wildcats, world-class equestrian events, and strong community pride in the local universities. David has worked as a professor for 14 years, including the past six at VMI, and he has experience starting a community development non-profit to support his previous hometown in Vermont. He is also a travel buff. |
Scott Belliveau Board Member About Scott
Scott joined the MSL board in the summer of 2025. He is a 1983 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. After more than 14 years of working in politics, journalism, and publishing, Scott returned to VMI as the Director of Communications for the VMI Foundation in October 1998. He is now a communications officer with the VMI Alumni Agencies. Scott has served on the Rockbridge Regional Library Board of Directors and Rockbridge County Board of Elections, and he was chairman of both boards. His goal as a board member for MSL is to help the organization enhance the appeal of downtown Lexington to residents and visitors and to make the area a more pleasant place to live. |
Ellie Bunten Board member About Ellie
A Lexington native, Ellie graduated from Rockbridge County High School in 2014 and from Roanoke College in 2018. Ellie found her way back to Lexington in 2022 after deciding there was no better place to settle down. She has been the store manager for Walkabout Outfitter’s Lexington location since April 2022, and she also works as the Lead Visual Merchandiser for all six of Walkabout’s Virginia locations. Ellie loves the accessibility of outdoor recreation in and around Lexington, and you can frequently spot her in her kayak or with a fishing pole on the Maury River, or walking her dogs on the Woods Creek Trail. She has many fond memories of attending events in downtown Lexington while growing up, and these memories inspire her to ensure that visitors, business owners, and residents all have wonderful, memorable experiences downtown. Ellie joined the MSL board in 2025. |
Eddie Clowser Board Member About Eddie
Eddie and his wife, Barbara, own Hess & Co. Jewelers in downtown Lexington. They moved to the area in 2006 with their two children, and they purchased Hess & Co. after working as the store’s custom jeweler for 15 years. Eddie enjoys watching live music, visiting the Outer Banks for fishing and fun, auto restoration, golf, and the many all-around outdoor activities that the Lexington area offers. He joined the MSL board in 2024. |
Emilie Davis Board Member About Emilie
Emilie has called Rockbridge County home since graduating from Southern Virginia University in 2006, and she and her husband, Logan, have been raising their five children in Lexington since 2012. As the owner of Magic Mirror Marketing, Emilie works with clients locally and nationally to turbocharge their marketing and grow their businesses in ways that feel personal, authentic, and fun. Emilie also serves as president of the Virginia Chapter of the National Speakers Association, sits on the Rockbridge Symphony Orchestra’s steering committee, and is proud to serve on the Main Street Lexington Promotions committee. She joined the MSL board in 2025. |
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Siobhan Deeds Board member About Siobhan
Siobhan studied photography and design at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. She moved to Lexington in 1993 and opened the shop Pumpkinseeds in 1998. Going on 28 years, she feels like she has made a real investment in Lexington. Siobhan has served on many boards, including the Chamber of Commerce, SPCA, Lexington Architectural Review Board, CAC Governors Mansion, and, most recently, Project Horizon. She is very excited to join the MSL board with great enthusiasm. |
Rebecca Logan Board Member About Rebecca
In the fall of 1988, Rebecca and her soon-to-be husband, Walter, stopped for lunch in Lexington and fell in love with the area. Within a few months, they made it their home. After working as an Art Director for Aspen Magazine, the San Francisco Ballet, and McCann Erikson, Rebecca continued her design career as the owner of Mountain Copy Graphics in Lexington. She volunteered as the Design Committee Chair for the newly formed Main Street Lexington in 2013, and she served as Executive Director from October 2018 until her retirement in May 2025. Rebecca has come full circle, as she now serves as a board member and Design Committee Chair, continuing to work toward the beautification of downtown Lexington. |
Cliff West Board Member About Cliff
Cliff and his family moved to Lexington in August 1996 after he accepted a position in VMI’s Economics & Business Department to teach various Management courses. Cliff undertook his current role as Director of Innovation Programming in July 2023, following a five-year stint as department head. He chairs the Innovation Programming Advisory Committee, where his responsibilities include oversight for the VMI Summer Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program and building partnerships with local and regional public and private-sector organizations involved in innovation, economic development, and workforce training. Cliff regularly undertakes DIY projects around the house and is an avid grandpa to Hudson and Finley. He joined the MSL board in 2025. |
Melissa Wooding Board Member About Melissa
Born and raised in Lexington, Melissa discovered her passion for food at an early age. At just 15, she began cooking and catering at Washington and Lee University, where she honed her skills and developed a love for serving her community. In 2019, she launched Let Them Eat Cake, bringing her creativity and talent to celebrations throughout the region. Building on that success, she expanded her ventures with the opening of Coffee Corner in 2022, creating a warm and welcoming space for locals and visitors alike. Melissa continues to share her love of food, hospitality, and community through every dish and experience she creates. She joined the MSL board in 2024. |
Ex-Officio BOARD mEMBERs
Ann Courtney
MOUNTAIN GATEWAY C.C. |
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