Who We Are

Dre Popow
Chief Executive Officer

is a combat veteran of the Iraq War. Upon returning, he founded VRI, a group of volunteers dedicated to helping children and soldiers harmed by war. Dre works closely with fellow humanitarian organizations, developing multimedia advertising campaigns pro-bono, while managing successful fundraisers for children in need. He is a member of the Iraqi Children’s Project, Iraq & Afghanistan Vets of America & The Assyrian Medical Society. Dre is currently serving in Afghanistan with the 1st Marine Division assisting in the deactivation of improvised explosive devices.

Marikay Satryano
Chief Operations Officer

After serving in Iraq as an Army Staff Sergeant,
Marikay returned to West Point and was promoted to Second Lieutenant.

She has worked for, and established several nonprofit groups, directly responsible for saving the lives of many children. She has combined her military profession with humanitarian work for: The Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, Assyrian Medical Society, the TD Foundation, and
Veterans Rebuilding Iraq.

Without her relentless support, VRI could not exist.
For more information on Lt. Satryano’s work, visit the following links:

http://www.childreninneed-intl.org/who_we_are.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/14/AR2007021401963.html
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46892

Janene Gentile
Administrative Officer

is the mother of a Marine who served in the Iraq war.
Mrs. Gentile acts as an advisor for VRI, and has provided financial help to our organizations latest missions.

She has developed and worked for several nonprofit organizations dedicated to aiding veterans, including:
The Marine-Moms Program and Helmets-to-Hardhats.
She was a Key Volunteer member for the Marines of
Alpha Company for six years.

She is presently serving as the Ladies Auxiliary
President for VFW 6249 and is the Executive Director
of the North Shore Youth Council.

For more information on these groups, go to:

http://216.250.247.110/
http://www.marinemomsonline.net/
http://www.helmetstohardhats.org/

After serving in the United States Army as a Medical Lab Technician, Mrs. Ryder became a professional banker in New York, and is now the Chief Financial Officer of VRI.

She maintains all financial records of VRI’s donations to fellow humanitarian groups and manages VRI fundraisers, held to support Iraqi children and American Veterans in need. Mrs. Ryder is currently working towards VRI’s certification with the Federal Government to be recognized as a non-profit organization.

She currently resides in New York,
with her husband and two children.

John Natoli
Media Operations Director

is the executive director of JBD Studios, a web-design
company based in New Jersey. John experienced a steady motivation toward humanitarian work. At first only offering assistance as a web designer, then by helping develop other NGO sites. His ever increasing involvement led him to his current position as the Media Operations Officer of VRI.

John continues to offer his services at a significant discount to any nonprofit organization in need of web services, and can be contacted through the
VRI-Design-Team link, found on the home page.

Chris Zamora
Director of Public Relations

is a combat veteran who served as a Marine in the Battle of Fallujah, Iraq. After returning from his tour, he teamed up with Dre Popow in the development of VRI.

As a single father, Chris knows the importance of helping children first hand. As a Veteran, he is aware of the terrible realities Iraqi children face. Chris manages VRI’s volunteer network, assuring VRI representation at humanitarian group functions, and assists with any immediate needs VRI may have. He is currently employed as an Emergency Medical Technician for the New York City Fire Department.

Sean Simpson
Volunteer Coordinator

is a combat veteran who served in the Marine Corps,
fighting alongside VRI’s other board members in Fallujah, Iraq.

He uses his professional experience in construction
to recruit skilled laborers willing to volunteer their services, regarding any construction needs a VRI fundraising event may have. Sean also utilizes his vast social network to help VRI find donors for both our humanitarian missions, and assist fellow NGO’s raise money for their humanitarian projects. Sean resides in New York City, where he’s employed in construction.

Robert Shilling
Online Community Coordinator

is a combat veteran who served as a Marine in the Battle of Fallujah, Iraq. Upon returning from the war, Robert was also a founding member of VRI, supporting the organizations development from the beginning.

He maintains VRI’s online community through our website and Facebook Page, consistently updating fans and members on VRI mission progress and current events. As a student, Robert utilizes his environment to help recruit new VRI members on University campuses.

Robert currently resides in New York,
where he is a student of theatrical arts.