VTV Family Outreach Foundation Board of Directors

Joe Samaha, President

A life-long resident of Northern Virginia, Joe graduated from Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School in 1973 and from American University in 1977.  Married to his wife, Mona, in 1982, the couple had three children: Omar, Randa, and Reema.  The Samahas have resided in Centreville since 1987.

Having grown up in a close-knit Lebanese community, Joe was heavily influenced by his Lebanese heritage and the challenges confronting the Middle East.  At American University, Joe majored in International Relations and Political Science. Upon graduation, Joe enrollenatid in the Master’s Program in International Relations at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.

After marrying Mona in Beirut in 1982, Joe worked with his father in The Samaha Corporation, an international trade firm in McLean, Virginia.  During this period, Joe traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.  Joe eventually gravitated to the real estate business, and he remains in that business today.

Since the Virginia Tech tragedy, Joe and Mona have established scholarships and funds, including the Angel Fund, in memory of their daughter, Reema.  Joe has been a tireless advocate on behalf of the Virginia Tech families and serves as the first president of VTVFOF.

Lori Haas, Vice President

Jody McQuade, Secretary

Jody McQuade, a Certified Real Estate Specialist and Accredited Buyers Representative, has been a Realtor Associate for 21.  She also works as the Office Manager and Administrative Assistant for CENTURY 21 Hughes-Riggs Realty, Inc., in Woolwich, New Jersey.  Jody is also a Licensed Title Agent and Notary Public. She is a member of the Gloucester/Sales County Board of Realtors Education Committee and also Owner/Manager of Assets and Property Management Company.  

Jody is a Single Mom to 3 of the best kids in the world. After her son, Sean, was wounded on April 16, she helped form VTV and has served as Finance Chair since its inception.

Lolly Miller

A native Floridian and currently residing in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Lolly married her husband, Dennis, in 1984. The couple have two children, Heidi and Wendy. Lolly graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Physical Education and later earned a Certificate in Gerontology. Lolly's primary focus areas are mental health initiatives and establishing a culture of positive energy across all age spectrums to avert future violent events. Creator of the inaugural Intergenerational Day Camp in the Summer 2011, Lolly incorporated the themes of Peace- Building and Cultural Diversity and appreciated the support of the VTV Family Outreach Foundation.

Jen Herbstritt

Jen Herbstritt graduated from Penn State in May 2003 earning Bachelor of Science degrees in Life Sciences and Psychology. Thereafter, she earned a Masters in Health Sciences from the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania in May 2005.  She was employed as a Physician Assistant in State College, Pennsylvania until April 2008 when she resigned from her position to bike across the United States in honor of her older brother, Jeremy, who was murdered at Virginia Tech.  Somewhere along the ride she discovered her love for writing.  After the ride, she relocated to Princeton, NJ with her husband, Brad, where she worked as Adjunct Faculty in the Biology Department at Middlesex County College and as a part-time lecturer in the Exercise Science Department at Rutgers University.  She wrote and self-published a book about her bike ride across America and journey through grief entitled, Leaving Virginia: A Bike Ride Across America in Memory of Jeremy.  She is currently working on a second book with the working title, Watermelon Bubblegum: An Anorexic’s Antics on Food, Love and Life. An avid runner, she has completed over a dozen marathons and ultra-marathons.  She enjoys participating in weekend 5K charity races and, with her family and friends, organizes Herbie’s Hometown Loop, an annual running and biking event held in memory of Jeremy in their hometown of Bellefonte, PA.

Brad Updegrove

Brad Updegrove is currently employed as a Commercial Services Manager for the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.  In his current position, Brad is responsible for providing procurement support to the Janssen pharmaceutical sales and marketing teams. Specifically, his team is responsible for the management of the external commercial supply base. Previously, Brad held similar positions in J&J’s Consumer Group of Companies.  Prior to joining J&J, Brad was employed at Ford Motor Company, and Exel Logistics.  He currently sits on the Board for Junior Achievement of New Jersey.  Brad holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Logistics and a Master of Business Administration degree from The Pennsylvania State University. He currently resides in Princeton, NJ with his wife Jen Herbstritt. 

Alec Calhoun

Alec Calhoun is a 2008 graduate of Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Engineering Science and Mechanics. Originally from Waynesboro, Virginia, Alec relocated to central Illinois to take job as a hydraulic design engineer in 2008. He hopes to serve the Board in promoting campus safety, and honoring the memories of those we lost in 2007.

Rachael Forsman

Rachael Forsman is a 21 year old resident of Vermont who graduated from Johnson State College last December. She graduated with a B.S. in Wellness & Alternative Medicine and a minor in French. During her time at JSC she also took a summer semester in India and Bhutan studying Asian philosophy and art. She also spent time interning at chiropractic and naturopathic offices, which was an amazingly informative and rewarding experience. She currently works as a restaurant supervisor at the Great Room Grill at Stowe Mountain Resort, and she also waitress for the Stowe Mountain Club. In the future she would love to travel and then pursue her love for Ayurvedic Medicine (traditional medical system of India) by becoming an Ayurvedic Health Coach.  She is the cousin to injured student, Sean McQuade.