New Executive Committee Officers
At our October board meeting, the MHV Board of Directors voted on their new Executive Committee officers. They officially take office in January. Get to know them better here!
Cherie Hammond, President
Cherie Hammond moves into the President role in January after having served as Vice President in 2024. Cherie is in her third year on the MHV Board and brings over 12 years of experience from the corporate world, working currently for CarMax. Cherie was inspired to join MHV when she suddenly lost her brother in 2019 and wanted to give back to support mental health advocacy to help others. Cherie previously volunteered for Richmond Animal League, the Samaritan House of Virginia Beach, and many other organizations. Cherie holds an MBA from the University of Florida, and an undergraduate degree in Marketing and in Psychology. In joining the board and taking on this new leadership role, Cherie hopes to help expand mental health programs in the workplace and improve education around mental wellness in our communities.
When not working or volunteering, Cherie enjoys spending time with her two daughters and her husband, as well as weight-lifting and baking.
Laura “Meg” Viar is an educator and technologist living in Richmond, VA. After undergraduate studies in Psychology and Visual Art, she joined Teach for America and began her career as a public school teacher. During her time in the corps, she earned a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She later transitioned into the tech sector and currently works on Mozilla’s Firefox web browser as a Staff Software Engineer. Meg joined MHV’s board in 2022, served as Secretary in 2024, and will move into the role of Vice President in the coming year. She is passionate about connecting individuals with mental health resources and supporting the well-being of young people through volunteer work. She enjoys hiking with her partner and their dog, rollerblading, and engaging with the arts.
Meg Viar, Vice President
Lauren Stevens, Treasurer
Lauren Stevens is a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker, having worked for over thirty years in the areas of behavioral health, poverty, and criminal justice in the City of Richmond. After becoming familiar with MHV’s Warm Line, she was impressed by MHV’s focus on advocacy, recovery, peer support and wellness, and joined the board in 2020. She began serving as Treasurer in 2024, a role she will again fill in 2025.
Lauren is a newly trained Master Gardener, and enjoys volunteering in Hanover and Richmond as well as tackling the weeds and invasives in her own yard. Her other passions include travel and hiking, especially in Spain where she has backpacked over 500 miles with her husband.
Jennifer Campbell-Raab is a new member of the Mental Health Virginia Board of Directors, and she will be moving into the role of Secretary in January 2025.
Jennifer is a registered nurse who has been working in mental health for ten years. She currently serves as the Education Coordinator for Riverside Health’s Mental Health and Recovery Service Line. In her role, Jennifer works to improve the understanding of mental health and substance use challenges and the perspectives of those impacted by them, with a goal of ensuring that care received is informed, sensitive to needs, and recovery focused.
Jennifer is a passionate advocate for the destigmatization of mental illness. Through community outreach and active engagement with area partners and coalitions, Jennifer hopes to empower individuals to bolster their mental and emotional wellbeing by increasing their awareness and utilization of prevention and recovery resources.
Jennifer is a Mental Health First Aid instructor, as well as a Nonviolent Crisis Intervention instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Old Dominion University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Philosophy from Clemson University. Nursing is a second career for Jennifer, who previously worked as a television newscast producer. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, as well as reading and sailing.
Jennifer Campbell-Raab, Secretary
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
