Sharen E. Gromling elected President for the 96th and 97th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® Board of Directors unanimously elected Sharen E. Gromling to serve as the organization’s President for a two-year term beginning on Monday, June 27, 2022. Gromling replaces now Past President, Thomas (Tommy) Price who served as President for the 94th and 95th Festivals.

Sharen E. Gromling

Sharen has volunteered with the Festival for the past 42 years. She first started working with other City of Winchester officials hosting the Mayor’s Luncheon held immediately before the parade at the Jim Barnett Park War Memorial Building. Although this event is no longer held, for years it brought Mayors from all over the region to our Festival to ride in the parade. Prior to becoming a Festival Vice President she also co-chaired the Celebrity Luncheon which was held for dignitaries and celebrities prior to the Grand Feature Parade and was the Chair of the Queen’s Dinner, an event that offered attendees a look at the Queen Designate and her Court as they entered through a Sabre Arch and the traditional cutting of the Queen’s Apple Pie.

When asked why the Festival is important to her, Sharen stated “For me it’s about the people. I love seeing this community open its arms to people from all over who come together to celebrate the apple industry and the beautiful blossoms. The happy look on a child’s face, the laughter of friends and family coming together for a special moment in time, watching an army of dedicated, hard-working volunteers pull off this 40+ events, 10-day festival – that’s what makes the Festival special to me.”

Sharen and her husband Tom, a local dentist, will celebrate 44 years of marriage later this month. They have two children, 34 year-old Tim and 33 year-old Wendy. Tom and Sharen enjoy spending time with their family and friends, traveling especially to Disney, running races and riding their tandem bike. Sharen serves as the Executive Director of Our Health, Inc., a regional health and human services nonprofit. Prior to this she served as the Director of Administration and Human Resources for the City of Winchester for 30 years.