|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Board Members
Jeff Gault is Director of Potomac Operations for the Boeing Company
Advanced Systems organization and is involved in homeland security and defense
related business areas. A retired United States Army officer, he is an Operation
Desert Shield/Desert Storm Veteran who served two Middle East deployments. He is
a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds advanced degrees from
the University of Oklahoma, Middlebury College and the Naval War College. He is
also volunteer Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Army
Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to children and spouses of soldiers. Mr.
Gault is a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled
American Veterans. Mr. Gault has served on The Veterans Corporation
Board since September 2006. |
|
 |
Gordon Brenner, a Combat Wounded Army Veteran of the Vietnam War, served in the United States Army, 1966-1968. He is the owner-operator
of Brenner Vending Company and Special T's Embroidery business with his wife
Diane. Mr. Brenner is the Illinois State Commander and National Awards Committee Chairman for the Military Order of the Purple Heart Combat Wounded Veterans. He served as Chairman
of the Macon County Veterans Assistance Commission from 2000-2006 and served on the Macon County Board
of Supervisors for one term. Mr. Brenner currently serves on the Illinois
Governor's Veterans advisory council and the Attorney General's Veterans rights council. He
is a life member of VFW, DAV, American Legion, and Purple Heart.
Mr. Brenner's education
and training background include a two-year Industrial Management and Business program
at Joliet Community College and four-year Machinist Apprentice Training at Caterpillar Tractor Company. He is currently serving in his
second four-year
term as the Decatur Township Highway
Commissioner. Mr.
Brenner has served on The Veterans Corporation Board since August 2005.
|
|
|
|
Greg Rothman is President, CEO & Chairman of the Board of RSR Realtors and RSR
Appraisers & Analysts. RSR is one of Central Pennsylvania's most versatile full-service
real estate firms. Mr. Rothman served ten years as an enlisted member of the Marine
Corps Reserve. Mr. Rothman has served on The Veterans
Corporation Board since March 2006. |
|
|
|
George J. Butvilas is Chairman of the Michigan Technological University
Fund. He is also a Director of Citizens Republic Bancorp, headquartered
in Troy, Michigan. Mr. Butvilas served in the United States Navy from 1967-1974. He received
his B.S. from the United States Naval Academy in 1967 and his M.B.A. from Illinois
Institute of Technology. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard
University's Graduate School of Business. Mr. Butvilas has served
on The Veterans Corporation Board since September 2002. |
|
|
John Christensen joined the United States Air Force right
after graduating high school. Following his honorable discharge, he spent 25 years in the automotive industry until
1989 when he formed his own company, VJ Environmental. In 1993, he acquired part ownership
in RWM, Inc., a struggling manufacturing company. Today, both companies are successful
and contributing members of the community.
For the past eight years, Mr. Christensen has chaired the Leadership Council for
the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for the State of Utah. In
this capacity, he has worked closely with both state and federally elected representatives
on numerous matters concerning small business. He possesses extensive
experience in the functions and workings of government, having served as a Councilman
on the Murray, Utah City Council. While a councilman, he also served as the chairman
of the Murray City Redevelopment Board, vice-chair of the city budget committee,
as well as the Murray City Municipal Council representative in the Salt Lake Valley.
Mr. Christensen has an extensive background in environmental services and recycling,
which led to his service for the past seven years on the Salt Lake Valley Environmental
Advisory Board. Mr. Christiansen has been a member of Rotary International since 2000. Mr. Christensen has served on The Veterans Corporation Board since September
2006.
|
|
|
Dr. Raymond Jardine is President & CEO of Native Hawaiian Veterans, a Service-Disabled
Veteran Owned Small Business, which provides products, services and solutions in homeland security,
emergency management, installation operations, logistic management, and information technology
to government agencies. He joined the Army in 1971 as a private and retired as a Colonel in 2004. Dr. Jardine
has served on The Veterans Corporation Board since March 2006. |
|
|
|
Dr. Samuel Metters is Founder, Chairman & CEO of Metters Industries. The company, started
in his basement in 1981, has become a thriving engineering firm with six offices
nationwide and approximately 185 employees. Dr. Metters is a highly-decorated retired
(Reserved) U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel. Dr.
Metters has served on The Veterans Corporation Board since March 2006.
|
|
|
Richard Allen Ochsner, a Retired USAF
Sgt, SDVOB, currently owns and operates two companies: Crusader Industries, LLC
(as President & CEO), a company of 6 divisions that provide different and effective
Homeland Security Solutions; and I3 LLC (as Managing Director), a land development
group that focuses on acquiring, developing and turning around distressed real property.
Formerly he owned and operated ICHIBAN Inc, one of the most successful IT Services
Companies doing business in the government sector, supporting over 385,000 computers
worldwide.
Mr. Ochsner’s business and entrepreneurial acumen was shaped by more than 15 years fighting for Veteran and Service Disabled Veteran rights to do more business with
the Federal Government, 20 years government contracting experience and 20 years
experience in computer and electronic repair (including becoming a national instructor of
component
level computer repair).
He has appeared on multiple
TV and radio shows (including “Dateline NBC”) as an expert on computer fraud. Mr.
Ochsner has hosted and co-hosted many events for Veterans and Service Disabled Veterans,
such as bringing wounded soldiers to Mount Vernon to receive their Purple Hearts
directly from General Pace. He proudly supports and rides whenever he can in Rolling
Thunder. Rich Ochsner has served on The Veterans Corporation Board since September
2002.
“I want to personally thank each and every soldier for doing what
they do, day in and day out. You are the ones who make dreams possible” -Rich Ochsner
|
Ex-Officio Members
Dr. Robert M. Gates was sworn in on December 18, 2006, as the 22nd Secretary of
Defense. Before entering his present post, Secretary Gates was the President of
Texas A&M University, the nation’s seventh largest university. Prior to assuming
the presidency of Texas A&M on August 1, 2002, he served as Interim Dean of
the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M from 1999
to 2001.
Secretary Gates served as Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 until 1993.
Secretary Gates is the only career officer in CIA’s history to rise from entry-level
employee to Director. He served as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence from
1986 until 1989 and as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser
at the White House from January 20, 1989, until November 6, 1991, for President
George H.W. Bush.
Secretary Gates joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1966 and spent nearly
27 years as an intelligence professional, serving six presidents. During that period,
he spent nearly nine years at the National Security Council, The White House, serving
four presidents of both political parties.
Secretary Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens
Medal, has twice received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal,
and has three times received CIA’s highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence
Medal.
He is the author of the memoir, From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insiders Story of
Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War, published in 1996. |
|
|
James Peake, M.D., was nominated by President George W. Bush to be Secretary
of Veterans Affairs on October 30, 2007, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate
on December 14, 2007. He was sworn into office on December 20, 2007.
Dr. Peake is the principal advocate for veterans in the
U.S. government and directs the nation’s second largest Cabinet Department,
responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs,
and national cemeteries for America’s veterans and dependents. VA employs more than 250,000
people at hundreds of medical centers, nursing homes, benefits offices,
and national cemeteries throughout the country.
A St. Louis, Mo., native, Peake received his Bachelor of Science degree from U.S.
Military Academy at West Point in 1966 and was commissioned a second lieutenant
in the U.S. Army Infantry. Following service in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne
Division where
he was awarded the Silver Star, a Bronze Star with “V” device and
the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Peake entered medical school at Cornell
University in New York. He was awarded a medical doctorate in 1972.
Peake began his Army medical career as a general surgery resident at Brooke Army
Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He retired from the Army in 2004, following
service as a cardiac surgeon and commander in several medical posts culminating
in his appointment as U.S. Army Surgeon General from 2000 to 2004. As Army Surgeon
General, Peake commanded 50,000 medical personnel and 187 army medical facilities
worldwide. Prior to that, he served as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical
Department Center and School, the largest medical training facility in the world
with more than 30,000 students annually.
After retiring as a Lieutenant General, Peake served as Executive Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer of Project Hope, a non-profit international health foundation
operating in more than 30 countries. Just prior to his nomination as Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, Peake served as a member of the Board of Directors for QTC, one
of the largest private providers of government-outsourced occupational health and
disability examination services in the nation.
Dr. Peake is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Society of Thoracic Surgeons,
and the American College of Cardiology. He has been honored with the Order of Military
Merit; the “A” Professional Designator; and the Medallion, Surgeon General of the
United States. |
|
|
Steven C. Preston was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on June
29, 2006 as the 22 nd Administrator
of the U.S. Small Business Administration. In
this capacity, he oversees the delivery of financial
and business development tools
to America’s entrepreneurs. With a portfolio of
direct and guaranteed business loans,
venture capital investments and disaster loans worth almost $80 billion,
SBA is the largest single financial backer and facilitator of technical assistance and
contracting opportunities for the nation’s small businesses.
Mr.
Preston is passionate about the opportunity for relevant public service presented
by the President’s nomination and the Senate’s confirmation. With almost 25 years
of experience in financial and operational leadership positions, Mr. Preston is committed
to serving the small business community.
Mr.
Preston graduated with Highest Distinction from Northwestern University with a political
science degree, and received an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School
of Business. He also has studied at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich,
Germany. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|