Richard B. Burrow
Richard B. Burrow graduated with honors from Andrew Lewis High School in 1965. In addition to receiving the Daughters of the American Revolution Award, Richard was president of the Key Club and vice president of his junior and senior class. He was captain of the varsity baseball team and a member of the varsity football team, which won the state championship in 1964.
After graduating from Andrew Lewis, Richard attended Virginia Tech, where he received a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1969. He immediately began working for the Virginia Department of Transportation, where, in 1971, he went on to develop the first thoroughfare plans for Lynchburg, Danville, and the Roanoke Valley and was later project manager for the Regional Air Transportation Study.
In 1986, Richard became the Chief Project Engineer for the City of Roanoke, where he managed the four departments of Engineering, Planning, Economic Development, and Building Inspections. He developed the first downtown traffic signal system, which was implemented at 48 intersections, contributed to the revitalization of Downtown and the City Market, and directed Roanoke City’s recovery from the hundred-year flood of 1985. As the project and park engineer for Explore Park from 1986-1994, Richard led the three-year planning process behind the creation of the 1,300-acre State Park under the governance of the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority. In 1995, he became Executive Director of Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a multi-state nonprofit organization devoted to developing and preserving the Blue Ridge Parkway.
From 1996-2001, Richard served as Executive Director and, ultimately, President of the National D-Day Memorial Foundation. He worked with the Board of Directors to design, acquire the land for, rezone, construct, open, and operate the National D-Day Memorial, directing an international fundraising campaign that generated over $20 million in five years. Richard planned the national dedication ceremony for the D-Day Memorial that took place on June 6, 2001. The ceremony featured among its speakers the President of the United States, the Governor of Virginia, Congressmen, and State legislators, and was attended by international dignitaries, more than 800 D-Day Veterans, 400 media representatives, and 21,000 guests.
Since 2005, Richard has worked as a realtor for MKB Realtors, Inc. He was recognized in his first year by being named “Rookie of the Year,” and has since risen to the top 10% of the company in sales. In 2008, he became Chair of the MLS Technical Committee for the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors. All the while, he has continued to work towards eco-friendly development of the Roanoke Valley as the top fundraiser in 2007 and 2008 for Gallop 4 the Greenways, an annual event to support a growing network of pedestrian and bike friendly trails.
In additional to his professional achievements, Richard served as Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1969-1979. He is on the Board of Elders and is Chair of the Board of Deacons at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church. He has coached soccer and baseball for the Youth Recreation League and been President of the PTA for eight years. He volunteers at Mill Mountain Theatre, and he serves on boards for Total Action Against Poverty and the Jefferson Center Foundation.
Richard has four children, three step-children, and three granddaughters. He and his wife, Janet reside in Roanoke, Virginia.
In recognition of his outstanding career achievements, Richard Beazley Burrow is inducted into the 2008 Salem Alumni Hall of Fame established by the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association.
