Ms. McQuade was born and raised in the central part of the state (Richwood, WV) the tenth of fifteen children.   Ms. McQuade began her legal career at the WV Attorney General’s Office in Charleston, as an Assistant Attorney General, prosecuting environmental cases around the state.  She then joined the Department of Justice, and was with the Department of Justice for 20 years as a federal prosecutor prosecuting environmental crimes, mail fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.  She also prosecuted criminal cases in Martinsburg, including prosecuting persons selling drugs, persons illegally possessing guns, sexual assault, and bank robbery.

After losing in a tight race for Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney in 2008 against Ralph Lorenzetti, Ms. McQuade has been actively engaged in a number of county activities, including serving as Vice-President of the League of Women Voters, in which she chaired a successful forum on the proposed zoning ordinance.  Additionally, she was appointed by the County Commission to the newly created Criminal Justice Board—a Board created to develop a Day Reporting Center for Jefferson and Berkeley County in which offenders could obtain education, drug and alcohol treatment, and work, instead of incarceration at the Eastern Regional Jail, with the aim of reducing recidivism as well as county incarceration costs.   Ms. McQuade is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Shepherdstown Men’s Club and was chair of the annual Men’s Club Book Sale this year.  Finally, she was recently appointed by the County Commission to serve on the Water Advisory Board because of her experience in environmental matters.  In addition to these civic activities, she has established a law practice principally handling child abuse and neglect cases, which she cares deeply about.