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Sheila Casey, COO, The Hill
Newspaper
One of seven
children born and raised in New York, Sheila has been a
military spouse for over 38 years. She has lived throughout
the United States, Europe and Egypt and has been an active
member of military spouse organizations throughout her
husband’s military career.
Currently,
Sheila is the Chief Operating Officer of The Hill Newspaper, a
paper that report on the US Congress. Prior to joining The
Hill in 1997, she was the Director of Finance at the Texas
Council on Family Violence in Austin, Texas. Additionally,
Sheila spent 7 years at Grant Thornton, a national CPA firm,
where she was an audit manager. She graduated with honors in
accounting from the University of Colorado.
Sheila is a
member of the Board of Governors of the National Military
Families Association, a nonprofit organization that is the
voice for military families and the Washington Press Club
Foundation. Additionally she is a member of the Board of
Advisors for the Discovery’s Military Channel, ThanksUSA, The
Bob Woodruff Foundation and Blue Star Families.
She and her
husband have two sons, Sean, and Ryan and five grandchildren
Jackson, Conor, Reilly, Declan and Lakin.
Retired
Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman
Retired
Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman is the Executive
Director of Freedom Is Not Free, a
San Diego
based non-profit that provides financial assistance to wounded
veterans and active duty service members and their families,
and to the families of veterans who have been killed in
action. LtCol Kopelman began his military career in the US
Navy in1985, training to become a Naval Aviator; he
transferred to the Marine
Corps in 1992, where he became a forward air controller and
earned his gold naval
parachutist wings. His last assignment was as the Deputy
Director for advisor training
at
Camp
Pendleton
.
In
2004, as the Special Operations Forces Liaison Officer for the
1st Marine Expeditionary
Force (I MEF), LtCol Kopelman was deployed to
Iraq
to train the Iraqi Special
Forces (the SSF). In October, he was assigned as the liaison
officer to an Iraqi Army
battalion, and they entered Fallujah in November to battle
insurgents for control of the
city. Subsequently, LtCol Kopelman served as the I MEF liaison
officer to a joint special
operations task force and as a liaison officer to the Iraqi
border forces – the Desert Wolves
– at the Syrian and Jordanian borders.
Speaking
to audiences about his experience in
Iraq
, he also addresses his journey of leadership,
and his perspectives on current world events, terrorism, and
how politics will affect
Iraq
and the world. Additionally, Kopelman is well-versed on the
effects of PTSD and the
resultant casualties of this debilitating and insidious
disease. He speaks to these issues,
as well as the increasing rates of suicide, substance abuse
and homelessness among our
veterans and what can be done to help them, and has become an
advocate for these causes.
LtCol
Kopelman is the San Diego NBC-TV affiliate’s military expert
and appears frequently on
television to discuss breaking stories, events and issues of
importance to the military
and veterans. He has authored two books, The New York Times
and international
bestselling memoir, “From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the
War, and a Dog Named
Lava”; and “From
Baghdad
to
America
: Life Lessons From a Dog NamedLava.” LtCol Kopelman is a
sought-after radio and television guest, and has appeared on
and co-hosted shows on both
terrestrial and satellite radio. He serves on the Advisory
Board of the
Virtual
Reality
Medical
Center
, a San Diego-based company with offices in Los Angeles
and
Palo Alto
,
CA
, that has been using simulation technologies to treat returning
combat veterans suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
via graded exposure
therapy. LtCol Kopelman previously served on the board of
directors of the Enduring
Freedom Killed in Action Fund. He received his undergraduate
degree from
the
University
of
Miami
,
Coral Gables
,
Florida
. LtCol Kopelman is a competitive bicyclist,
racing for the UC Cyclery/JW Floors team in
San Diego
. He and his wife, an anthropologist,
are avid surfers who live happily in
San Diego
with their children and pets.
Mary
Joe Myers
Mrs.
Myers is currently an associate director of public affairs for
Hayes and Associates, a public relations, communications and
event planning firm.
She also serves on the board of the National Military
Family Association, Discovery’s Military Channel, and the
board of trustees for the Fisher House Foundation, an
organization that provides homes near military hospitals and
veterans’ medical centers where military family members can
stay while loved ones are being treated.
Mrs.
Myers has won multiple awards for her humanitarian work, and
in recognition of her volunteer service, she was appointed to
the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
in February, 2006. Mrs.
Myers holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from
Kansas
State
University
and has served as an educator in secondary school and adult
education, and helped to promote a children's safety program
with a national organization.
Dr.
Vince Patton
Dr.
Patton is Director of Community Outreach for Military
Advantage, a division of Monster Worldwide and the world's
largest military membership organization, Military.com.
In this role he is responsible for executing grassroots
outreach marketing and public relations program, senior
program manager for Department of Defense projects, oversight
of the military installation ambassadors program, and
maintaining a close liaison with contacts at all levels in the
military community. He
joined the organization in September 2002, first serving on
the company’s advisory board, then in full time capacity in
November 2004.
Dr.
Patton has over 30 years of military service with the U. S.
Coast Guard. He
became the Eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast
Guard in May 1998, which is the highest-ranking enlisted
position of the Coast Guard until his retirement in November
2002.
His illustrious career included staff and operational
assignments throughout the country, both afloat and ashore.
Among his numerous military decorations include the
Distinguished
Service Medal, the highest peacetime military award.
In
addition to serving on the GI Film Festival’s Military
Advisory Committee, Dr. Patton is a member of the National
Defense Intelligence College Board of Visitors, and serves on
the editorial advisory board of the U. S. Naval Institute as
well as a number of corporate and nonprofit organizations
board positions.
CSM
(ret) Bart Womack
CSM
Bart Womack was born in
Columbus
,
Ohio
. He entered the
Army in February 18, 1977 and completed Basic and Advanced
Individual Training at
Fort Jackson
,
S.C.
He holds a
Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from
Park
University
.
CSM
Womack’s military education includes Airborne Course;
Amphibious Training; NBC Course; Primary Leadership Course;
Drill Sergeant Course; Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course;
Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course; Ranger Course; First
Sergeants Course; Battle Staff Course; and graduate of the
United States Army Sergeant Major Academy Class 48.
His
assignments include the 82nd Airborne Division, FT. Bragg,
N.C.; 2nd Infantry Division, Korea; 528th Artillery Battalion,
Cakmakli, Turkey; FT. Dix, NJ; Joint Security Area, Panmunjom,
Korea; 3rd US Infantry, The Old Guard FT. Myer, VA; 25th
Infantry Division Light, Schofield Barracks, HI; 6th Ranger
Training Battalion, Eglin AFB, FL; and FT. Bliss, TX.
CSM
Womack has served from Squad Leader to Command Sergeant Major
in the Infantry. Additionally, he has served as a Drill
Sergeant, a Relief Commander and Sergeant of the Guard, at
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and as a Senior Ranger
Instructor. All of
his assignments as Command Sergeant Major were in the 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault),
Fort Campbell
,
Kentucky
. Battalion CSM
for 2-327 Infantry; CSM for the First Brigade Combat Team,
Commandant of the Fort Campbell, Kentucky Non Commissioned
Officers Academy and Acting Division Command Sergeant Major of
the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
His
deployment experience includes most recently
Iraq
, Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving as the Brigade Combat Team
Command Sergeant Major; Kosovo, Operation Joint Guardian,
where he served as the Task Force Command Sergeant Major for
Task Force 2-327 “No Slack”; the
Republic
of
Haiti
, Operation Uphold Democracy.
CSM
Womack retired after 29 plus years of active duty on 30 June
2006. He has two
sons, Christian 14 and Julian 11.
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