Glessner Prepared to Lead Linsly’s Board of Trustees

He knows the difference because he experienced the difference for himself, and that is why Gary Glessner is excited to be the new chair of the Board of Trustees of The Linsly School.

Glessner, the founder of The Glessner Group in the Elm Grove area of Wheeling, assumed the chairman’s duties officially following the board’s May 19^th meeting, and he will offer his remarks this Sunday during the school’s 209^th commencement. He’s a proud member of the Class of 1985, but, believe it or not, his affection for his alma mater wavered following seventh grade.

After Glessner enrolled for fifth grade when the school was Linsly Military Institute, he pleaded with his parents to transfer him to then-Bridge Street Junior High for eighth grade.

“I wanted to go with my friends who went to public school because it always seemed as if they had more fun at,” Glessner recalled. “But then I returned to Linsly for my junior and senior years because that’s what my mother wanted me to do. She was not in good health, especially when I was in 10th grade, but she asked me to go back to Linsly because she wanted me to get back into that college prep atmosphere.

“I made that promise to her, so I returned to Linsly in 11th grade after she passed away and, to this day, I’m so happy I did that,” he said. “The experience I had when I returned to Linsly is one of the main reasons why I am so proud to be the next chairman of Linsly’s Board of Trustees.”

Glessner has been a member of the Board of Trustees for six years, and he’s following Dr. John Holloway as chair.

“I see it as a challenge, but it is something I’ve thought about for several years,” he explained. “Because I feel the school has done something for me and has helped me become the person I am today, I felt an obligation to give back to the school financially and with my support. I’ve been very successful in my life, and that’s why, now that I have this opportunity, I’ve accepted it and plan to do everything I can to help Linsly continue to offer what it does to young people.

“For me, it’s about direction, and it’s about making sure the school is around for many, many years to come,” Glessner said. “I know the members of my Class of ‘85 greatly benefited from the experiences and from the education they gained while they were students here at Linsly, and I look forward to seeing that continue under my watch for many years.”

Two Plus Two

Numbers make sense and things add up.

That’s the way it’s been since Gary was that high school student in the 1980s, and that’s why he’s been successful collecting the different divisions that comprise The Glessner Group. He’s partnered with Brett Andrews, Eric Snodgrass, and Stephen Wharton to form a firm that offers services associated with wealth management, multimedia, insurance, and accounting.

Glessner wants to accomplish the same as one of Linsly’s primary leaders.

“As a board, we’re trying to surround ourselves with successful, local business people who want to take an interest in the school to provide financial support and community support so we can provide the next generation that kind of education that Linsly has offered for many, many decades,” he said. “For a lot of years, we’ve had an older board of trustees and they have done an impressive job, but now I feel it’s time we attract some younger members.

“If we attract younger members, that means they will be on the board for a while instead of coming on at the age 65 and being done five years later,” Glessner explained. “To lead any organization, I believe you have to have a group of people who work together for a while so the best results can be produced. That’s what I would like to see take place with Linsly’s Board of Trustees while I’m serving as the chair.”

Glessner’s son, Gary Jr., is 29 years old and resides in Wheeling, and Gary Sr. and his wife, Missy, have two daughters, as well, including Sydney, who was graduated in 2021 and now is attending Clemson University. Kelsey, who is a member of the Class of 2023, will be in the audience while her father delivers a commencement address this Sunday afternoon.

“I’ll discuss three things – organizational skills, time management, and leadership,” Glessner said. “Those are the things I can remember learning during my days at Linsly that I utilize every single day as an adult and as a business professional, and that’s because of the workload we handled every day on top of our extracurricular activities. It was hard work, and if you weren’t up to it, you didn’t last long and that’s still true today.

“And, as far leadership, that was expected when I was a student, I know it still is because of my daughters and their years here. It goes without saying, but it’s still a challenge and it makes you grow as a person,” he said. “And it makes you a leader and that will benefit you throughout your life.”

All 52 Cadets

A gallon of gas was around $1.15 and a dozen eggs cost 80 cents in 1985, and Linsly was an all-male college preparatory school with grades 5-12.

Rax Roast Beef still was open at the bottom of Knox Lane, the Stifel Field House was nothing but a development dream, and Glessner was a Prefect (student government), a member of the Math Club, the Science Research group, and he was a letterman for the Linsly varsity baseball team his junior and senior years.

And when Glessner recalls his high school years, he remembers homework, competition, and the lifelong friendships he cherishes today.

“What’s great is that I don’t believe the school has changed much since I was a student,” he said. “Of course, society has forced a lot of changes on all of us over the years, but fundamentally, I believe Linsly offers today exactly what it offered me and my classmates nearly 40 years ago.

“The college preparatory environment remains, the rigorous academic curriculum is still in place, and there’s always been a lot of homework, too,” Glessner said. “That’s why I believe the basics have not changed at Linsly, and, in my opinion, that’s a very good thing. We do live in a different society now, and with that have come some different mindsets, but the school still offers what is most important when it comes to the education offered at Linsly.”