VRHA

Staff

 

 
 

Sherri Blair

Rural Health Clinic Specialist (she/her)

Sherri works remotely from her hometown in Marion, VA. She is a LPN and holds a BS in Public Health from Walden University. She is also a certified RHC Coder/Biller. Sherri is married to her husband of 21 years. They have a blended family of 3 grown children, 11 grand kids and a black lab named Bear. In their spare time they enjoy kayaking, swimming and working around their home.

Mindy Eckstein, MPH

Program Coordinator (she/her)

Mindy is a lifelong Virginian and graduate of Virginia Tech. She holds a Master of Public Health, specializing in grants management and capacity building for non-profits. In her downtime, Mindy enjoys horseback riding, learning new skills, and traveling with her family.

Danielle Montague, MPH, DSL

Program Coordinator (she/her)

Danielle completed her doctoral degree at Regent University, studying Strategic Leadership, concentrating on Healthcare Leadership. She began her career at Danville Parks and Recreation. She held many different positions within the department, working her way up to Health and Wellness Program Coordinator. Danielle's work was centered around health equity in the region. She currently resides in southside Virginia where she also teaches yoga at a meditation center and gym.

Beth O'Connor, M. Ed.

Executive Director (she/her)

Beth grew up in New London, MN. She has been the executive director of VRHA since 2005 and was the 2022 President of the National Rural Health Association. Beth is also the creator and host of The Rural Health Voice podcast. She loves the performing arts, especially modern dance and jazz music.

Mary Jo Oliver-Hedrick, MS, PhD

Program Coordinator (she/her)

Mary Jo completed her doctoral degree at East Tennessee State University in Experimental Psychology, concentrating on community-based research. She holds a master's degree in Developmental Psychology and has worked in multiple roles facilitating positive mental health and reduced substance use in community settings. Mary Jo grew up in Southwest Virginia and enjoys being outdoors, hiking, kayaking, and fishing with her husband.

Cindi Poteat

Nutrition Coordinator (she/her)

Bryan E Price

Program Manager (he/him)

Bryan Price is a native of Danville, Virginia and currently resides in South Boston, Virginia. Bryan studied Statistics, Mathematics & Computer Science at Virginia Tech. His passion is fitness, Urban Line Dancing, and advocating for racial equity and healthy living in his community. He is Board Chair for Equality Virginia and a board member of The Health Collaborative, Regional Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth Southwest Advisory Board, and the VDH Community HIV Planning Group. He is a graduate of the 2018 Class of LEAD Virginia and 2021 graduate of the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Fellows program. He was also appointed by former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to serve on the Commonwealth’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council.

Roshay Richardson, LCCE

Breastfeeding Coordinator (she/her)

Roshay, known as the SolFlower, is a passionate birthworker with autism, channeling her special interest in maternal health. As a community ambassador, doula, Lamaze International certified childbirth educator, and lead chair of the Maternal Health Taskforce for The Health Collaborative, she tirelessly advocates for the well-being of mothers & their families. Beyond her roles, she is a devoted mom, wife & friend. Created to create, Roshay finds solace and expression in many art forms with writing being her absolute favorite, weaving words to capture the beauty and complexity of life.

Meghan Stump

Executive Assistant (she/her)

Meghan graduated from Radford University with a BS in Environmental Biology. She worked for the USDA Forest Service for over four years as an environmental education & interpretation specialist and visitor information specialist. Afterwards, she worked for multiple museums and non-profits throughout Southwest Virginia. In addition to her role as executive assistant for VRHA, Meghan coordinates the Pride of Rural Virginia initiative and is a certified Adult and Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Meghan grew up in and currently resides in Giles County, VA with her five-year-old son. She enjoys birdwatching, live music, and thrift shopping.

Ginny Wrobel

Program Coordinator (she/her)

Ginny graduated from Virginia Tech in May 2022 with a BS in Public Health. At Virginia Tech, she participated in many community-based responses such as COVID Crushers and Appalachian Community Research. She worked with the Compress and Shock Foundation promoting and teaching CPR and AED training to the public. She currently resides in the New River Valley with her husband and two dogs. She enjoys baking and fly fishing.