Amy Waters Yarsinske received her master's of planning degree from the University of Virginia School of Architecture and her bachelor's of arts degrees in English and economics from Randolph-Macon Woman's College. She is a former president of the Norfolk Historical Society, cofounder of the Norfolk Historical Foundation and a graduate of CIVIC Leadership Institute. Yarsinske has over two decades of experience in the publishing industry as an author and editor. She is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), Authors Guild and American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).