Michael Whalton
At-Large Member
Michael is the youngest member of a six generation Key West Conch family. He and his siblings grew up on the islands of South Florida where Michael worked in the hospitality industry tending bar, waiting tables, and ultimately managing Sloppy Joe’s Bar where he founded the Hemingway Days Festival in 1981. For the next 17 years, he coordinated a number of special events in Key West. In addition to Hemingway Days, he directed Fantasy Fest, the Conch Republic Celebration, and the Texaco Classic Billfishing Tournament. Michael met his wife Susan in Key West, and in 1994 they moved to Hedgesville, to the great surprise of many of their friends. Michael earned his RBA from Shepherd University in 2005 and his MBA in 2008. From 2005 to 2011, he was executive director of the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia. And in 2012, Michael was chosen to succeed Amy Owen as executive director of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, a position he joyfully held until his retirement in 2024. As Michael navigates the challenges of retirement, he is happy to be given the opportunity to serve on the PVAS Board of Directors.
