MVJ’s volunteer Board of Directors provides financial oversight and strategic guidance.
Board of Directors
Russell Midori has worked in multimedia production for ten years, both as a freelancer and on newsroom staffs. He has held a staff position as a journalist and cinematographer for CBS News network since 2017, traveling overseas and around North America to produce breaking news, character-driven features and the occasional long-form broadcast. He relies on his documentary background to influence storytelling on CBS This Morning, Evening News with Jeff Glor, 48 Hours, and CBS Sunday Morning.
Russell is an Overseas Press Club Foundation board member, a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities, and he volunteers as an alumni mentor for students in the Brooklyn College Radio and Television department.
He used the post-9/11 GI Bill to earn a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Brooklyn College and a dual master’s degree in investigative journalism and documentary production from Columbia University. He has done field work in Iraq, Kurdistan, Korea, India, Mexico, Haiti and Standing Rock. He produced several segments for an Emmy-winning broadcast, and received an OPC award and a Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.
He served on active-duty in the Marine Corps from 2008 - 2012, and was twice named an honor graduate of courses at the Defense Information School. During his enlistment he held the rank of sergeant and served as the NCOIC of the Parris Island Public Affairs Office. In 2014 he did a six-month tour at Marine Forces Europe and Africa as a reservist, working as the director of photography and editor for Marine Corps video content shot across both continents.
Zack Baddorf is a journalist and filmmaker with more than 15 years of experience producing award-winning stories from more than 30 countries, including Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the West Bank, and Kashmir, as well as rebel-held territory in Sri Lanka and Burma.
His work has been published by the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, Reuters, AP, The Guardian, CBS, ABC, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, VICE, RYOT, Al Jazeera English, and other publications in video, radio, photo, and print formats. His videos on social media alone have more than 30 million views.
While based in the Central African Republic, Baddorf broke the news of the American military ending its mission against the Lord’s Resistance Army. His in-depth reporting on the Syrian town of Moadamiyah contributed to humanitarian access being granted to besieged people there. Weeks before Russian troops invaded Crimea, his reporting from the peninsula highlighted its political importance in the conflict.
Baddorf works as director of video for the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism, crafting anti-ISIS videos. For a year in Afghanistan, he worked on rural, remote bases for the U.S. Special Operations Command as a civilian videographer, alongside Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Afghan security forces.
He has also worked as an adjunct professor at New York University and New York Film Academy, teaching public relations and broadcast journalism. He has a master of fine arts degree in documentary studies, a master of arts degree in international relations, another master’s in public relations and a bachelor's in journalism.
Mike Gentine counsels manufacturers, retailers, and other commercial clients on legal and regulatory matters particularly in the area of consumer goods and product safety. Drawing from his federal government, private practice, and in-house experience, Mike advises on compliance strategies and government relations, helping clients advance legislative and policy objectives at the state and federal levels. His experience in the product recall space includes having negotiated or collaborated on consumer product and motor vehicle recalls in multiple countries.
Mike held multiple positions at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). He served as senior counsel for the Office of CPSC Commissioner Joseph P. Mohorovic from 2014-2017, where he advised on various policy, enforcement, and ethics issues. He led several efforts to reform rules and regulations, including an initiative to reduce the paperwork burden on CPSC-regulated companies. He also worked at the CPSC as a legal fellow and law clerk in the Office of Commissioner Nancy Nord.
Most recently, Mike advised a major recreational product and motor vehicle manufacturer on product safety and compliance strategies, representing the company in agency proceedings, stakeholder organizations, and trade associations. He also served in a government relations role, advancing legislative and policy objectives before federal, state, and local governments. His legal training included service with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.
Aided by a prior career in broadcast journalism, Mike is a frequent speaker at industry and other conferences on product safety, regulatory, compliance, and government affairs topics.
Jen has been an advocate for veteran issues since shortly after 9/11. She is married to a traumatically injured Green Beret; is a mother of an active duty 2/75 Ranger; is a daughter of a 101st (A) Soldier, and a sister of a Marine and a Soldier.
Jen spent close to a year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with her traumatically injured husband, Roland, as he fought the good fight - to live. He ended up giving both legs above the knees as a result of being hit by an Improvised Explosive Device while serving on a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha "A Team" during Operation Enduring Freedom. During this life changing experience, Jen was approached by USSOCOM leadership to join a founding team tasked with developing a program supporting wounded, ill & injured Special Operation Forces service members & their families.
During her years at USSOCOM, she discovered a gap in the care for Special Forces . Not long after that discovery, Jen was asked to join the founding team of the Green Beret Foundation--a particularly difficult endeavor supporting an all male unit as the only female. Jen served as GBF's COO, Board Treasurer and CEO & lastly as Board Member for close to a decade. She established all board committees.
Since Jen's husband's injury, she has successfully supported close to 5000 SOF members to include KIA families (when she was warned not to), transitioning service members & she raised over $15 million to support SOF members, their families & specifically Special Forces members. Aside from her SOF support, Jen also advocated, raised money for and served all branches of the United States military.
Jen spent close to a year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with her traumatically injured husband, Roland, as he fought the good fight - to live. He ended up giving both legs above the knees as a result of being hit by an Improvised Explosive Device while serving on a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha "A Team" during Operation Enduring Freedom. During this life changing experience, Jen was approached by USSOCOM leadership to join a founding team tasked with developing a program supporting wounded, ill & injured Special Operation Forces service members & their families.
During her years at USSOCOM, she discovered a gap in the care for Special Forces . Not long after that discovery, Jen was asked to join the founding team of the Green Beret Foundation--a particularly difficult endeavor supporting an all male unit as the only female. Jen served as GBF's COO, Board Treasurer and CEO & lastly as Board Member for close to a decade. She established all board committees.
Since Jen's husband's injury, she has successfully supported close to 5000 SOF members to include KIA families (when she was warned not to), transitioning service members & she raised over $15 million to support SOF members, their families & specifically Special Forces members. Aside from her SOF support, Jen also advocated, raised money for and served all branches of the United States military.
Her work with the SOF community got her recognized when she was awarded the Patriot Award-the highest honor USSOCOM awards to a civilian- by General Tony Thomas. She is the sixth female in history to be awarded a National Special Forces Association membership & honor and the fifth female in history to be honored and given membership to the Special Forces Association Chapter XV.Jen now runs The JPaq Group full time and sits on numerous boards. that had been tasked with developing a program with the objective of supporting wounded, ill & injured Special Operation Forces service members & their families. During her years at USSOCOM, she discovered a gap in the care for Special Forces where this unit sustained 60% of all of SOF casualties but had access to the least amount of support.
Jen, then was asked to join the founding team that created what is now the Green Beret Foundation--a particularly difficult endeavor supporting an all male unit. As you can imagine, Jen wasn't exactly accepted at first & she certainly ruffled feathers as she continued to prioritize the wounded & their families regardless of who was telling her otherwise. Jen served as COO, then CEO & Board Member for close to a decade. Since her husband's injury, Jen has successfully supported close to 5000 SOF members to include KIA families (when she was warned not to), transitioning service members & she raised over $15 million to support SOF members, their families & specifically Special Forces members. She put a strong focus on strengthening marriages and families. She founded the sorority, Steel Mags. Her work with the SOF community resulted in her being awarded the Patriot Award-the highest honor USSOCOM awards to a civilian- by General Tony Thomas. She is the sixth female in history to be awarded a National Special Forces Association award and the SFA Chapter XV award.
Jen now runs The JPaq Group which focuses on nonprofits and small for profits operational excellence ensuring good people achieve their purpose.
Babee Garcia is an award-winning multimedia journalist with experience in print, digital, and broadcast television reporting. She has covered a wide range of stories involving LGBTQ+ rights, politics, body image acceptance, and military-related issues.
She used the post 9/11 GI Bill to earn a bachelor's degree in journalism at Montclair State University and completed the certificate program at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. After graduating from college, she was the Digital and Press Assistant for Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) for one year. She recently made the move to Charlottesville, VA to become a News Producer for CBS 19 News.
During spring break 2018, she traveled to Puerto Rico with student and faculty journalists to document recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria impacted the island. Her mini-documentary "Meals with Love" was featured for the special half-hour edition of "Montclair News Lab: Hurricane Recovery Mission to Puerto Rico." She and her team earned prestigious awards, including a collegiate Emmy from the Television Academy Foundation, Bricker Humanitarian Award, and a student Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Video Reporting from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA).
Babee served on active-duty in the Marine Corps from 2013- 2016 as an Aviation Supply Specialist in MCAS New River, NC.
Geoffrey Ingersoll is the editor in chief of The Daily Caller.
Geoffrey graduated from Penn State with an English degree in 2004. He then quickly achieved becoming a Teach For America reject, and enlisted in the Marines instead. He served honorably from 2005 to 2009, and ended active service as an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. He attended New York University's graduate j-school, studying documentary film and long-form reporting.
Geoffrey has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, the Korean DMZ, and New Jersey.
My name is Paul Szoldra (pronounced ZOAL-druh). I am a reporter and editor based in southern California, mainly focused on national security issues. My byline can be found at Task & Purpose, Business Insider, and We Are The Mighty.
Me or my work have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, MSNBC, CBS News, USA Today, ABC News, Huffington Post, and the Columbia Journalism Review. It has also been cited by the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, Army Cyber Institute, House Armed Services Committee, House Judiciary Committee, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and in various books.
Prior to becoming a journalist, I served as a U.S. Marine infantryman for eight years. I deployed to the Asia-Pacific region and Afghanistan and served as a combat instructor at the Corps' School of Infantry.
Priya Sridhar is a reporter for NBC San Diego. She comes to San Diego from San Antonio, Texas where she worked as a general assignment and investigative reporter for KENS5, a CBS affiliate.
Priya began her journalism career as a multimedia journalist for the NBC affiliates in Maine. She went on to work as a Washington correspondent for RT, an international news channel. She went on to work as the South Asia bureau chief and correspondent based in New Delhi, India.
After returning to the U.S., Priya worked as a video journalist for the Associated Press based in Chicago. She has also worked as a D.C. correspondent and morning show co-host for an international news channel, Arise, headquartered in Nigeria.
Some of her most memorable stories in her ten year journalism career include covering the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO for the Associated Press and Nigeria’s historic 2015 presidential elections.
Priya has a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s in international relations and history from Bowdoin College. Priya is also an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and serves as a Board Member of Military Veterans in Journalism.