WEST POINT, N.Y., Feb. 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting U.S. veterans, has announced its 2013 Advisory Board which includes high profile members such as General (Retired) Frank Kearney and Co-host of "The View," Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Many members of the organization – including members of the Board of Directors, Advisory Board and Executive Staff – came together at the Team Red, White & Blue Leadership Summit in Chicago in January to discuss the year ahead.
"We have an incredible team of leaders that will continue to transform the veteran non-profit landscape," says Mike Erwin, Founder and Chairman of the Board. "Our team is committed to delivering consistent and high-impact programs to America's veterans. To do this, we must engage more Americans in our mission. Whether a person has served in the military or not, we want you to join the Team to assist veterans with the transition from service member to civilian."
Advisory Board:
Lt. General (Ret) Frank Kearney, Director – LTG (Retired) Kearney currently is a managing director for Opportunities Development Group (ODG) after serving over 35 years in the United States Army achieving the rank of Lieutenant General; he was a career Infantry and Special Operations officer. His most recent assignment was the Deputy Director for Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counter-Terrorism Center in Washington DC, where LTG (Ret) Kearney was responsible for Whole of Government Planning with over 29 Inter-Agency partners to achieve the strategic end states outlined in the Obama Administration's National Counter-Terrorism Strategy and assess resourcing and government agencies achievement of strategic objectives. Prior to his assignment at the National Counter- Terrorism Center, he was the Deputy Commander of the United States Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida.
Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Jeffrey Mellinger – Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Mellinger was drafted into the U.S. Army on April 18, 1972, and retired from the U.S. Army in December 2011 after 40 years of service. His last position was Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. Jeff served in a myriad of leadership positions throughout the Army. Some of these positions include Special Forces Military Freefall Instructor, a senior team leader in the 75th Ranger Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment, an Assistant Professor of Military Science at The University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and Command Sergeant Major, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Most notably, Jeff served as the Command Sergeant Major for Multi-National Force–Iraq from August 2004-May 2007.
Paul Bell – Paul recently retired from Dell after 15 years as a senior executive in the company. His most recent position was President of the Public Sector and Large Enterprise organization, a $30 Billion global business unit. He was previously President of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, based in London, for 7 years. Paul was chairman of Dell's Global Giving Council, responsible for the company's philanthropic programs. Prior to his time at Dell, Paul was at the Bain & Co. consulting firm. He is an instrument-rated pilot and an avid cyclist. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and three daughters. Paul graduated from Penn State and has an MBA from Yale.
Tim Hasselbeck – Tim Hasselbeck has worked for ESPN as an NFL studio analyst since 2008. His commentary can regularly be seen and heard on NFL Live, NFL Primetime, SportsCenter, Fantasy Football Now, and ESPN Radio. Hasselbeck spent six seasons (2002-07) in the NFL as a player, most notably with the Washington Redskins (2003-04) and New York Giants (2005-06), where he served as the back-up quarterback for Eli Manning. A native of Norfolk, Mass., and graduate of Boston College, Tim is the son of former NFL tight end, Don Hasselbeck, and brother of Tennessee Titans starting quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck. He is married to Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the Emmy award-winning co-host of ABC Daytime's The View. Tim and Elisabeth are the parents of three children, Grace, Taylor, and Isaiah.
David Pelizzon – David is a retired US Army officer who served almost 30 years on active duty in airborne and special operations units. Since his retirement from active duty in 2003, he has worked as a manufacturing executive in the US and Asia. Prior to starting Squadron Capital, David was the Managing Director of Precision Edge Holdings, a subsidiary of Colson Associates in Chicago. Currently he is the President and CEO of Squadron Capital, a firm that primarily manages direct investments in operating companies and which also invests in private equity and special situations in support of the long term investment objectives of a Chicago based trust. David is a graduate of the US Military Academy and has advanced degrees from Harvard University and the US Naval War College.
Timothy O'Donnell – O'Donnell is a professional triathlete currently residing in Boulder, Colorado. Since 2009 O'Donnell has won the ITU Long Distance World Championship, multiple Ironman 70.3s and is the current U.S. 70.3 Ironman Champion. A native of Shavertown, Penn., Tim led the Naval Academy Men's Team to two US National Triathlon Championship titles, graduating from the Academy in 2003. He won the 2003 U.S. Under-23 National Championships and also won the Armed Forces Triathlon Championships with a new course record. Tim graduated with a Master of Engineering in 2005 from the University of California-Berkley. In 2010 Tim officially announced his partnership with Team RWB at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. With Team RWB behind him, he went on to win the bronze medal as the top American at the 70.3 World Championships. With such results Tim is now pursuing long course racing. His sights are set on winning the sport's greatest competition, the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
Brigadier General (Retired) Craig Nixon – Brigadier General (Retired) Nixon joined the McChrystal Group as a Partner and the Managing Director of Leadership Development and Education after retiring from the U.S. Army in July 2011. He manages CrossLead Executive Leadership Courses, custom leadership programs and single day events focused on transferring combat leadership lessons to private organizations. Over a 29-year Army career, Brigadier General Nixon served in a wide range of assignments including seven tours in special operations units, five joint service assignments, and three tours in Korea. He commanded a combined U.S./Korean Battalion in the Korean De-militarized zone, 3rd Ranger Battalion and the 75th Ranger Regiment. During his career, Craig led multiple diverse organizations that included all services, other government agencies, contractors, and soldiers from other nations that ranged in size up to 20,000 people. Since 9/11 he has spent four years in combat including tours in Afghanistan and Iraq as the Director of Operations for Joint Special Operations Command, the Commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment and the Deputy Commanding General of 25th Infantry Division / Multi-National Division North, Iraq.
Liza Howard – Howard is an ultra marathoner and coach who lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband and son. She has won numerous 100-mile races, including the Leadville 100, as well as the USATF 100k and 50-mile national trail titles in 2011. Her 15:33 100-mile time at the 2011 Rocky Raccoon 100 is the third fastest time ever run by a U.S. female. She uses her running experience to coach athletes of all abilities to meet the many challenges of long distance running and achieve their goals. Liza has been a field instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School since 2003, teaching leadership, backpacking, climbing and mountaineering skills to student groups on two-week to month-long wilderness expeditions. She also teaches emergency medicine for the Wilderness Medicine Institute. Liza has a Masters of Education, a BSN, and a BA in History. She is also a proud Army brat.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck – Elisabeth Hasselbeck is the co-host of ABC Television Network's "The View," and an ABC News Special Contributor for Good Morning America. Daytime Emmy® Award Winner Hasselbeck joined ABC's "The View" as a co-host in November 2003. Elisabeth's interviews have included President Barack Obama in a historic first-time appearance by a sitting President on a Daytime talk show. Her political interviews on the show also include: President Jimmy Carter, President Bill Clinton, and President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator John McCain. A graduate from Boston College, and Boston marathon finisher, she has written two New York Times best sellers, "Deliciously G-Free" and "The G-Free Diet." As a woman with Celiac Disease, Elisabeth has committed herself to raising awareness about the autoimmune disease, and works closely with the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. Providing powerful gluten-free nutrition and a healthy lifestyle is top priority in her current product design endeavors, as she has created a line of snack and protein bars for the entire family under the brand NOGII.
Mike Doheny – Mike is a partner at McKinsey & Company, a global management-consulting firm, and has been with the firm since 2002. He works with clients across industries on strategic and operational topics. He is an honors graduate of the United States Military Academy and the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University.
Board of Directors:
Mike Erwin, Chairman
James McBride, Finance Director
Larry Olson, Marketing and Communications Director
Lindsay Hartig, Secretary of the Board
Jonathan Algor, Legal Director
Mark Erwin, Director of Strategy
William B. Reynolds III, CPT(R), Director of Veteran Outreach
Executive Staff:
Blayne Smith, Executive Director
J.J. Pinter, Director of Operations
Duncan Smith, Director of Veteran Programs
Lou Nemec, National Athlete Director
Caroline Gaynor, Triathlon Director
Sam Linn, Functional Fitness Director
Greg Fontaine, Blog Editor
Jonathan Silk, Veteran Athlete Director
The mission of Team Red, White & Blue is to enrich the lives of America's veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. To learn more about Team Red, White & Blue and to access complete biographies of its Board of Directors, Advisory Board and Executive Staff, please visit www.teamrwb.org.
About Team Red, White & Blue
Team Red, White & Blue is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization with headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Team Red, White & Blue's goal is to transform the way America supports its veterans when they leave the military by bringing veterans, their families, and American citizens together through authentic social interaction and shared experiences in communities all over America. The community includes 7,000 members and 38 chapters. Notably, 35 Americans are joining the Team every day. To learn more about Team Red, White & Blue and how you can help, visit www.teamrwb.org.
Larry Olson
Marketing Director
Team Red, White and Blue
Tel: 201-658-1709
Email: larry.olson@teamrwb.org
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