Judith Trumbo, a 1982 alumna of Eastern Mennonite University and the president and CEO of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, has been named the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year.
The award – the Chamber’s longest-running – was presented to Trumbo at the Chamber’s annual banquet on Jan. 4. The recognition is given to leaders who have guided organizations through challenges or in new directions.
Trumbo has held her current position since succeeding Ron Yoder ‘68 in 2013. She had previously directed the 2010 transition of Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH) Healthcare – now Sentara RMH Medical center – with its 2,200 employees, 50 departments, and around-the-clock patients, from downtown to its current facility east of Harrisonburg.
Trumbo first worked at RMH as a registered nurse after graduating from EMU with a nursing degree, and later was the director RMH Home Healthcare for 20 years. Following the 2010 move, she became the RMH acting director of perioperative services.
“Thirty-five years and numerous healthcare roles later,” she said recently, “I am most grateful for the education I received as part of the EMU Nursing program. In addition to a solid clinical foundation, it gave me the confidence and knowledge base to pursue multiple opportunities. Nursing is a wide-open field and EMU provides the necessary preparation to help achieve whatever your goals and dreams may be!”
A resident of Broadway and former member of the Eastern Mennonite University Board of Trustees, Trumbo holds an MBA from James Madison University.
VMRC offers a variety of homes and other accommodations for its 750 residents on its campus on the northeast edge of EMU. Its farm-to-table initiative, with support from EMU’s student-led Sustainable Food Initiative, is just one manifestation of its advocacy efforts.
“We think of ourselves as a community of hope, meaning and growth for persons to age well and live fully,” Trumbo told the Daily News-Record.
Congratulations, Judith. So proud to be affiliated with VMRC and the compassionate care it offers the residents. Again, thank you, Judith, and staff!