Navy SEAL (Ret.) Chief Eddie Gallagher spent 20 years in the military, deploying nine times to Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq, earning a litany of awards, including two Bronze Stars with Valor. In 2018 he was wrongfully accused of war crimes by underlings trying to ruin his career. He was eventually acquitted of murder, but only after exposing the mutiny and corrupt investigation that nearly sent him to prison for life. President Trump intervened to ensure Eddie was able to participate in his defense, retain his rank, and keep his Navy SEAL Trident. Eddie has since co-founded The Pipe Hitter Foundation to assist other warfighters and law enforcement officers fighting a system designed to persecute them.
David Rutherford is a former Navy SEAL and CIA instructor with over thirty years of experience in exploring, researching, and teaching what enables individuals and teams to succeed in any environment imaginable. He is also a World Championship performance coach, the host of The David Rutherford Show, a husband, a father of four daughters, and a devout Christian.
Jeff Gardner is an accomplished entrepreneur, CEO, investor, and board director. He has a passion for nurturing exceptional leadership and developing corporate cultures that generate amazing returns. Jeff currently serves as executive chairman for a half dozen companies and is a general partner for SpringTime Ventures, which specializes in supporting seed-stage companies in the Rocky Mountains region.
Jeff has degrees in finance, accounting, and international business from Penn State and an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. He resides in Crested Butte, Colorado, with his wife and three kids. When he is not helping to grow great people and companies, he competes in mountain endurance events, including mountain biking, backcountry skiing, and trail running.
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino gained worldwide recognition starring on the hit reality TV show Jersey Shore, captivating audiences with his entertaining personality and trademark abs. But while his life appeared to be a constant party, Mike was silently suffering. Years of intense drug addiction took their toll on his mind, body, and life, and if not for the grace of God, he doubts he would be here today. Encompassing the highest of highs—fame, money, and adoration—and the lowest of lows—rehab, poverty, and prison—Mike’s story is one of redemption and love. On his way to rebuilding himself, Mike inspired millions, showcasing the power of personal growth and determination.
Now, back on top with the hit show Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, clean and sober for nearly eight years, and happily married to the love of his life with two kids, The Situation has transformed into The Inspiration. Reality Check: Making the Best of The Situation – How I Overcame Addiction, Loss, and Prison is his jaw-dropping tell-all, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look into his extraordinary life journey.
Greg McNeilly is a husband and the father of three children. His passion is serving companies he helps lead, as well as reading, imbibing, and inscribing.
Marv Weidner lives in the beautiful, mountainous Gunnison Valley of Western Colorado and is a volunteer with Living Journeys, a local not-for-profit organization providing services and support to cancer patients and their families and caregivers. He is a proud father and grandfather to his and Marty’s children.
.avif)
Barry Morgenstein is a renowned portrait photographer with decades of experience capturing the essence of music icons from Elton John to Michael Jackson. Known for his raw yet polished style, Barry’s work has appeared in national magazines, album covers, and book jackets. Based in New York City with regular sessions in Nashville, Palm Beach, and Washington, DC, Barry delivers professional, authentic photography to a diverse clientele—from rising actors to established brands, news anchors, and military veterans. His passion for storytelling through images makes him a trusted name for portraits that go beyond the surface and into the soul.
Lieutenant General (Retired) Mark Hertling served thirty-eight years in the US Army as a tanker and cavalryman, serving at every level from tank platoon leader on the East-West German border to commander of the US Army, Europe (USAREUR) and the Seventh Army. Mark served a total of thirty-eight months in combat in multiple roles: as a major in a cavalry squadron during Desert Storm; as an assistant division commander in the 1st Armored Division in Baghdad (2003–2004); and later as the commander of the 1st Armored Division, Multinational Division North, and Task Force Iron in Northern Iraq (2007–2008) during the surge. Later, during his time as commander of USAREUR, Mark prepared units for assignments to Iraq and Afghanistan and was heavily engaged in theater security cooperation activities with the fifty-one countries in Europe and the Levant. During his time in command of USAREUR, he contributed to the transformation of the armies of Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, Poland, and several other countries.
After retiring from the army, Mark became a senior vice president for a major health care organization in Orlando from 2013 to 2018. While there, he also designed and executed an award-winning health care leadership course in which he trained over 1,400 physicians, nurses, and administrators at several health care organizations. He is the author of the book Growing Physician Leaders, which was an Amazon bestseller in the health care genre. Mark was appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition by President Obama in 2014. In 2021, he was appointed by President Biden to be a commissioner of the American Battle Monuments Commission, where he served as chairman until 2023. Mark was an adjunct scholar at West Point’s Modern War Institute, was a member of the Dean’s Alliance at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, and is a professor of practice in strategic leadership at the Crummer School of Business at Rollins College. He is an active public speaker on leadership, national security issues, and health care.
From 2014 to 2024, Mark appeared as a military and national security analyst for CNN/CNN International. Today, he is a freelance analyst and writes extensively on national security and leadership for a variety of media outlets. His book If I Don’t Return will be released in 2026, offering further reflections of life and service based on a journal he wrote to his young sons during Desert Storm.
A graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, Mark holds master’s degrees from Indiana University, the School of Advanced Military Studies, and the National War College. In 2019, he earned a doctor of business administration from the Crummer Graduate School of Business, defending a mixed-methods research study on leadership.
Mark is married to his best friend, Sue. They have two sons, five grandsons, and two granddaughters.
Melanie Thomas Armstrong is a retired PwC partner and senior executive with 18 years of experience at the partner and C-suite level. She began her career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen and spent two years in the Czech Republic during its transition from communism to capitalism. She went on to lead global social impact work for PwC with clients such as the United States Agency of International Development and the United Nations. Today, she is a founder and owner of ThroughLine Consultants, where she uses genetic genealogy to help solve cold cases, and serves on several nonprofit boards, including Mercy Corps. A certified public accountant, she holds a degree in psychology from UCLA, has two children in college, and lives in Virginia with her two dogs.
Justine Evirs is a business consultant, Stanford University Graduate School of Business alum, and Navy veteran. She teaches women executives and entrepreneurs how to create consistent revenue models and business plans. Her authentic leadership style — paired with her passion for building psychologically safe, inclusive environments — are the secrets to the energetic and high-powered teams she builds and leads.
As the owner and creator of the signature twelve-week programs Courage to Create and Courage to Lead, she teaches leaders to trust their instincts in creating values-based organizations and solutions to worldwide social problems. As the Founder of The Paradigm Switch, she helped to raise more than $500,000 in donations and led more than forty volunteers.
She also flexed her grassroots community organizing and nonprofit leadership skills during a three-year tenure at Bunker Labs, a nonprofit that helps veterans and military spouses start businesses. She is a frequent speaker and podcast guest, and is the mother of three children. She lives in Burke, VA.
John Fela (EdM) is a national disability advocate who works with both faith-based and non-faith-based disability organizations. He previously worked for Joni and Friends, a global disability ministry. Prior to that, he spent almost twenty years in education, serving in a variety of roles as a teacher in both public and private school settings, as a mentor, and as a school director. He holds certifications in both Montessori and traditional teaching methods and has trained in a variety of specializations, including ESL and special education. He is a public speaker, a blogger for a variety of disability advocacy platforms, and the author of Faith like My Father, a memoir of his journey as a parent of disability. John lives in Lyons, Illinois, with his wife, Faith, and is father to his son, Christopher (ASD/NS). Follow John on his website: www.johnfela.com.
.png)
Born at Patrick Air Force Base and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Jan Davis has been surrounded by aviation and space her entire life. She followed up her biomedical engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology with a mechanical engineering degree from Auburn University and a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. During her career, she worked for Texaco and for NASA before being selected as an astronaut in 1987. Davis flew on three Space Shuttle missions and continued her NASA career in the Senior Executive Service. After her retirement from NASA, she went on to become an industry executive. Now a consultant and speaker, she also enjoys traveling, quilting, exploring the outdoors, and working with her non-profit organization, AstraFemina, to encourage girls to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math careers.
Learn more about the author here: www.astronautjandavis.com
Maura McGee is a proud mother of six children and has dedicated much of her life to raising them into young adults. Growing up in Bowie, Maryland, close to Washington, DC, she worked on Capitol Hill starting as a high schooler until the birth of her first child. During this time, Maura earned her undergraduate degree from Loyola University in Maryland and her graduate degree from the University of Maryland. She subsequently tutored young students for six years before completely turning her focus to her children and their numerous activities-and, eventually, the care of her husband, Dave. She still resides in Maryland, and in her free time, she enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family, while raising and supporting her six beautiful children. She wrote It Is What It Is to process the grief of losing her husband and mother and hopes it will help do the same for others.
Zoë Gregory is a dynamic individual with a captivating life story. She started her career in modeling at age seven, appearing in TV commercials and print media in the UK and the USA. Zoë later became a personal Playboy Bunny to Hugh Hefner, which offered her a unique glimpse into the Playboy Mansion. She also worked as a VIP flight attendant for private charter jet companies, allowing her to travel the world and meet people from diverse backgrounds. Zoë is a three-time fitness competition champion and a fitness trainer and nutrition consultant who is committed to helping others achieve their health and fitness goals. With her passion for storytelling, she evolved into a talented writer and author, sharing her extraordinary journey in From Britain to Bunny. Today, Zoë resides in sunny Florida, where she continues to pursue her writing and share her incredible life experiences.
Chad Jensen proudly served the citizens of the City of Pomona, California, as a police officer for twenty-four years. During his tenure, Chad was awarded several awards including Officer of the Year. He was also recognized for his valuable work within the community he served and was instrumental in training many of the officers working today. As a corporal in 2015, Chad was involved in a low-level use of force arrest that was within policy and the law. In 2017, the FBI began a witch-hunt investigation which resulted in a fraudulent grand jury indictment. This true life, firsthand account exposes the corruption, concealment, and lies associated with the unfettered and unchecked power within the FBI and the Department of Justice.
Dan Blakeley served in the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, deploying six times in support of the Global War on Terror. He graduated from Appalachian State University with his bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. He started the school’s solar-powered racing team that designed and built two solar-powered race cars, competing in five international races. Dan’s transition from military to civilian was not easy. Over the years he has seen firsthand a trend in the veteran community which paralleled his own experiences. “It’s a lack of understanding the skills veterans bring to the table, our proven leadership, our commitment to teammates, our unwavering desire to increase potential and be our best,” Dan said recently. Dan’s passion for veteran success and telling their stories was the inspiration for his first book, The Twenty-Year War. Dan is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of United Valor, a company focused on telling the untold stories of war through all media formats.
Wes Easley has never taken the easy path—unless you count jumping out of airplanes with the 82nd Airborne Division an easy path. After his military service, he became a law enforcement officer in high-stakes roles until a medical retirement led him to a new mission: helping those on the front lines heal. Now a clinician specializing in trauma among first responders and the Special Operations Forces community, Wes serves as the embedded therapist for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and leads Peer Support Team International, a nonprofit supporting first responders worldwide. A DAAETS diplomate certified in war trauma, he also teaches at the university level and leads workshops on trauma and mental health first aid. He is currently developing a curriculum to build a culturally competent mental health workforce in the state of Nevada. When he’s not working, Wes is a devoted husband and father—and now, a first-time author.
Arthur Lih is the founder, inventor, and CEO of LifeVac, a patented device designed to save the life of a choking victim. After spending eighteen years co-building a highly successful logistics company, Lih was happy to spend time with his family, improve his woodworking and construction skills, create boats and tree houses, and work on old cars. In recognition of his leadership and impact, he received the prestigious Leadership Award from the Carson Scholars Fund. Lih remains a passionate advocate for choking prevention, continuing to educate communities and audiences of all sizes through workshops and speaking engagements. A passionate motorcycle enthusiast, he actively rides and partners with charitable organizations across the country to promote choking awareness and support a variety of meaningful causes. He is a proud supporter of numerous charity foundations and proves that a small group of determined people can change the world.
Jim Van Laak grew up in the old industrial city of Schenectady, New York. During the Apollo program of the 1960s, he became enthralled by the space program that dominated the world stage. Entranced by aviation, he got his pilot’s license at age seventeen and soon thereafter survived a mechanical failure induced accident. Inspired to learn what he could about these machines, he worked for an airplane mechanic while also attending college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A low draft number led him to join Air Force ROTC and later become a pilot and maintenance officer in the 49th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.
After leaving the air force, his deep knowledge of aircraft systems won him a role at NASA Headquarters, where he expanded his expertise to space shuttle systems. He then transferred to the Johnson Space Center to lead maintenance and logistics planning for Space Station Freedom. Having found a weakness in Freedom, he was tasked to ensure the International Space Station (ISS) program would not suffer the same vulnerability.
For ISS, he helped integrate the US and Russian space programs, creating a comprehensive risk management process to ensure success. Later, he became deputy director of the Shuttle-Mir program that sent American astronauts to Russia’s aging Mir space station. His response to critical events developed the expertise and respect needed to manage spaceflight operations during ISS’s critical start-up phase. He became the focus of conflicts between the US and Russian approaches to spaceflight, as well as between the existing Space Shuttle and the emerging space station programs. This allowed him to guide the programs through several critical tests of cooperation that could have destroyed the program.
Van Laak later became a senior manager at NASA’s Langley Research Center, served as the FAA’s deputy associate administrator for commercial space, and assisted in the launch and activation of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Derek Adametz was born and raised outside of Madison in the beautiful state of Wisconsin. A retired navy captain and former naval aviator, Derek’s career—and life—shifted course after a cancer diagnosis. Through years of military service and battles fought both in the air and on the ground, he discovered a deeper story worth telling. His writing explores themes of resilience, transformation, and quiet perseverance. He now lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, where he continues to write and reflect on the journey that shaped him. Unbreakable Wings is his debut memoir.
Chris Frueh, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. He has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans, service members, special operators, and private defense contractors. He has conducted clinical trials, epidemiology, historical epidemiology, and neuroscience research. He has coauthored over three hundred scientific publications, including a graduate textbook on adult psychopathology. Previously, he was a tenured professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and Baylor College of Medicine.
He has testified before US Congress and served as a paid consultant for the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, the US State Department, and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He has also published commentaries in National Review, Huffington Post, The New York Times, Time, Men’s Journal, and Special Operations Association of America. He has been quoted or cited in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Washington Post, Scientific American, Stars and Stripes, USA Today, Men’s Health, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Associated Press, and NBC News, among others.
He devotes time to SEAL Future Foundation, HunterSeven Foundation, Special Operations Association of America, Boulder Crest Foundation, Military Special Operations Family Collaborative, The Mission Within, VETS, Inc., and Big Country Veterans. He has also published nine historical crime novels, including They Die Alone (2013) and, most recently, A Season Past (2019).
Ellen Goldstein is an award-winning former senior executive at the World Bank with a forty-year career on the front lines of foreign aid delivery. She provided billions of dollars in aid to some of the poorest, most fragile, conflict-ridden countries, advising presidents and prime ministers on growth and poverty reduction while reaching out to the most marginalized in society. She served as director of the World Bank in Myanmar in 2017 as the country clung to a flawed democracy amid increasing human rights abuse. She is a global leadership coach, author, and speaker on foreign aid policies and fragility.
Iris Mercedes Berríos, PT, DPT, MPH, EdD is dedicated to improving communication in the healthcare field and educating the next generation of health professionals. Iris Mercedes is a licensed doctor in physical therapy with a master’s degree in public health from the University of Puerto Rico, and she spent years working in healthcare as a clinical physical therapist, auditor, clinical manager, and more. As she noticed the failures of communication around her, she knew something had to change. While working in quality assurance in the home healthcare setting, she earned her doctorate in education from the University of Saint Augustine and is now an assistant professor, committed to preparing her students to communicate effectively in the healthcare space. She started writing Communication Among Health Professionals as her dissertation and was encouraged by her professors to write a book instead. They knew it would be of more help as an accessible textbook. Iris Mercedes lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with her family and is a sea turtle lover.
Molly Myriah was born in Columbus, Georgia, but grew up all over the East coast and in Germany. Most of her childhood was spent outdoors while daydreaming of writing stories. After graduating from James Madison University with a BS in Health Sciences, Molly found herself in the corporate world where she continued to daydream about writing. Molly resides in Coastal Virginia with the three loves of her life, her teenage children, and her two precious, but misbehaving, doggies. In her spare time, you can most often find Molly at the beach or in the woods, hopefully with her family or friends. Cardinal or Crow is Molly's first publication.
.avif)
Dr. Tom Schneider is no ordinary man. Raised in a borderline abusive family and brought up in a no-nonsense Catholic school environment, he managed to retain his sense of humor and mischief throughout high school and college. He served as a fighter pilot in Vietnam, then, despite an average-at-best work ethic when it came to scholarship, decided to give medical school a shot. That shot turned into a career that became his true calling and would span the rest of his life. With a humble, common-sense approach to health and wellness, he practiced medicine at the likes of Bethesda Naval Hospital, Harvard University, and the National Institutes of Health. He can hardly operate his cell phone, but he could remove your spleen with a ballpoint pen. He's put that pen to its more traditional use in A Physician's Apology, published in 2013, and his second book, The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, now newly published with a bonus epilogue as Surviving Life: The Art of Resilience.
.avif)
Michael L. Nelson graduated from the University of Mississippi and worked for IBM in Memphis, Tennessee, for the first ten years of his business career. He went on to become a partner in a technology related leasing company and to serve as the president of a large technology services organization in Chicago, Illinois. In addition, Michael served on the board of a Mid-South bank for over ten years. Michael and his wife, Betty, have two grown children, both with MBAs and very successful in their own right. In addition, they have three wonderful grandchildren, all with college degrees and now making some good choices of their own.
Michael has written three other books: Good Choices Good Life, Living by Choice, and Life and Choices. All are currently available on Amazon. Michael has come to strongly believe that God works primarily through people. The most important spiritual influences in our lives, he believes, are provided by God via love signals in our hearts and are supported by our God-given Spirit of Goodness, which motivates us and helps us respond to the love signals that God provides. As he has thought about God's presence over the years, he has come to realize the almost unbelievable importance of our choices. Our choices provide a pathway for us to follow the love signals provided by God and to help others in some special way.
.avif)
Beau Dooley is from Oklahoma and was born into a small-town family with a rich heritage in military service to our nation during times of war. Beau graduated high school in May of 2001 right before the historic 9/11 attacks, which motivated him to join the United States Army. Beau found his passion for writing accidentally when he tried to use the written word as a healthy outlet for mental health issues relating to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He retired from the 7th Special Forces Group in early 2022 and now spends his time helping other people discover their own voices on paper and advocating for mental health reform concerning veterans and their families. He also speaks professionally to private and corporate civilian groups regarding teamwork, awareness, and resilience.
Lauren Green has always been a voracious reader and inspired writer. She wrote her first (not yet published) book titled The Pepperoni Spumoni Junk Food Pizza when she was in the second grade. In 2006, she was published in Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans and The Gates: Opening the World of Words when her poem was selected as a standout piece among the sixth-grade students across Missouri. Since then, Lauren’s love of literature has only grown, and her desire to pursue a career in that field led her to study English writing and mass communication at Rockhurst University where she graduated number one in her class with dual degrees. During her time at Rockhurst, she was published in the 2014 and 2016 editions of Infectus, and she jumpstarted her career by working for various publishers and content creators starting from the time she was still a student.
After gathering the experience and expertise necessary to strike out on her own, Lauren started her own editing business, WriteWell, where she still serves as the founder and executive editor. With over a decade of professional experience, she has edited over twenty-five trade manuscripts and more than fifty children’s books in her role as director of author services with leading publisher Ballast Books. As a result of growing up in a household rife with mental illness, as described in Bell Jar Butterfly, Lauren has a deep passion for promoting mental health. She has devoted much of her time to sharing resources related to mental health in her community and teaching classes that help eradicate the stigma and foster empathy and understanding for those living with mental illness.
Lauren lives in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband, Jordan; daughters, Annesley and Charlotte; and Australian shepherd, Harper Lee.
Dr. Richard Greenberg grew up in Southern California and attended medical school at UC Davis School of Medicine in Northern California. He completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center/Primary Children’s Medical Center as well as a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center/Children’s Hospital, Denver. He later served as an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and currently works as a general pediatrician at a community clinic in the Salt Lake City area (South Summit Pediatrics).
Dr. Greenberg has published several articles on pediatric subjects such as croup, asthma, sepsis, and pediatric trauma. In addition, he has presented research on several pediatric subjects at national and international medical meetings. Dr. Greenberg is the author of The Emergency Room: When Does My Child Need to Go? and acts as a public speaker for childcare groups regarding child health issues. He enjoys running, participating in triathlons, and baking with his family as well as traveling with his wife, Carrie, and his three children, Zachary, Samantha, and Marla.
Michelle Bazargan firmly believes that leadership is not a title—it’s a courageous behavior. Throughout her two-decade professional journey, she has spent countless hours across diverse teams at various organizations, from startups to industry giants. An immigrant who escaped war, she exemplifies what’s possible with bravery and curiosity. As a global executive advisor, conscious leadership coach, and sought-after speaker for TEDx and keynotes, she guides organizations like Starbucks, Chevron, and Amazon and is dedicated to inspiring people to shed limitations, use their voices, and embrace their brilliance.
Raymond van Aalst graduated cum laude from several art academies in the Netherlands and started an illustration company in 1980. He creates, sells, and publishes oil paintings, lithographs, etchings, cartoons, and drawings worldwide. As a gifted dreamer, Raymond is able to quickly conjure up and process complex images. His curiosity and broad interests have made him a visual intellectual with philosophical depth, where thinking through illustrations enabled by words helps clarify insights for himself and for others.
Theodore A. Adams III is a pilot, engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director. He owns several companies and currently chairs multiple nonprofit charitable organizations. His passions for science, art, music, and history make him a true Renaissance Man.
A rocket scientist, he earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Rice University and an MBA from UCLA. He also completed post-graduate studies at the Yale-China Program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and is a graduate of Harvard Business School.
Susan Quinn makes her home in the Mexican jungle with her dog, cat, chickens, and garden. She began her career pioneering real-time text streaming and later created one of the first multi-camera platforms for live streaming interactive video. Part of the founding circle of San Francisco’s women-in-tech movement, Quinn is a mother of three—a role that has shaped her deeply and continues to unfold. Digital Odyssey is her first memoir.
Jennifer Paller Girard wrote Next Year in Avaria in a twenty-day period during the last months of her life while fighting the symptoms of several debilitating diseases. Her inspiration for writing the book was the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Her hope was that the story would lift the spirits of the affected families and those who support Israel.
Jennifer was born in Vail, Colorado, and lived in Eagle, Colorado, most of her life. After receiving a doctorate in behavioral health from Arizona State University, she embarked on a career of helping people, including orphans in Vietnam, the homeless in Denver, cystic fibrosis patients in Children's Hospital Colorado, and many clients in her private counseling business. One of her favorite passions was travel. She visited forty-seven countries on six continents.
This was her final message in her own words: "I may be thirty-eight, but I lived the life of someone twice my age. I wouldn't change it for anything. I mean, except the becoming incurably, chronically ill. Thank you to everyone who touched my life in some way or taught me some kind of lesson. Live big, and don't waste a moment-I didn't. Bring our hostages home. Keep fighting for the Jewish people. You are loved." -Jenn
Doug Fifer is a retired Alaskan police officer who specialized in crime scene analysis, deviant sexual crimes, hostage negotiations, and various special assignments throughout his twenty-five-year career. Born in the small town of Homer, Alaska, Doug's family originates from southeast Alaska, mainly around the Ketchikan area. He is Tlingit Indian and heavily connected to his Alaska Native culture and heritage. He and his wife, Kim, raised their children in the Anchorage area, where he resides today.
Mark Burrell is originally from Pennsylvania and grew up in the Episcopal Church where he accepted Christ as a teenager. He attended Penn State University and met his wife, Charlene, in 1980. They married in 1983 and moved to northeast Pennsylvania a year later where Mark began his career in the private sector. While living there they helped start several independent Bible churches that continue today. In 1987 Mark developed a mentoring relationship with an experienced pastor and spent several years studying Systematic Theology. He began a teaching ministry in the early 1990 covering a variety of topics, and in the late 90 became interested in Biblical aspects of the American founding.
Beau Simmons has been a professional photographer since 2009. He grew up just outside Joshua Tree National Park. An adventurer, Beau grew up working on and racing motorcycles as a child. He made a name for himself at 21 on the fashion photography scene working with clients including Marc Jacobs, 7 For All Mankind, Guess Jeans, and Converse. He was a go-to photographer for such agencies as Elite Models, IMG, and Ford Models. Beau captures his work exclusively on film using the lost art of medium format film photography, feeling it gives a classic look and feel to his work. The fashion scene began to grind on Beau. Being a cowboy is in his blood. In this spirit, he decided to pursue his passion for capturing classic Americana and the wonder of the American landscape. Through this cross-country journey, he was introduced to the veteran non-profit Heroes and Horses, a group that uses equine therapy to help veterans cope with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. His commitment to telling an authentic story about American veterans is on full display in his first feature photo book, The Twenty-Year War, which he created with two former Army Rangers, one of whom is his childhood friend, Dan Blakeley. Beau is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of United Valor.
Frank Demith is a retired Army veteran who served on active duty for twenty-eight years. He graduated from the United States Military Academy and later worked on the Department of the Army team that developed the Army interpreter/translator program. He is a graduate of the Deliberate Discomfort Challenge and is a member of the Endless 6. In his free time, he enjoys reading history and fiction novels, visiting battlefields, and playing the saxophone. He currently lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia, with his wife and their four dogs.
Carol GoldfainDavis has been a counselor for twenty-two years, focusing on grief for the past decade. Having experienced significant loss, Carol knows the devastation it can bring. She and her husband live in the mountains of Colorado where they enjoy exploring the outdoors with their children and grandchildren.
Amy Salo has always believed that knowledge isn’t just power—it’s empowerment. With a distinguished career in financial services, Amy has uncovered a glaring truth: many individuals aren’t receiving the comprehensive advice they deserve. As a dedicated advocate for consumer-centric advice, diversity, and collaborative improvement, Amy is on a mission to transform the financial services industry and empower both advisors and clients to achieve greater success. By shifting the perception of the profession, she aims to enhance economic mobility within our communities. As a leader of Forest Hills Financial Group (FHFG), Amy fosters a culture that attracts and retains top-tier advisors, ensuring the next generation prospers. With thirty thousand clients and nearly one hundred career agents, FHFG emphasizes customer-driven, innovative planning techniques. Amy also serves on the Finseca board, chairing multiple committees and advocating for diversity and proper financial education. She frequently speaks on topics such as transitioning to consumer-driven sales, opportunities for women in financial services, boosting advisor retention rates, and navigating the financial services business in the age of influencers.
Charissa Fontan Westfall is a wife, mother, Christian, and the surviving widow of Navy SEAL Jacques Fontan, who was killed in action during the rescue mission depicted in the book and movie Lone Survivor.
Char’s life was turned upside down the day her husband was killed in service to his country. Her dreams of being happy on Earth and having a family with Jacques were crushed, leaving her seemingly without hope or a future. Over the next year she tried to cope with her enormous loss, but to no avail. With her visions of the future crushed, she began a downward spiral that manifested itself in extreme anger. She was mad at everyone, even God, who she’d always had such a strong relationship with.
Through the help of family and friends and several survivor foundations, she began to seek help for her anger and grief.
Char turned to counselors who helped her process all the questions she had. While she does not hesitate to admit that many questions remain unanswered, she is the first to also admit her biggest mistake was not seeking therapy right away and choosing instead to deal with her loss alone.
Today, Char’s life is a picture of restoration and hope. One of her favorite things to tell people is that God blessed her life twice with love. She married Drew Westfall in 2008 and they were blessed with their first child in 2009 and their third in 2014. It was because of Drew’s encouragement to share her story and support other surviving spouses that she became involved in several foundations that help those dealing with loss. Her involvement has included work with the Special Ops Survivor Foundation, being on the board of the Lone Survivor Foundation, in addition to working with the Boot Campaign and Team Never Quit, all of which have made a difference in both her continued healing and that of others.
Anna Nasset, a victim/survivor of stalking for the last decade, has firsthand experience with how to identify and respond to stalking, which has led her to become an international speaker on the subject. She has trained thousands of professionals, students, and military members on the importance of recognizing stalking, getting help, and advocating for oneself and others. Anna is one of very few people who can speak openly about her experience after the man who stalked her received the maximum sentence for aggravated felony stalking—ten years in prison—in 2019. This is one of the longest known sentences for this crime in US history.
As an activist and the owner of Stand Up Resources, Anna works with law enforcement, victim service agencies, universities, and other organizations to be part of the solution. As an authority on stalking, sexual assault, suicide prevention, and navigating the criminal justice system, she works to educate people on victim-centered and trauma-informed practices.
Anna is the recipient of the 2023 NCVRW Survivor Empowerment Award for embodying the theme “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” In addition, she is a board member with End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) and the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce. She also hosts a podcast, The Mend (sponsored by the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services), which focuses on topics and services to support crime victims. She resides in the Green Mountains of Vermont with her three-legged chihuahua, Dolly Parton, and is excited about her first book, Now I Speak.
Yousuf Sediq is a former Afghan Special Forces operator who waged war for fourteen years against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. He fought in his homeland alongside U.S. Army Rangers, Green Berets, Delta Force, Navy SEALs, MARSOC, British SAS, British SBS, Australian Special Forces, Canadian Special Forces, the DEA, and the FBI. Fluent in Dari, Pashto, Farsi, and English, Yousuf Sediq is an expert on Afghanistan. Having lived through the entire conflict and fought at the tip of the spear in both the light and the shadows, his knowledge of the war is rivaled by few. After the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021, Yousef and his family were evacuated to the United States, where they live today.
In addition to being the founder and CEO of Ballast Books and Blue Balloon Books, Andy Symonds is an award-winning journalist and author of 8 books, including Reality Check with Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and The Man in the Arena with Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, both published at Ballast Books. Andy started Ballast Books, a leading hybrid book publisher, in 2019 after publishing two books of his own independently. In that time, Ballast has grown quickly into one of the most well-respected independent publishers in the industry. Ballast works with innovators, thought-leaders, and top performers looking to bring their stories to market.
Varpas de Sa Pereira has over fifteen years of military service as well as six years of psychology education and practice. He is currently a staff psychologist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he provides mental health care to veterans and their families. He holds a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School and a BA in Mathematics from Boston University. As a former Marine Corps and special operations officer, Varpas has a unique understanding of the warrior culture and the challenges faced by veterans returning from combat zones. He has developed and refined Warrior Withdrawal Syndrome, a framework for identifying and treating the psychological effects of transitioning from a high-stress to a low-stress environment. He established and facilitated a psychoeducation group for veterans with the syndrome and provided consultation and training to other VA staff on how to better serve this population. Varpas is passionate about helping veterans heal and thrive in their civilian lives. Originally from New England, Varpas currently lives in the greater Los Angeles area with his four children. He still works with special operations forces on assessment and selection.
Kelly Speck once thought she would spend her life as a working mom and wife, hustling in corporate America while volunteering for the PTA. Life’s numerous curveballs, however, have prompted an evolution; she now considers herself a recovering type-A planner.
For more than twenty years now, she has performed accounting in an array of industries while maintaining a strong marriage to her college sweetheart, Travis. Kelly and Travis have three children who have, along with her deep faith, humbled her profoundly.
When her high school friends voted her “Most Likely to Drive a Minivan,” she scoffed and declared that would never happen. Ironically, the Specks currently own not one but two minivans.
Kelly’s favorite of the two has a ramp for her oldest son, Bennett, a quadriplegic, and she considers it the world’s greatest honor to serve as chauffeur for him and his two younger siblings. As she faces work’s daily challenges while remaining a proud wife, mom, and caregiver for Bennett, Kelly’s mantra is: life is not always easy, but it is always beautiful.
Ryan Henderson is a real estate investor and a wealth strategist experienced in many facets of real estate. Ryan leverages the relationships he’s developed within the real estate community, as well as the skills he acquired as a tactician gained over a decade of serving in the US military, to provide an authentic and comprehensive real estate strategy for novices and experienced real estate investors alike.
Vickie Kloeris recently retired from NASA where she worked in space food systems for thirty-four years. For twenty-nine of those years, she served as the NASA manager of first the Shuttle food system and then that of the International Space Station. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications and has received several awards, including NASA’s highest employee award, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, in 2019. During her career, she was twice awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and also received the Johnson Space Center Director’s Commendation Award. In 2017, she was given an Outstanding Alumni Award by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at her alma mater, Texas A&M University.
Vickie has been a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a professional organization for food scientists, since 1978 and has received their designation of certified food scientist. Over the years, she has held multiple IFT roles and served on the board of directors. After serving for a year as president elect and a year as president, she is now the immediate past president.
Vickie earned a B.S. in microbiology and an M.S. in food science and technology from Texas A&M University.
She lives in Pearland, Texas, just outside Houston with her husband, Steve, and their lab, Emma.
J.D. Danny McCabe grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the middle child of a very large family. From an early age, he was independent and a practical realist. This first-time author began writing his diary as a historical journal of events that evolved quickly and came without context. JD was encouraged to share this personal and unbelievable voyage in rediscovering himself by the many people who witnessed and heard about his journey firsthand. He is blessed with two beautiful adult children. J.D. resides in Charleston, SC.
Brad Ahlquist, a Texas resident, finds solace and self-expression in his recreational writing, often delving into short stories and inspirational pieces. Alongside his supportive wife, Brad lives an active lifestyle filled with travel, golfing adventures, and cherished moments with his friends and family.
