With great fondness and sincere gratitude for their combined 41 years of service to Maggie Walker Governor’s School, we say goodbye to the following retiring staff and faculty members.
Mike Brown: August 2001 – June 2026
Mike Brown started at MLWGS as a part-time security officer and our athletic trainer in his early years while he worked on obtaining his teaching certification. By 2005, Mike was ready to go into the classroom full-time, teaching Health, PE, and Driver’s Education.
Mike has been the Head Golf Coach for 13 years and has enjoyed several successful seasons.
In addition to coaching, Mike has been a class sponsor and sponsor of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) organization, the Young Republicans, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the past 12 years.
In his downtime, Mike is very active in his local church and has recently been assigned to oversee scheduling for the softball and baseball complexes.
Mike is blessed with a close-knit family, including his wife, Penny, his children, Austin, Sara, and Robbie, and his 3 grandchildren. His most recent grandchild was born in Alaska this year. His retirement plans include travel to Alaska, where he will enjoy fishing and hunting, and spending time with his family.
Dr. Tim Donahue: September 2010 – June 2026
Tim Donahue originally joined our faculty in a part-time capacity as a VCU professor in 2010, and with the exception of a few intervening years, has remained here at Maggie Walker and taught VCU dual-enroll physiological psychology, commonly referred to as biopsych.
During his tenure at VCU, Dr. Timothy Donahue’s research and area of interest are behavioral pharmacology, specifically the discriminative stimulus properties of antipsychotic medications. Dr. Donahue investigated a medication called amisulpride, an atypical antipsychotic, produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and used in the treatment of schizophrenia and depression. It is not yet approved for use in the USA but is widely used throughout Europe and Australia. Dr. Donahue was a Faculty Advisor and is a representative in Psi Chi Club, the International Honor Society in Psychology.
A quote from one of his students read: “Donahue is an amazing professor! Lectures are long, but very fun, and often have a small break around the halfway point. He wants to see students succeed, and as long as you read the assignment instructions and go to class, you should do fine. Some weeks were a bit more work-heavy, so be ready for that. Overall, an amazing course and professor! 10/10.”
After retiring from Maggie Walker, Dr. Donahue hopes to spend more time with his family, particularly his grandsons. He is also considering going back to school for another post-graduate degree, as learning is a lifelong passion of his. Dr. Donahue also dreams of spending more time in Montana fly-fishing. Even though he does not catch many fish, he enjoys the time spent peacefully on the river. When at home, Dr. Donahue will enjoy the view from his new deck.
Happy Retirement to both Mike and Tim! Both fish actively and passionately, so we wish many days of that activity. You’ve worked hard and earned this time to pursue your passions and dreams.
