
Miss Virginia Association of Fairs Scholarship Pageant
January 15, 2023 at the Williamsburg Lodge in Colonial Williamsburg, Va
VAF QUEENS
2023 - Natalie Woodward - Frederick County
2022 - Torie Shifflett - Franklin County
2021 - No Pageant Held
2020 - Adrienne Poole - VAKY District
2019 - Olivia Green - Scott County's Fairest
2018 - McKenzie Templeton - Lee
2017 - Whitney Davis - Dickenson
2016 - Jensen Hoover - Shenandoah
2015 - Megan Greber - Rockingham
2014 - Leah Cordle - Russell
2013 - Sarah Grace Fitzsimmons - Shenandoah
2012 - McKenna Kendrick - Frederick
2011 - Katie Yankey Landes - Bergton
2010 - Becca Gogue - Shenandoah
2009 - Brittany Law MacEachern - Patrick
2008 - Catherine Rigg Stewart - VA/KY
2007 - Sara Wirtala Bock - Fredericksburg
2006 - Jaclyn Roller Ryan - Shenandoah
2005 - Emily Schwab - Albemarle
2004 - Elizabeth Colopy - Page
2003 - Jessica Prince Sanders - VA/KY
2002 - Tiffany Weaver Sawyer - Rockingham
2001 - Whitney Brook Zirkle Justus - VA/KY
2000 - Kimberly Cooper Updike - Fredericksburg
1999 - Heidi Hund - Albemarle
1998 - Melissa Ward Atkins - Shenandoah
1997 - Kelie Young Blackwell - VA/KY
1996 - Melissa Purtlebaugh McDonald - Frederick
1995 - Julie Knowles - Page
1994 - Nicole Jones Plourde - Fredericksburg
1993 - Suzann Briggs Irvin - Fredericksburg
1992 - Krista Lambert Price - Russell
Miss State Fair of Virginia Queens:
1991 - Lisa Baker Webster - Dickenson
1990 - Anna Marie Dyke McKenna - Frederick
1989 - Cheryl Ferguson - Five County
1988 - Lisa Baggan Hayes - Fredericksburg
1987 - Carla Yancey Boswell - South Central
1986 - Judy Whipp Mills - Frederick
1985 - Rhea McChesney Higginbotham - Fishersville
1984 - Stephanie Judd Sandridge - Fishersville
1983 - Andra Casilear Crosen - Frederick
1982 - Minnie Gillenwater Bates - VA/KY
1981 - Dana McGrath Mayberry - Five County
1980 - Vicki Semones - New River Valley
1979 - Laura Eline Buchanan Bruce - VA/KY
1978 - Faith Clark - Five County
1977 - Dora Beeler Buck - Shenandoah
1976 - Betty Lou Walsh - Shenandoah
1975 - No Pageant Held
1974 - Kathy Redd Brodie - Five County
1973 - Kylene Barker - New River Valley - Miss America 1979
1972 - Michelle Matter Smith - Fredericksburg
1971 - Jessika Jenks Poole - Fredericksburg
1970 - Tracy Rudacille Pomeroy - Warren
1969 - Linda Bond Hagan - South Central
1968 - Joyce Dixon - Chesterfield
1967 - Karen White - Chesterfield
1966 - Sherry Overton Sheffield - Five County
1965 - Debbi Loth - Rockingham
1964 - Brenda Lewis - Fredericksburg
1963 - Lisa Hanmer Perdieu - South Central
1962 - Donna Ratcliff Strange - Halifax
1961 - Nancy Byrd Lacy Murray - Halifax
1960 - Patricia Ailsworth Gwitt - Northern Neck
1959 - Carol Black Puhlick - South Central
1958 - Patricia Poindexter - Salem - Miss Virginia USA & Miss Universe Contestant
1957 - Alice Ferrell - Fredericksburg
1956 - Carter Billingsley Saunders - Fredericksburg
1955 - No Pageant Held
1954 - Judy Tritt McElroy - Lee
1953 - Virginia Carter Duffer Hall - Five County
FROM 1953 - 2023 AND IN YEARS TO COME...
The Miss State Fair of Virginia and Miss Virginia Association of Fairs Pageant has proudly represented Virginia's fairs and festivals for over 60 years. Several of these women have gone on to win and place in other pageants - including this Miss Universe and Miss America pageants!

Natalie Woodward

Torie Shifflett

No pageant held due to COVID-19

Adrienne Poole

Olivia Green

McKenzie Templeton

Whitney Davis - currently using her scholarship from the VAF to further her education at Mountain Empire Community College - plans to become a teacher

Jensen Hoover - went on to compete at Miss Virginia - Cum Laude graduate of Randolph College - promotes her platform "Thinking Out Loud: Starting the Conversation about Mental Illness"

Megan Osborne Greber - went on to compete at Miss Virginia - Top 5 at Miss VA Teen USA - Top 10 at Miss VA USA

Leah May Cordle - went on to compete at Miss Virginia - 1st runner up to the title of Miss Virginia United States - Top 10 at Miss VA Teen USA - continues to promote her anti-bullying platform "Live Equal Abolish Hate" (L.E.A.H.)

Sarah Grace Fitzsimmons - top 10 at Miss Virginia - mistress of ceremonies for the Miss VAF pageant for the past 3 years

McKenna Kendrick - title was a catalyst for opportunities of growth, service, and newtworking across the state - fondest memories included being at the Homestead and VAF conference

Katie Yankey Landes - title allowed her to travel the Commonwealth and see all the different fairs and festivals - met Chris Young and Lee Brice - is a preschool teacher and new mother to a beautiful son

Rebecca Gogue - most proud of the many hours spent volunteering and promoting her platform "Smart Teens, Smart Choices" - presented her platform at the State Fair to an audience of VA's legislators, including former Attorney General Bill Bolling - after winning, became a regular vocalist on the nationally-aired television show Virginia Dreams Center Stage

Brittany Law MacEachern - traveled over 3,000 miles around the state to share her personal platform "Enabling the Disabled - memories range from being in a "cow pie" throwing contest to speaking at the Women in Power conference in Newport News

Jaclyn Roller Ryan - won the title after graduating from Virginia Tech - traveled throughout VA promoting her platform of Parental Involvement in Education - was honored by President Obama in the Rose Garden for her secondary platform "Cultivating Life Skills"

Tiffany Weaver Sawyer - won Mrs. Colorado America in 2007 and placed in the Top 10 at Mrs. America -began training for her first NPC bikini competition in 2014 and has swept nearly every competition over the past two years, taking 1st and overall wins - appeared as a featured model in West Coast Ink magazine, on the cover of Military Spouse magazine, and was a featured athlete in Oxygen magazine - recently appeared on Wheel of Fortune and filmed a Harley-Davidson commercial

Kimberly Cooper Updyke - year was filled with parades, public speaking events, community service, and being the voice for her platform - director of the Miss Fredericksburg Fair pageant - traveled around the world giving back to others with financial and time assistance

Heidi Hund Robinson - some of her favorite memories include attending the Commonwealth Day luncheon, posing with a 450 pound tiger, and introducing national acts "Alabama" and "98 Degrees" to the stage at the State Fair - worked as a teacher oversees in Brazil, Germany, and Italy - met husband doing karaoke in Germany - teaches at the elementary school she attended as a little girl

Nicole P. Jones - Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Cerulean Pharma - member of Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) - sponsors a child through Save the Children

Lisa Baker Webster - worked with numerous radio and TV studios as well as attended various political events as Miss State Fair - Associate Professor of Communication at Radford University

Judy Whipp Mills - was co-chair of the Frederick Co. Fair pageant for 12 years - has been a judge and mistress of ceremonies for multiple pageants - performed at the Miss VAF pageant - met her husband at the 1990 VAF conference - Human Resource Professional of more than 20 years

Stephanie Judd Sandridge - participated in pageants since she was 6 years old - winning Miss State Fair was an unexpected surprise, as she was only 16 at the time - attending the State Fair in Richmond, meeting government officials, and having the honor of crowning her successor were just a few of the highlights of her reign

Dana McGrath Mayberry - toured the State Fair with Governor Chick Robb - manages her own hotel in her hometown

Faith Clark Greenwood - theme of the state pageant was "It's a Small World" - borrowed a costume from a classmate at Longwood Collage who was from Iran - toured the State Fair with Governor John Dalton

Kylene Barker - Miss America 1979

Tracy Rudacille Pomeroy - turned 16 two days prior to the pageant - after winning, spent the next week in Richmond at the fair - toured with Governor Linwood Holton
"It is an honor to be among a group of such dynamic, beautiful, intellectual, and civic-minded women! As a collective, we represent all that the wonderful state of Virginia has to offer, as well as the magnificence of each of our gorgeous communities."
~ Heidi Hund Robinson, Miss Virginia Association of Fairs 1999

In Honor of our Dear Friend and Queen:
It is with heavy hearts that we share some devastating news. Jensen Hoover, our Miss Virginia Association of Fairs 2016, passed away due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident that occurred on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
While we are still searching for the right words to express our grief, we wanted to invite you all to share your memories of Jensen so that we may CELEBRATE her life.
The year Jensen won Miss VAF in 2016, our theme was “Celebrate.” Some may remember our pageant shirts were black with the gold sparkly words on the front, “Celebrate Miss VAF 2016.” Today, even though our hearts are breaking, we ask you all to share your memories of Jensen to help us celebrate our beautiful and uniquely dynamic Miss VAF 2016.
Outside of her long list of accomplishments from a collegiate athlete to business owner and state pageant winner, Jensen was kind, hard-working, funny and goal oriented. Her presence brought a bright light to every space she entered. Daughter, sister, wife and friend. Loved by so many and an inspiration to others for her fierce determination to accomplish her goals and for her work around her platform on mental health. Jensen was never shy when it came to speaking out for what she believed in and giving a voice to those who did not have one.
Thank you for your service as Miss VAF 2016. We love you, Jensen. You will be so deeply missed.
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