OUR team

Chief Executive Officer

Josh Goldberg

In January 2023, Josh became the first Chief Executive Officer of the Boulder Crest Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring first responders, combat veterans, and their family members live great lives in the midst of struggle, stress, and trauma. In this role, Josh is responsible for Boulder Crest’s operations and activities, overseeing Boulder Crest Arizona, Boulder Crest Virginia, the Boulder Crest Institute, Boulder Crest’s Training and Education work (to include Warrior PATHH and Struggle Well program and mobile applications), and our fundraising, marketing, and partnership efforts.

Prior to his appointment as CEO, Josh co-founded and led the Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) from 2018-2022.

Since 2014, Josh has led Boulder Crest’s efforts to develop, deliver, study, and scale Posttraumatic Growth-based solutions to times of struggle. This effort began with the development of the Warrior PATHH program, now delivered at Boulder Crest’s PTG Academies in Arizona and Virginia, through Boulder Crest’s Mobile Training Team, and with partners in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Maine, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington State.

In 2020, Josh led the creation of Boulder Crest’s Struggle Well First Responder Initiative, seeking to transform the first responder culture by delivering intensive and immersive Struggle Well trainings that normalize struggle and democratize the ability to deal with it constructively. Thanks to a generous investment from FirstNet® built by AT&T and the Gary Sinise Foundation, the First Responder Initiative will be in fourteen states by the end of 2023.

In 2018, Josh, along with Boulder Crest’s Founder and Chairman, Ken Falke, published Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma. In 2020, Josh and Ken co-authored Transformed by Trauma: Stories of Posttraumatic Growth alongside Dr. Richard Tedeschi and Dr. Bret Moore.

In 2017, Josh was named as one of 60 Presidential Leadership Scholars. Established by the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson, the Presidential Leadership Scholar program is an innovative leadership program designed to ensure that scholars have the opportunity to succeed in creating and executing meaningful and impactful leadership projects in communities across the nation.

Prior to joining Boulder Crest, Josh worked as a communications executive at ExxonMobil’s Dallas headquarters from 2006-2011, and was an entrepreneur-in-residence at 2M Companies. During his time at 2M, Josh began advising several non-profit organizations supporting veterans, with a specific focus on PTSD. After volunteering for a number of months, and in recognition of the remarkable strength, capacity and potential of the men and women of the U.S. military, Josh decided to dedicate his life to ensuring that all those who struggle have the opportunity to transform their struggle into profound strength and Posttraumatic Growth.

Executive Director - Training & Education

Greg (Coach) Morin

Greg is a championship coach and motivator, focused on unlocking the potential that resides within our nation’s Warriors and their family members. He joined Boulder Crest as Director of Programs in June 2016, after having participated in the development and delivery of Warrior PATHH for 13 months as a PATHH Guide. Coach was appointed to the Director of Training position at the Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth in January 2018 and was promoted to his current position as Executive Director of Training & Education in January of 2023.

Prior to joining Boulder Crest, Coach spent a decade recruiting and training pit crew athletes in all levels of motorsports racing. The majority of his career, over seven years, was spent with NASCAR’s most dominant organization, Hendrick Motorsports, where he coordinated, directed, inspired, and taught pit crew preparation, training, and choreography for drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. During that time, Coach, and the crews he trained, built a staggering resume. He was a part of four Sprint Cup championships with Johnson’s No. 48 team, while winning two Daytona 500s, three Brickyard 400s, and is one of the only coaches in the sport’s highest series to win two MVP Pit Crew of the Year awards. While Greg greatly enjoyed his time in NASCAR, and was highly successful, he chose to begin serving our nation’s combat veterans and their families because of what this community stands for – being the best version of oneself because of the training and experiences of life.

As a coach the biggest WIN and richest reward is to see your players fulfill their potential, achieve success, and then live a life of significance and service to others. A life that educates, inspires, and leads others to their own greatness. He coaches human performance in the greatest arena – LIFE – because he wants his three sons to have a legacy to grow up with and carry on, a legacy built on integrity, courage, discipline, sacrifice, and service. Everything the men and women he gets to serve identify with and stand for.

Executive Director - Virginia

Carrie Nelson

Carrie is a native of Virginia, born and raised in Loudoun County. She graduated from Loudoun Valley High School in 1997 and attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services Counseling.  

Carrie joined the BCF team in 2015 as the Guest Relations Specialist. In 2017, Carrie was appointed as the Operations Manager. Through the years, Carrie has demonstrated hard work, passion for the communities we serve, and growth in her personal and professional life. In 2022, she was promoted to Executive Director of Boulder Crest Virginia.

Carrie has a strong background working in non-profit and counseling. Her experience has ranged from working in homeless shelters, domestic and sexual violence centers, to helping children with Axis 1 diagnoses in the school system. In 2017, Carrie completed Yoga Teacher Training at Shine Yoga in Winchester, VA and is a RYT 200 hour yoga teacher. She teaches yoga during Warrior PATHH and Family Rest and Reconnection Stays. Carrie has always been passionate about making a difference in people’s lives and helping them improve their lives in any capacity possible!

She is honored to be a part of the mission and to interact, engage, and positively impact the veterans, first responders, and the families that visit Boulder Crest Virginia.

Executive Director - Arizona

Joe Wood

Joe is the Executive Director of Boulder Crest Foundation’s 130-acre ranch in Sonoita, Arizona. He leads a staff of amazing people in the upkeep, improvement, management of the place and the programs that happen there. Every year, hundreds of our nation's heroes visit the ranch for rest, reconnection, and training experiences in the science of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG).

Joe came to Boulder Crest Foundation after 9 years in the U.S. Army’s Intelligence Corps and 10 years of serving the military in advisory, consulting, and leadership positions with multiple Government Contracting companies. He is a certified Master Instructor and Training Developer for the Army and – through his work at Boulder Crest – continues to serve Active Duty Soldiers from Fort Huachuca, Active and Reserve Airmen from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Luke Air Force Base, and service members from around the world in a variety of programs.

Joe was born and raised in North-Central Florida. Leaving home two weeks after graduating high school, he traveled around the world in service of his country and its mission as an Geospatial Imagery Analyst and leader – serving a hardship tour in Korea in 2000, deploying to Iraq in 2004, and serving on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific in 2005 (amongst other assignments).

In addition to serving as Executive Director in Arizona, Joe continues to support many of Boulder Crest’s efforts to create and expand programs nationally. Joe facilitates regular Struggle Well programs throughout Arizona, is regularly invited to be a speaker and/or panelist at military, veteran, and first responder events, and serves in multiple leadership and volunteer capacities for local nonprofits. Joe is currently the Honorary Commander for the U.S. Air Force’s 612th Theater Operations Group and serves on the Advisory Council for the Cochise Serving Veterans organization.

His recent honors and awards include the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, the FBI Community Service Award, HillVets 100, Sierra Vista 20 Under 40, and the LTC Knowlton Award. Joe is also a Warrior PATHH Alumni since 2018 and a Master Guide for both Warrior PATHH and Struggle Well programs.

Director of Philanthropy

Janet Reid

Janet Reid, director of philanthropy

Born in Turkey as the middle child of an Air Force family, Janet spent a majority of her formative years in Alexandria, Virginia. A proud alumna of the College of William & Mary, Janet lived in Williamsburg, Virginia for almost 2 decades before relocating to the Winchester area. 

Janet’s career has included working in alumni relations at the College of William & Mary where she was responsible for volunteer management and event planning. She then spent several years learning the other side of event management by working as a Conference Services Manager at two 4-star resorts, Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA and Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC.

Falling into the development profession when working as a meeting planner for a community non-profit, the majority of her development career has been focused on raising support for local community non-profits in Williamsburg. Prior to joining Boulder Crest Foundation, Janet served as the director of development for the National Center for State Courts where she focused on creating a comprehensive strategic development plan to raise support nationally to address the challenges state courts face. 

As a member of the leadership team at Boulder Crest, Janet oversees a team of 5 and is responsible for a variety of things to include: grants and foundations, planned giving, grassroots community engagement and events, donor acknowledgement, social media, monthly and annual giving.

Controller

Sue Huber

Sue comes to us with over 30 years of various financial and tax accounting experience, for both public and private entities. She is a certified public accountant, licensed in both Maryland and Virginia. While spending most of her career in the non-profit sector, she took a brief detour doing taxes, while her kids were growing up. Her varied skill set includes tax, non-profit accounting, budgeting and financial reporting. Her most significant work to date, was done at National Public Radio, Inc. where she started as the Chief Accountant managing staff accountants for the general ledger section of the Finance department. She developed best practices and procedures that improved the month end and
year end close that ensured more timely and accurate financial statements. With the success of the best practices and procedure, NPR placed Sue as a core member of the New Technologies Distribution team. The team was responsible for updating the radio
programming to member stations utilizing the state of the art technology. This business model was a success and is still utilized today.

Before joining Boulder Crest Foundation, Sue worked with an association management company before joining as the Controller. In this position Sue managed the Accounting
Department. She was responsible for all financial functions and reporting for twelve scientific trade associations.

Coming from a family teeming with veterans and first responders, she looks forward to supporting the principals of Boulder Crest Foundation through her work as Controller. While spending most of her career in the non-profit sector, she took a brief detour doing taxes, while her kids were growing up. She’s excited to be back, helping non-profits full-time.

A passion Sue has is hiking. She is currently completing the Virginia Trail Quest Challenge and is about half way through the trails.

Chief of Staff

Lynnette Swanson

Lynnette is a Pittsburgh native, who has had the opportunity to live all over America alongside her husband as he served in the Marine Corps, and has happily settled in Loudoun County. Lynnette is proud to have joined Boulder Crest Foundation in January of 2012 supporting a diverse range of duties.

Lynnette is strongly committed to our mission, and feels fortunate to have the opportunity to serve a community with which she is so familiar and has so much respect and admiration. Now as Chief of Staff, she provides the highest performance standards in overseeing all aspects of Boulder Crest’s daily operations.

Lynnette attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania studying Criminal Justice.

Executive Director - Training & Education

Greg (Coach) Morin

Greg is a championship coach and motivator, focused on unlocking the potential that resides within our nation’s Warriors and their family members. He joined Boulder Crest as Director of Programs in June 2016, after having participated in the development and delivery of Warrior PATHH for 13 months as a PATHH Guide. Coach was appointed to the Director of Training position at the Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth in January 2018 and was promoted to his current position as Executive Director of Training & Education in January of 2023.

Prior to joining Boulder Crest, Coach spent a decade recruiting and training pit crew athletes in all levels of motorsports racing. The majority of his career, over seven years, was spent with NASCAR’s most dominant organization, Hendrick Motorsports, where he coordinated, directed, inspired, and taught pit crew preparation, training, and choreography for drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. During that time, Coach, and the crews he trained, built a staggering resume. He was a part of four Sprint Cup championships with Johnson’s No. 48 team, while winning two Daytona 500s, three Brickyard 400s, and is one of the only coaches in the sport’s highest series to win two MVP Pit Crew of the Year awards. While Greg greatly enjoyed his time in NASCAR, and was highly successful, he chose to begin serving our nation’s combat veterans and their families because of what this community stands for – being the best version of oneself because of the training and experiences of life.

As a coach the biggest WIN and richest reward is to see your players fulfill their potential, achieve success, and then live a life of significance and service to others. A life that educates, inspires, and leads others to their own greatness. He coaches human performance in the greatest arena – LIFE – because he wants his three sons to have a legacy to grow up with and carry on, a legacy built on integrity, courage, discipline, sacrifice, and service. Everything the men and women he gets to serve identify with and stand for.

Director of Warrior PATHH

Eric Fowler

Eric Fowler joined the Boulder Crest Arizona team in September of 2018. He was born in New York and raised there, in Michigan, and Wyoming. Eric enlisted in the Wyoming Army National Guard in 1987 and enlisted in the Regular Army in 1991. He retired from the Army in 2016 as a Command Sergeant Major with 29 years of service. Eric spent much of his career in mechanized infantry and armored units and also served as an instructor and Drill Sergeant at the Army’s Intelligence School.

With more than 10 years of overseas service including two tours in Germany and one in South Korea, he also went on operational deployments to Kuwait and Kosovo as well as three year-long combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Eric comes to us from Fort Huachuca, AZ where he has spent his time since retirement serving as a contract Operations Officer in the G3 section of the US Army’s Intelligence Center of Excellence.

Director of Learning

Laurie (LJ) Johnson

LJ is an outcome-driven leader with over 30 years of commercial, federal, and global experience in learning, talent enablement, training operational services and executive communications. As a functional and technical visionary, she has applied human-centric approaches, new technology, and data-driven learning insights to solve business challenges. In addition to working with clients, she led Accenture’s design development, and evaluation of over 20 million hours of learning annually across 125+ locations, by 1,200+ learning professionals with. budget of $980M year over year.

As part of her commitment to veterans, JD drove development and implementation of Accenture’s Veteran Integration Program to integrate new joiner veteran hires into the corporate environment and into their Accenture roles. She sponsored development of, and provided resources for, the creation of Accenture’s Suicide Prevention Program. Additionally, she participated in  Accenture’s North America’s Military Employee Resource Group (MERG) doing mock interviews with veterans, attending welcome socials, and providing 1:1 leadership coaching.

Technology, Analysis, & Community Manager

Jeff Kinman

Jeff is an Air Force veteran with 9 years of enlisted experience as a Signals Intelligence Analyst. After departing the military, Jeff moved to the Northern Virginia area with his wife and two children where he worked as a federal contractor supporting a national intelligence agency as a targeting analyst focused on counterterrorism operations. When not working, Jeff is likely busy fulfilling his responsibilities as a member of the Board of Directors for the Loudoun County Disc Golf Club, a Virginia 501(c)(3) dedicated to growing the sport of disc golf in Loudoun County.

Jeff has a life-long obsession with analytics, specifically understanding the relationships between disparate pieces of information, both from a purely statistical point of reference and from a qualitative “why?” perspective. Jeff is beyond excited to be a member of the Boulder Crest Institute Team where he has the opportunity to put his passion for analytics to work in a manner that provides initiatives such as PATHH the scrutiny of evidence they deserve via a combination of a data-science applications to produce rich data-driven reporting for both BCI internal and external consumers. As a combat veteran, Jeff is so grateful for this opportunity to serve the community.

Data Engineer

Andrew Thomas

Andrew Thomas joined the Boulder Crest Virginia team in November 2022. He was born in Maryland but has lived in Virginia for his entire life. He graduated from James Madison University in 2021 with a Major in Computer Science and a Minor in Robotics.

After he graduated he was contracted to work temporarily at Boulder Crest part-time but he decided to stay and become a full-time employee. He is primarily responsible for developing and maintaining Boulder Crest’s cloud infrastructure and developing internal applications for analyzing program analytics.

Operations Coordinator - Mobile Training Team

Tara Mathis

Tara was born in Martinsburg, WV and grew up living in parts of southern Virginia as well as Charles Town, WV, where she graduated high school. A year after graduating she enlisted in the United States Army as a Human Resource Specialist. Tara remained in the Army as a Human Resource Specialist for 7 years until she transitioned out of the Army in November of 2016. While in the service, she was stationed in South Korea at Camp Humphreys for a year and was a part of the 2nd ID Combat Aviation Brigade. When her time in South Korea was finished, she PCS’d to Fort Bragg where she would spend 4 years in the 82nd Sustainment Brigade, 18th HR Company. During her stay at Fort Bragg she completed one tour in Kuwait. Her tour consisted of supporting inbound and outbound operations as well as assisting in processing the last convoy out of Iraq home. After reenlisting for a second contract, she then PCS’d to Fort Lee, VA and fell under the 59th Ordnance Brigade where she worked in the Brigade S1. This would be her final stop in the Army.

After leaving the Army, Tara started her transition and like most veterans, she experienced her own struggles but worked her way through them. She took time during her transition to focus on herself and completing her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While doing this, she moved to Bend, Oregon for 2 years. While in Oregon, Tara worked in marketing and community relations for a small in-home health care business. Tara completed her bachelors and is now pursuing her master’s in business administration and lives in Charles Town, WV where she is planting her roots.

In her free time, Tara enjoys spending time with her dog Riley who is her best friend and her incredibly supportive family. She is a big movie fan. She also enjoys traveling, BBQing, fitness, camping, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities.

Director of Programs - Mobile Training Team Alpha

Ian Ricci

Ian was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1981. In 1988 he moved with his mother (Anita), and two brothers (Josh and Kiel) to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Upon graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1999, Ian attended Upper Iowa University on a soccer scholarship in 2000. However, after the events of 9/11 he chose to leave college and enlist in the US Army as an 11b (infantryman). During his first deployment in early 2004, while serving with 1st BN/16th Infantry he was wounded by an IED in Fallujah, Iraq. Ian served another three years and deployment to Iraq and exited the service shortly after his final deployment in 2007.

Ian returned to Sioux Falls, SD. Where he served as a Veterans Service Officer for the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs from 2008-2014. There he helped veterans navigate and attain veterans benefits with the VA. Ian had the privilege and opportunity to represent veterans in the appeals process, advocating for them at the court of veteran’s appeals level.

In 2007 Ian took up Muay Thai kickboxing, as a way to stay active and competitive and fell in love with the sport. After competing at the national level in 2014, he let his love of the sport guide him to coaching boxers, Muay Thai kickboxers and MMA fighters in 2015. Today he coaches fighters and enthusiasts from amateur to professional at Next Edge Academy in Sioux Falls, SD.

In April of 2018 Ian became involved with Boulder Crest Arizona when he attended the Warrior PATHH program. Ian completed the 18-month Warrior PATHH program with his team in October of 2019. Shortly after Ian finished his 18-month program he began serving with the MTT.

Ian lives in Sioux Falls, SD with his spouse (Tracy), 3 daughters (Mya, Reese and Riley,) and German Shepherd (Murphy) where he is a registered EMT and USA Boxing coach. He enjoys coaching and working with fighters, running, cooking, and spending time with his family.

PATHH Guide- Mobile Training Team Alpha

Brock Noah

Brock Noah was born the second son to his parents in 1974 at Ottawa Kansas and raised all over the eastern side of the state. His father was not only a Vietnam Veteran but also an ordained minister for 30 years, so a life of service came naturally to him. In 1995 Brock decided to join the U.S. Army as a 12B (Combat Engineer) where he served in both Light and Mechanized units with multiple combat tours. Throughout his 24 years of active duty service, Brock has held various leadership positions and roles from Team Leader through First Sergeant until his retirement in 2019. During his career Brock also served as a Drill Sergeant, the Senior Enlisted Advisor at the United States Military Academy and the Senior Military Instructor at Boston University Army ROTC.

After nearly a 2 year long struggle with loss of purpose and identity, as well as traumas from military life and prior, Brock knew he had to change his trajectory. In September of 2021 Brock attended the Warrior PATHH program at Big Bear California with the MTT. Since completion of the program, Brock credits the Warrior PATHH program as the catalyst for his “second calling” and began serving with the MTT in June of 2022 as a PATHH Guide. In his down time, Brock enjoys most all outdoor activities and sports. He is an avid Ice Hockey and College Basketball fan as well as a motorcycle enthusiast.

PATHH Guide - Mobile Training Team Alpha

Jonathan Mayberry

Jonathan Mayberry was born and raised in the small town of Tifton, GA. Jonathan always looked up to and respected his grandfather, who retired from the Army. After graduating high school in 2001, and following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Jonathan joined the Army in 2002.

Jonathan went on to serve 8 years in the Army as a 13B (Artillery). At just 19 on his first deployment in 2003 he found himself on the streets of Baghdad Iraq, where he was wounded just two days apart. Jonathan deployed again to Baghdad in 2007-2008. After trying his best to stay in the Army Jonathan medically retired in 2010.

After years of struggling from family and military experiences Jonathan tried many methods to overcome them, but nothing seemed to work. In 2019 Jonathan found himself at The Big Red Barn Retreat in SC where he found great results with Equine Assisted Therapy. He later attended the first Warrior PATHH program held at The Big Red Barn Retreat in October of 2020.

After he completed Warrior PATHH Jonathan knew he had found his passion. He began his training to become a PATHH Guide and later was given the opportunity to join the Mobile Training Team in February 2022.

During Jonathan’s downtime, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two daughters, grandfather, and pets.

PATHH Guide- Mobile Training Team Alpha

Robert Dabney Jr.

Robert Dabney Jr, was raised in Memphis, TN. As the oldest of six kids, he’s always felt the call to set an example and be a leader. In June 1998, two weeks after graduating from George Washington Carver High School, Robert joined the US Army as a Combat Medic, at 18 years old. It was during these early adult years that he began to develop a genuine love for helping others. Particularly, when they were in dangerous, helpless, or painful situations. Excelling in his role as a medic, he was assigned to teach “Combat Lifesaver Skills” to other Soldiers in his unit, sharing his enthusiasm and wisdom for bringing healing when no other options were available. Robert often shares that, as a medic, (often referred to as “Doc”) he discovered that the greatest aid he could provide was a listening ear. “Soldiers trust their Medics; not only with their lives but with their mental and emotional states, as well.” It was during the long nights in the wildernesses of Iraq, that he discovered the immense value of being emotionally available for others.

Following a 9 year Army career that included deployments to Kosovo, Saudi Arabia, and two trips to Iraq; Robert studied to become a Professional Hospital Chaplain, receiving a Bachelors in Theology in 2013, and 2 Master of Arts degrees (MDiv., MA-Communication) in 2017. At the completion of Graduate school he began working for AMITA Health as a Professional Healthcare Chaplain. During this time he was forced to face the reality of the life he’d lived to date. Coming face to face with pain, suffering and grief in the hospital each day began to take its toll on his well being. In January 2020, he resigned from his position, with the aim of addressing the serious Mental Health challenges he’d finally begun to acknowledge. Currently, Robert identifies as a Veteran Peer Specialist and Mental Health Advocate. Outside of his role as a PATHH Guide, he works part-time as the Peer Apprentice Program Manager for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) in Chicago.

He’s passionate about helping people find peace amid chaos and bringing hope to the hopeless. When not spending time with his family (Wife, 4 Kids, 2 grandkids) or walking his Mastiff, Rocco, you can find him meditating, reading, writing, or cheering for his hometown heroes, the Memphis Grizzlies.

Director of Programs - Mobile Training Team Bravo

Michael Hilliard

Mike was born in Great Falls, Montana, and raised in a small copper mining town called Morenci,
Arizona. Mike always wanted to serve his country, and like most, the events of 9/11 ignited that desire.
On his deployment to Iraq, he was wounded by a gunshot to the head. He recovered at Walter Reed
Army Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C. Upon completing rehabilitation, he re-enlisted and joined his
unit for the next deployment to Afghanistan. Mike retired from the Army in 2013.

In 2014 he joined the Georgia Aquarium Dive team. He assisted in running the Veterans Immersion
program providing therapeutic swims and dives with whale sharks and thousands of other sea life. This
is where he found a calling to help his fellow warriors. With the urge to do more, he joined the Shepherd
Center SHARE Military Initiative to help construct their national outreach program and deliver their
mission to clinicians, veterans, and first responders. His mission was to share and learn, and this is
where he was introduced to Warrior PATHH and attended in 2018. He has worked in the Warrior PATHH
community since 2019 and now serves the MTT- Bravo.

Mike lives in Georgia with his wife (Tiffany) and three children (Abigail, Beau, and Charlie). He spends his
time helping on the farm, mountain biking, running, playing golf, and attempting flint knapping.

PATHH Guide - Mobile Training Team Bravo

RJ St. John

RJ St. John was born in California but grew up in northern Minnesota hunting, fishing and camping in the remote wildernesses of the BWCA. Playing hockey, baseball and football all through his senior year, he decided at an early age that the military was where he was supposed to be and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After a short stint due to injury, he ended up in the Air Force with a Security Forces squadron as a heavy weapons expert and instructor with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. After his last tour in 2011 he decided some changes were in order and in 2013 went through a VA program to get sober and found himself working for the State Department, where he ended up as a sergeant with Diplomatic Security for several years. In 2023 he went through the PATHH program in Georgia where he decided that he wanted to serve other veterans and first responders in the same program.

He has been playing rugby for the past 16 years where he has been a mentor and coach for local college and high school teams as well as his own. He still shoulders a pack to wander into the depths of the Wyoming, Montana or Colorado wilderness with his brother, and is always looking for another great adventure to experience. 

PATHH Guide - Mobile Training Team Bravo

Shannon Stroup

Shannon was born in Long Island, NY and raised in the (then) sleepy beach town of Merritt Island, Florida. She grew up with a love for the space shuttle launches, small waves to surf, basketball, and has a strong patriot heart. As the granddaughter of a New York City Police detective, her determination to be of service was strong from the start, just like her hero grandpa’s. The events of 9/11 catapulted that determination, and after one semester of community college in 2006, she enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Security Forces airman. 

Over the course of six years in service, Shannon would complete three tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of her time was spent between detainee operations, flightline protection, and C-130 aircraft security. However, these experiences deeply impacted her, and she found it hard to shake some of what she had seen. In 2012, Shannon decided to leave the military but struggled to find herself after taking off her boots. In 2016, Shannon found herself in a dark place and took a leap of faith and found Warrior PATHH, which she now credits for truly saving her life. She’s now dedicated to doing anything she can to be of service to her brothers and sisters in the veteran community. In 2021, Shannon found her way back to the PATHH program as an alumnus and has continued to dedicate time towards connection and service.

Shannon now lives in Dade City, Florida with her wife Melanie, who is a nurse with a true understanding of the road to Post Traumatic Growth. In their off time, they love to road trip for concerts, spend time on the water or trail walking with their dogs Levi and Zen. Being outside in nature is incredibly important and therapeutic to their family. They also have a strong love for all things sports, but most importantly, Tampa Bay hockey!

PATHH Guide - Mobile Training Team Bravo

Joe Begley

Joe was born at Fort Sill, OK.  An Army Brat, he was raised in Germany, Fort Bragg, NC and graduated High School in Milan, IN.  He was born into a legacy of military service and followed in his father’s and grandfathers’ footsteps.  Joe was attending college when Desert Shield began in August of 1990;  two months later he dropped out of college and enlisted in the Army.

Joe served as an enlisted Military Police Officer for nine years.  He commissioned as a Military Intelligence Officer in May of 2001, became a  Psychological Operations Officer in 2009 and retired from the Army in October of 2022, after 31 years of service, at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  Joe spent most of career in Airborne and Special Operations units.  During his time in uniform, he deployed to Miami, FL for Hurricane Andrew Disaster Relief (1992), Sinai Egypt (1993), Johnston Atoll (1994), Iraq (2004), Qatar (2005) and Afghanistan (2009).

Joe attended Warrior PATHH in 2020 at Boulder Crest Arizona.  The program ignited his passion for helping his fellow veterans and first responders and forged his commitment to continue to serve in a meaningful way.

Joe lives in Linden, NC and has three adult children (Zach, Ren and Hannah).   He has a passion for riding motorcycles and horses, playing guitar,  SCUBA diving, reading and camping.

PATHH Guide - Mobile Training Team Bravo

Danny Montano

Daniel “Danny” Montano began his career with the Florida Department of Corrections in 2003. He was hired as a Correctional Officer, and in 2005, Danny was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Simultaneously in the same year, he attended the Cross Over/Law Enforcement Academy at Miami-Dade College (School of Justice) and attained his certification for Law Enforcement.

In July 2007, Danny moved to work with the Department of Homeland Security in the Division of Immigration Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) as a Detention Officer. In 2008, Danny was promoted to Lieutenant, overseeing the day-to-day operations at his assigned camp. He continued to pursue his passion for working as a law enforcement officer. On April 14th, 2009, he was given the opportunity with the Hialeah Gardens Police Department (H.G.P.D.) as a Reserve Police Officer. Proving himself to be an asset to the agency, on April 12th, 2010, Danny accepted a Full-Time position as a Police Officer. On May 9th, 2013, Danny obtained his Emergency Medical Technician (E.M.T.) certification at Barry University.

Through Danny’s career, he realized a great need for strengthening mental health. Danny took action, leading him to Boulder Crest’s Struggle Well training and, in 2022, Warrior PATHH. Ignited Danny to get involved in PTG; he became certified in teaching Struggle Well and becoming a Warrior PATHH Guide with the Mobile Training Team Bravo. Lastly, he joined the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization as a “Big in Blue” to provide lessons he has learned to today’s youth and mentor them in the growth mindset.

Director of Struggle Well

Bernie Gonzalez

Bernie is the Director of Boulder Crest’s Struggle Well program. He is responsible for the training, implementation, and institutionalization of Struggle Well within our First Responder communities. He began his policing career in 1983 as a Miami-Dade Police Officer and progressed through the ranks up to the position of Police Chief, serving in administrative, operational, investigative, and educational positions along the way. While a member of the Miami-Dade Police Department he obtained two Graduate Degrees in Criminal Justice and Organizational Leadership as well as a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Leadership from Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University. In 2010, after over 28 years of distinguished police service, Bernie retired from the Miami-Dade Police
Department and accepted a consultant position as a Senior Police Advisor (Deputy Manager), under the Central America Police Reform Initiative (CAPRI) within the U.S. State Department, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). He served as the Deputy Manager and answers to the CAPRI Director. Bernie was responsible for managing all police and governmental reform initiatives under the CAPRI program and supported the CAPRI Director to evaluate, enhance, and create new programmatic assistance being delivered in Central America.

Bernie lives in Florida with his wife Marta.

Struggle Well Director of Training & Operations

Chip Gusler

Joined the United States Coast Guard in 1984 and was assigned in the Pacific Northwest leading Search and Rescue and Law Enforcement missions off the coast of Washington and Oregon. He was then transferred to a Tactical Law Enforcement team based in the Florida Keys performing Drug Enforcement missions both locally and throughout the Caribbean and later went on to be assigned to the Coast Guard’s Drug Interdiction Assist Team that carried out counternarcotics operations throughout South and Central America. After 15 years in the Coast Guard, he went to work for the State Departments Narcotics Affairs Section as a counternarcotics advisor and worked in various South and Central American countries. In 2009, he was assigned as Program Director for a new program that encouraged “south to south” cooperation by using Colombian National Police Officers to help manage police reform programs in Central America, aligning 4 major areas: Organization, Operations, Education and Technology.

Most recently he is a certified USA Triathlon level 2 coach and USA Triathlon Youth and Junior coach, while also competing as a competitive age group Triathlete and Duathlete. He uses his coaching skills to provide free coaching to first responders and teachers who are interested in the sport at any level.

Director of Struggle Well - Virginia

Daniel Matherly

Daniel is the Director of Struggle Well for Virginia and an alumnus of the Warrior PATTH program.

Raised in Southwest Virginia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Daniel spent his childhood living on a farm working with his hands along side his father in the garage.  Daniel enjoyed the outdoors and spent a great deal of time hunting, fishing, racing and in the Boy Scouts.  After high school, Daniel joined the Army as an infantryman and was assigned to the 2/187 INF Regiment with the 101^st Airborne in Fort Campbell, Kentucky serving from 1999 to 2003. After a tour in Afghanistan and in Iraq Daniel was honorably discharged and returned home.

In 2011 Daniel completed his Associate Degree in Applied Science majoring in Motorsports Technologies from Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA.   He then spent four years teaching Motorsports Technologies at the same community college.  In 2017 Daniel became an active member of the Cool Branch Volunteer Fire Department achieving multiple firefighting certifications and his Emergency Medical Technician certification.  Daniel is currently the Chief and has held the positions of Lieutenant, Captain, and various executive roles in past.

With all Daniel’s military and first responder experiences, he believes great value can be derived through these efforts and wants to be at the forefront of helping first responders like himself.  He enjoys helping other first responders to overcome the struggles they encounter every day in their careers.  This opportunity to give back and help fellow first responders is an honor for Daniel.

Director of Struggle Well - Massachusetts

Rob Swartz

Prior to joining Boulder Crest Foundation’s First Responder Initiative as the Director for New England, Robert spent 35 years as a Police Officer in Massachusetts. During his Law Enforcement career Robert was a key participant in the creation of the SEMLEC Peer Support / Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Robert served as the team’s Director / Commander since the team’s inception and led a team of officers who support a consortium of 30 police departments across the region. Robert developed policies, procedures, vetted prospective candidates for team membership, coordinated and implemented team member training and oversaw daily operations. Robert was also responsible for examining and coordinating with external facilities and programs that provide a variety of support services for police officers.

In his search for the best programs to help Police Officers during times of struggle he attended the Boulder Crest Foundations Warrior PATHH program. After attending, not only did he begin to refer numerous officers to the program, but he began to work on his on growth as well with what he had learned. Robert then began to volunteer with Boulder Crest in various regions throughout the country introducing Posttraumatic Growth and the Struggle Well training to Law Enforcement Officers. Robert also worked with State Legislators in the creation and implementation of statewide peer support confidentiality laws, mandatory training requirements and funding for Police Peer Support Teams statewide.

In 2021 Robert was appointed to and still sits on the National Fraternal Order of Police Wellness Committee.

Throughout his career law enforcement career Robert had both directly and indirectly been involved in countless critical incidents and is personally familiar with the impacts of trauma, struggle and the lifestyle law enforcement has had on himself as well as other officers and family members.

Master Struggle Well Guide

Billy Barrow

Billy was born in Miami, FL and raised by a remarkable, hardworking and dedicated mother. Being a native of South Florida, Billy developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors and the opportunities it provided, spending much of his free time on the waters of South Florida and the Florida Keys and deep in the Everglades and the Big Cypress. He worked a number of jobs in the commercial marine field prior to a career in Law Enforcement; working as a commercial diver, captaining commercial boats to 100 feet and as a dive instructor. In 1989, following in the footsteps of several mentors from his childhood, Billy began a career in Law Enforcement.

During his time as a Police Officer he served in various areas within the department; Uniform Patrol, Violent Crimes, Narcotics, Marine Patrol/Underwater Recovery, Training/Firearms Unit as well as 21 years on S.W.A.T. Billy retired in 2022 after 33 years of service. Outside of the police department, Billy sought other ways to serve his community. Much of this involved serving the youth of his church community. He was a Scout leader for 12 years and served as a Youth Minister for the high school youth group. Volunteering as a coach for local youth lacrosse and ice hockey programs (yes, a Miami kid that played ice hockey) provided another venue to serve.

Outside of the youth programs, he is active in several adult ministries including a retreat program for police officers and firefighters. Billy continues to serve the first responder communities that gave him so much as a Struggle Well Guide. Billy and his wife of 35 years, Ruthie, have been blessed with two amazing children. Shortly after retirement, they relocated to Northeast Florida with their pup and are enjoying their time exploring new areas and becoming part of a great new community.

Master Struggle Well Guide

Sam Espinosa

Sam is a United States Marine Corps Veteran with 4 years of experience as an Infantry Machine Gunner and Marine Corps Security Forces Guard. After departing the military, Sam relocated to Southwest Florida where he began his career as a sworn law enforcement officer that spanned over thirteen years. Throughout those years he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and worked in a variety of units and divisions. Instructing others became his passion and he eventually spent most of his career as a general and high liability instructor for his department. In 2010, he relocated to Miami, Florida where he continued to serve the public as a law enforcement officer. The following thirteen years he served as an instructor and eventually became the Training Sergeant responsible for all training within the agency.

In 2021, he suffered a cardiac event that would change his life forever. While struggling, he was recommended to attend a course to assist him with the personal struggles he was facing. In September 2021, he attended one of the first five-day struggle well courses being offered in the Miami Dade area. He was so moved and inspired by the training that he decided to put the work in to turn his very own struggle into strength. He recognized that this traumatic event was the defining moment that would allow him the opportunity to rewrite his story and share it with others. In 2022, he made the choice to retire from law enforcement after twenty-five years of service and focus on helping others through his story. He has been a guide for the Struggle Well program since his retirement and now serves as a Master Struggle Well Guide, where he now gets the opportunity to serve as a mentor and guide for those accepting the challenge to guide others in the First Responder community.

He is grateful to be part of an organization that serves both military veterans and first responders of this great country. It is an opportunity and a blessing that he doesn’t take lightly!

Senior Struggle Well Guide / Struggle Well Coordinator - Florida

Jose Rodriguez

Jose Rodriguez was born in Port Chester, NY. In September of 1969. He grew up in New York until his family moved to South Florida in 1975 where he has lived ever since. Jose graduated from Hialeah High School in 1988 and a year upon graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1989 where he served in support of Operation Just Cause and in 1990 while deployed in Europe was sent to the middle east to serve in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. In 1992, Jose finished his enlistment and remained in the Army reserves util 1998 where he was Honorably discharged.

In 1998 Jose became an ordained Minister and was an associate Pastor and Senior Pastor in several churches throughout Miami-Dade County and held various Senior and board positions among different ministries for men. That same year in 1998 Jose joined the Town of Medley Police department as a civilian police dispatcher and became the department’s first ever Chaplain. In 2009 Jose became Medley’s first Community service officer and in 2011 went to the Miami-Dade Police academy where he graduated and went on to Patrol Division. He is The CIT coordinator for the Department and currently heads the department’s peer support group, he is also a member of the Honor guard unit, and has served as a code enforcement officer for the town, and continues to serve as Chaplain.

He is currently a Senior Struggle Well Guide with Boulder Crest and Struggle Well Coordinator for the state of Florida. Jose is Married Evelyn Rodríguez and has two wonderful daughters Eliannis 18 and Joselyn 8

Senior Struggle Well Guide / Logistics & Operations Specialist - Florida

Laurick Ingram

Before retiring as a police sergeant in 2012, Laurick served and protected the Miami-Dade Community for 27 years. March 2022, he completed his first Struggle Well (SW) Training. June 2022, he completed SW train-the-trainer, and began facilitating SW Courses. Since then, he has participated in SW courses in Florida, Arizona and Virginia. In addition to SW, he is a Certified Event Interventionist, and certified by the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service’s (DSS) Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program to instruct in the areas of criminal investigations, critical incidents, hostage negotiations, and first responders to terrorist incidents.

Laurick embodies a poem taught to him and his brother “Sonny” by their grandmother.

“DRIVE THE NAIL ARIGHT”
Drive the nail aright,
Hit it on the head;
Strike with all your might,
While the iron’s red.

When you’ve work to do,
Do it with a will;
They who reach the top,
First must climb the hill.

Standing at the foot,
Gazing at the sky,
How can you get up,
If you never try?

Though you stumble oft,
Never be downcast;
Try, and try again,
You’ll succeed at last.

Struggle Well Operations & Logistics Manager

Deborah Ward

Deborah (Debbie) Ward joined Boulder Crest in 2022 and in her current role serves as the Struggle Well Operations and Logistics Manager.  Debbie is passionate and dedicated to her role, supporting, and managing the operations and logistics of the First Responder Initiative and Struggle Well training across the nation, working directly with Boulder Crest/Struggle Well teams, first responders, and community leaders.

In addition to her role with Boulder Crest, Debbie also has a history of an expansive nursing career where she began as a registered nurse, and later went on to become and work as a nurse practitioner. She has extensive clinical experience in multiple clinical environments including outpatient and acute care settings, and in a consulting role as well.

Her passion for health promotion of first responders, front line healthcare workers, and local communities, stems not only from her nursing background, but her role and dedication as a first responder spouse and mother.

Executive Director

Richard Tedeschi, Ph.D.

Richard Tedeschi, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and Professor Emeritus at UNC Charlotte. He was on the core faculty for 42 years, and retired in June 2018. Dr. Tedeschi has published numerous articles and books on the concept of posttraumatic growth that he helped to develop. He serves as media consultant on trauma for the American Psychological Association and is a Fellow of the Division of Trauma Psychology and has provided presentations and training on trauma for the U.S. Army, and many professional organizations, clinics, and educational institutions.

Deputy Director

Bret Moore, Psy.D., ABPP

Dr. Bret A. Moore is a prescribing psychologist and board-certified clinical psychologist in San Antonio, Texas. He is a former active duty Army psychologist and two-tour veteran of Iraq. He is the author and editor of 22 books including Transformed by Trauma, Treating PTSD in Military Personnel: A Clinical Handbook, The Posttraumatic Growth Workbook, Wheels Down: Adjusting to Life after Deployment, and Taking Control of Anxiety: Small Steps for Overcoming Worry, Stress, and Fear. He has written over 200 book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and popular press articles to include features for Scientific American Mind, The New Republic, and Military Times.

Dr. Moore is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Texas Psychological Association. He is the recipient of the Charles S. Gersoni and Arthur W. Melton awards in military psychology from Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology), the Peter J. N. Linnerooth National Service, and Early Career Achievement awards in Public Service Psychology from Division 18 (Psychologists in Public Service) and Educator of the Year from Division 55 (American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy) of the American Psychological Association.

His views on clinical and military psychology have been quoted in USA Today, The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Boston Globe, and on CNN and Fox News. He has appeared on NPR, the BBC, and CBC.