Melody Hotek joined the Samuels Library Board of Trustees in July 2021 and became President in July 2023.  She served on the Friends of Samuels Library (FOSL) for six years, 5 of those as President and was the representative to the Board of Trustees during that time reporting on FOSL activities. FOSL soon took charge of the annual book sale and in 2017 opened the Epilogue Bookstore, which subsequently increased the group’s annual income and ability to fulfill its mission to support Samuels Library.

With over 25 years’ experience in the nonprofit world, she has helped FOSL become a 501(c)(3), served for 10 years as President of the Front Royal Warren County Tree Stewards, served on the Board and then worked as Director of Operations at the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons(NVRC) a (501(c)(3), managing the budget, operations and events until early 2012. Prior to that she was employed at Grossberg Company CPAs, a mid-size accounting firm where she was introduced to tax filings and audits of nonprofits.

This background in administration and events enabled her to assist with the Library’s Annual Fundraiser “A Taste for Books” since 2016, raising an average of $20,000 per year. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree, magna cum laude, starting out in Art and finishing in Senior Healthcare. Working on “A Taste for Books” fulfills her artistic and creative itch and affords meaningful engagement with businesses, hosts, local agencies, artists, musicians, patrons and the amazing staff of Samuels Library.

Along with her husband Jeff they retired in 2012 to Front Royal with land on the Shenandoah River and a view of Skyline Drive. Jeff, a true bookworm, was also an active volunteer at the Library and upon his passing he left a restricted gift as seed money to start an amphitheater for the community at the Library he loved so dearly. Unfortunately this project has been put on hold due to recent controversies.

Melody’s joy is being Grandma to her blended family of 6 adult children and nine grandchildren.  Three of her grown children own homes in Warren County and together, two families live in the Fork District and two live in the Happy Creek District.  One has her own business on Main Street, one is a nurse commuting to Loudoun County and one works from home, also in the nonprofit world.  Four (4) of the grandchildren live nearby attending 3 of the County’s public schools. Large get-togethers are frequent and filled with laughter and love as they capture the moments.

Michelle Leasure joined the Samuels Library, Inc. Board of Trustees in July, 2022 and currently serves as the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee.   Prior to joining the Samuels Board, Michelle served as Treasurer on the WICT - Virginia (Women in Cable and Telecommunications) Board from January 2021 to December 2023.

With over 30 years of telecommunication and cable experience, Michelle has held positions in Finance, Information Technology, Engineering and Marketing.  Most of her time has been spent in Finance in the field of Revenue and Margin Assurance. Michelle has a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in accounting from Ohio State University. 

Michelle has been married to her husband, Derrick, for 25 years.  They have 2 children, a son in college and a daughter who is a senior in high school.  Michelle and her family are members of St. John’s Catholic Church. In California, Michelle served as the Catholic advisor to the ‘Order of St. Michael’, an organization for high school Catholics at the Army and Navy Academy.

Desiring to give back to the community, Michelle applied to be a member of the library board and found it to be a perfect volunteer opportunity to utilize her financial skills.  The Leasure family resides in the Shenandoah District.

Lewis Edward Moten III, known as Lewie, joined the Board of Trustees in July 2023. He is currently on the Executive Committee as the Trustee at Large and serves on both the Strategic Planning and the Policy & Bylaws Committees.

With a background in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix, he has worked at several respected companies including Computer Sciences Corporation, Analysis Research Planning Corporation, digitalNATION, Vii Medical, and Decipher Technology Studios. His diverse client portfolio includes major organizations such as NASA, USCIS, the State Department, US Pacific Fleet, and Deltek, where he focused on financial systems, asbestos claims, prospectus reports, nuclear counterproliferation, congressional reporting, and synchronizing data between NIPR/SIPR networks.

Lewie’s dedication to accessibility and inclusivity is a cornerstone of his work. From his early days at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Lewie has been dedicated to accessibility, inclusivity and intellectual freedom.  He has contributed open-source programs, several of which have received recognition and awards, emphasizing his passion for digital inclusivity.

Lewie’s personal journey gives him a deep understanding of empathy and resilience. Growing up with learning disabilities, he struggled through much of his public education. His mother’s encouragement to visit the library to help improve his reading comprehension shaped his determination to support others facing similar challenges.  He is actively developing programs to teach teens and adults technical skills to thrive in today’s digital world.

Certified in First Aid, CPR, AED, and trained in Narcan administration, Lewie is always ready to assist in emergencies, further demonstrating his dedication to the safety and well-being of his community. His ongoing commitment to giving back is also reflected in his role as a blood donor to the American Red Cross.

Lewie is an alumnus of the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce Leadership program, has served on the Board of Zoning Appeals, is a proud Freemason and Shriner, supports numerous charitable causes and hails from the North River District where he dotes on his two dogs.

Kimberly B. W. Emerson began her present term on the Board of Trustees on July 1, 2024. Kim presently is the chair of the Policies & Bylaws Committee.  During her previous tenure on the Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2023, she served on the Finance Committee, Executive Committee, Bylaws Committee (Chair), and as the Vice President of the Board of Trustees.

Kim is an attorney, who is a partner at Struckmann, White & Wiseley PC in Front Royal, Virginia. She presently focuses her practice on real estate law, family law, civil litigation, and collection matters. Kim routinely serves as a guardian ad litem for children and incapacitated adults. In addition to being licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia for twenty years, Kim is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia.     

Kim received her juris doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude and served as an Articles Editor on the University of Richmond Law Review. Prior to attending law school, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Bridgewater College, majoring in political science with a minor in Spanish.

In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees, Kim presently is the President of the Warren County Bar, Inc.  She has previously been a member of the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army in Front Royal and the Best Practices Group for the Warren County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court. Kim previously taught real estate, bankruptcy, contracts, and legal research in the legal administration program at Laurel Ridge Community College.

Kim lives in the Fork District with her husband and two (2) young children. She enjoys spending time with her family, camping, traveling, participating on her church’s praise team, and teaching youth Sunday school.

Lori Girard joined the Samuels Library, Inc. Board of Trustees in July 2022. She is currently serving on the Committee on Trustees and the Policy & By-Law Committee. Before joining the Board, Lori was on the Friends of Samuels Library Board of Directors from July 2016 to June 2022, serving as both a Director and President. She also volunteers at the library's Epilogue Bookstore, where she helps with scheduling.

Since April 2023, Lori has been working as a Document Specialist in Accessibility. In this role, she ensures that electronic content is accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. Lori took a break from the workforce in 2004 to stay at home with her children. Before that, she began her career at Safeway Inc. in high school, working her way up from Courtesy Clerk to Store Manager.

Lori briefly left Safeway to serve in the Navy from 1991 to 1993. Her only duty station was at the Submarine Base in Groton, CT, where she worked in Radiological Controls, supporting the U.S. Submarine Fleet. This experience helped her grow personally and professionally, and when she returned to Safeway, they placed her in a fast-track management program.

Lori has been homeschooling her three children since 2009 when her oldest was in kindergarten. She has been involved in two homeschool cooperatives as a parent, teacher, and board member. Lori also assists with her daughter’s American Heritage Girls troop and is actively involved in her church, where she and her husband lead the youth group and serve in other leadership roles. In her free time, Lori enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, hiking with her dog, and volunteering in her church and community. The Girard family lives in the Happy Creek District.

Scott Jenkins joined the Samuels Library, Inc. Board of Trustees in July, 2024 and currently serves on the Finance and Development Committees. Prior to joining the Samuels Board, Scott served on the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority (May 2021 to February 2024), filling the role of Chairman from February 2023 to February 2024.

As co-owners of Mountain Home Bed & Breakfast, located on Remount Road in the South River District, Scott and Lisa (his wife of 38 years) established a thriving business that draws visitors from around the globe. Scott’s business and personal interests complement Warren County’s small business, tourism, restaurant, and recreation sectors – giving him valuable insight into promoting and sustaining our community’s varied assets. In operation since 2013, Mountain Home has welcomed more than 20,000 visitors to Front Royal-Warren County.

With over 32 years of technology management and system integration experience, Scott’s record of achievement includes Sprint, Ericsson Services, Inc., IBM, AT&T, MCI, and Andersen Consulting. He has a Master’s Degree in Management from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Richmond.

As a parent, Scott supported youth development through various leadership roles within the Boy Scouts of America, as a church youth group leader, as a middle school Sunday School teacher, and as a member of the board of directors for Camp Highroad – a United Methodist Church camp near Middleburg, VA. An avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast, Scott completed “thru-hikes” of the Appalachian Trail in 2012 and the Tuscarora Trail in 2020. He is an active member of the Front Royal-Warren County Appalachian Trail Community’s steering committee.  Along with his wife, Lisa, he serves as a “shelter maintainer” in nearby George Washington National Forest. Scott and Lisa have adopted a two-mile stretch of Remount Road for roadside cleanups.

Joan currently serves as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Samuels Library Board of Trustees having served in many roles throughout the years including as President of both this Board and the Friends of Samuels Library. In addition, Joan is an active volunteer in the Library and in the Epilogue Bookstore.

Joan started her professional life as a social worker at Norfolk Social Services after graduating from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and later with a Master of Science in Education with an emphasis on guidance and counseling, a Master’s in Social Work from Rutgers University, and a post graduate certificate in marriage and family therapy.

Her career path led to medical social work. She was employed as an oncology social worker for five years. Over the next 11 years she worked as part of hospice care teams at two different hospice programs serving as a social worker or as the director for the social work/ counseling services department. Joan also was employed at the National Hospice Organization where she served as a National Council of Hospice Professionals Section Manager offering technical information and education to member hospice organizations.  Joan was truly honored to be invited into the lives of individuals as they entered the final stage of their lives and to assist and support their families who sought to care for their loved ones at home. The hospice team worked well together to ensure quality end of life care. It certainly brought things into perspective.

Joan and her husband moved to Warren County’s Fork District in 2002 to enjoy a semi-retirement. The decision to retire to Warren County was made in the mid 1980’s so that they could be close to the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In 2002 Joan began to volunteer at St Luke Community Clinic and became committed to helping residents of Warren County who could not afford health insurance obtain necessary care. From being a volunteer, she became the clinic’s volunteer coordinator under a Faith in Action grant and finally the organization’s Executive Director. Upon full retirement Joan again assumed the role of volunteer at the clinic. During her residence in Warren County, she has served on the Boards of Directors for Northwestern Community Service Board, the Friends of Samuels Library, and the Board of Trustees for Samuels Library.

The Richardson family enjoy hiking, reading good books, gardening, and traveling. The family also looks forward to the preparation and sharing of good food with friends and family.