good people

good grief center staff

Lulu Orr
Executive Director

Lulu has been a registered nurse for 25 years and has spent a majority of that time in hospice nursing. She began her career by working as a primary home care nurse for Forbes Hospice and later became the admissions coordinator for home hospice patients and in-patient hospice patients. During her six years as admissions coordinator, Lulu worked with many family members struggling with anticipatory grief issues. This led to her becoming a facilitator of a Bereavement Support group sponsored by Forbes Hospice at St. Margaret's Hospital. She worked with this group for more than six years.

Because of her interest in bereavement issues, Lulu started consulting with several local funeral homes to provide Bereavement Support to family members. Motivated by the growing need and fueled by her passion, she conceived a model for community-based Bereavement Support. She founded GGC in 2000 and its doors opened in 2001.

Lulu continues to be involved in hospice care activities as a member of the Professional Advisory Board and The Founders Society Board of Forbes Hospice. She is also a member of the Professional Advisory Board of The Caring Place, Helping Hands Healing Hearts and a member of the board of corporators of Allegheny Cemetery.

Robert Neu
Fundraising and Finance Director

Bob comes to the Good Grief Center from the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty, where he oversaw fundraising, finance and program development, and guided the organization’s approach to employing the arts as a catalyst for community betterment. As a faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Theater Arts, Bob taught classes in the fields of arts management and production.  Previously, he served as production manager for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pittsburgh CLO. As an event facilitator, Bob managed multiple seasons of programming for First Night Pittsburgh and several installments of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Annual Street Fair and Pittsburgh Opera’s Maecenas Gala.

Marilyn Chapla
Associate Director

Marilyn, a former volunteer, intern and secretary of the GGC Board of Advisors, joined the staff as Associate Director in June of 2004. With thirty years of experience in the business world, Marilyn changed careers and obtained her social work degree from Carlow College. Her social work focus shifted to death, dying and bereavement issues after becoming actively involved with GGC in March of 2001.

Jan McCarthy
Program Manager

Jan began her work with the bereaved nine years ago as a volunteer with Catholic Charities Bereavement Support Ministry. The passion she developed for this work inspired her to seek a higher level of education in a profession that would connect her with bereaved individuals. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at LaRoche College and then a Master of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Jan’s personal mission, which is directly aligned to that of GGC’s, is to instill hope in the hearts of the grieving through support and education.

Page McSorley
Sales & Marketing Coordinator

Page was introduced to GGC in 2004, and immediately understood and believed in the organizations mission, programs and people. In 2007, after 3 years of being a full-time mother to 2 young children, Page was ready to resume her career and thought first of GGC. Page has 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector, with various international, national and local organizations. She worked her way from entry level to executive level, and has extensive knowledge in the development, programming and volunteer arenas. Page’s priority has always been mission, and attributes her success to the practice of always working with it in mind. She holds a bachelors degree from Indiana University in both Psychology and Sociology.

Toni Long
Administrative Coordinator

Toni comes to GGC after 28 years at PPG Industries, Inc. where her background was in Communications and the Corporate Foundation. Toni decided to move to the non-profit world and sees GGC as an extension of the bereavement work she does at her church. Toni also serves as Music Minister at St. Benedict the Moor Church.