Team

Alicia Ambrose

Alicia manages public relations for OVS.

Alicia Ambrose was born into a military family during one of the nine State to State military assignment-driven relocations her family
would encounter prior to her fourteenth birthday. As a result, she developed an outgoing and adaptable personality that served her well as she excelled in a broad spectrum of professions, ranging from retail to freight dispatch to consulting for a Defense contractor.

As a result of the early turmoil, she evolved a caring and empathetic perspective toward people in need, especially the military
servicemembers around whom she had grown up. This perspective drove an interest in mental health advocacy and sparked her involvement In the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Northern
Virginia chapter where she served as a Resource Advisor and an Instructor the Family To Family course. She also regularly volunteered
to support the Special Olympics, and joined IBM, several local professional sports teams, and the Department of Defense in a series of events geared toward helping wounded warriors to cope with their injuries.

Alicia’s life experience, empathetic attitude, and boundless energy make her a perfect fit to support Operation Veteran Success.

Michael Ambrose

Michael lives in Chicago, where he is a CPA with Ernst and Young. He helps OVS with events. He attended Gonzaga University, where he majored in accounting and finance and played  Division 1 soccer. Michael’s service to OVS honors his two Army veteran grandfathers Tom Connolly and Jim Ambrose.

Valerie Bock

Val is webmistress for OVS

She has worked as an IT consultant in the corporate, education, and not-for-profit arenas, and considers herself “mostly retired” these days, but does a little bit of web site design on the side.

Val teaches USA Shuto-kan Karate and mat Pilates, and volunteers for a number of online organizations.

Jim Cook

A soon-to-be retired Army command Sergeant Major who currently works with veterans in the Vet Corps Program-Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Jim works to expand veterans’ knowledge of resources and access to referral based therapy programs.

Callista Gerak

Callista serves as corresponding secretary for OVS.

A Loyola University Chicago graduate with her CNA., Callie works in pediatric neurology at Lurie Children’s Hospital while she trains to become a registered nurse. Callie previously volunteered at the Neurobalance Center in Barrington, IL, a facility that treats people with neurodegenerative diseases, and worked her way up to become the Director of Operations.

She has helped out in other veteran charities, including singing the National Anthem for charity runs. She also has a small side business walking dogs called Callista’s Canine Care.

Jennifer Dallal

Jennifer’s background includes full-cycle recruiting across multiple industries, volunteer work with animal rescues, ongoing support for students entering the workforce, marketing and home staging within the real estate industry. She is always looking for meaningful ways to give back and is inspired by OVS’s mission to support veterans and their families — especially given her own family ties to the Air Force.

Jeremy Gerak

Jeremy Gerak is from Texas and Michigan. This Blue Star father and his family marched in Michigan with Jay, Mary and Callista for OVS in Cherry Festival in  Traverse City in July of 2025. Jeremy is an OVS donor has a veteran Army son and daughter- in- law  in Texas and an active duty Army Blackhawk Medivac pilot and daughter-in-law currently deployed. He honors his deceased father who served in the Army and the Michigan  Air National Guard.

Joe Gerak

Joe is the person who first identified the mission for OVS. He brought OVS it’s first opportunity to assist, and continues to provide insight into the most effective ways to be of aid to  America’ s military veterans 

This former Marine Sergeant now serves after 4 years as a veteran as a VSO in the state of Washington.

After serving in Intel and Combat Engineering and as an Instructor at Marsoc in North Carolina, Joe migrated to Wenatchee, Washington. He became aware of many others in active duty and as a veteran who experienced the need for gap funding.

Temra Gold

Temra Gold,  an Illinois attorney  since 1991, completed a psychology degree at UCLA, and went on to Loyola Law School. Temra serves as an arbitrator, mediator and educational consultant in Illinois. Temra has a passion for facilitating the advancement of veterans with special emphasis on mental health. Temra volunteers at  the Heller JCC. She also runs A La Tarte  a passion for baking. Temra’s daughter, Raelyn Kelly, also serves on the OVS Team. 

Robin Binder Heath

Robin Binder Heath graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 1987 after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Robin’s parents were married in South Bend Indiana in a military ceremony while her father attended Midshipman’s school at Notre Dame during WWII. Her father Frederick M. Binder was then shipped to the Philippines where he was a Lt. Commander on a PT Boat.

Robin practiced law in various fields of civil litigation and labor negotiations for 35 years while in Philadelphia, Blue Bell, Altoona and Huntingdon Pennsylvania. Robin also served as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem. During winter term, she also taught Business Law at Juniata College for 22 years. Robin is a dedicated Rotarian and is looking forward to helping OVS in conjunction with the Huntingdon Rotary Club. 

Carroll Cabrera Henning

Carroll Cabrera Henning is an earned media and integrated marketing communications expert with deep PR experience from roles in big agency, corporate and not-for-profit settings.

Throughout her career she has provided B2B and B2C PR and event/tradeshow strategy and implementation to global brands, local businesses and non-profits — including Medline, Miles, Reed Exhibitions, McDonald’s Corp., Citibank, DRI, Human Resources Development Institute and others.

Carroll is happy to be helping OVS with storytelling, external communications and events

Mary Kay Houlihan

Mary Kay is an accountant for Board member Ed Guntin of Guntin and Gus. She is a mother of 3 children, formerly of Barrington. Mary Kay serves OVS as an event  committee member, donor and  Chicago participant who honors her military family members.

Raelyn Kelly

Raelyn is a gerontologist, educator, consultant, and mental health advocate. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Southern California, where she received her Master of Science in Gerontology. Her academic and professional work centers on the intersections of Public Health and Aging, Policy, Cognitive and Psychological Health, Disease Prevention, Lifespan Mental Health, Nutritional Health, and Cultural Competency in Healthcare—including End-of-Life care, Patient Advocacy, and Curriculum Development.

Raelyn’s early dedication to veterans’ issues was shaped by her congressional casework while working in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, where she supported veterans and their families navigating the complexities of VA healthcare, Social Security, and mental health systems. These experiences, coupled with her academic background, deepened her commitment to ensuring aging veterans—particularly those facing PTSD, cognitive decline, or caregiver burden—receive trauma-informed, evidence-based support.

Bridging clinical insight, policy fluency, and gerontological science, Raelyn remains deeply committed to advancing mental health equity and long-term care solutions for those who’ve served.

Kathleen Kelly–Goodwin

Kathleen joins the team at OVS from just outside Columbia, South Carolina where she lives with her husband and family. Her parents, two siblings, a couple of uncles and a number of ancestors are veterans. She is a registered nurse and worked at the Veterans Hospital. Once
she completed her Masters in Nursing she joined a local hospital system where she worked in Quality and Clinical Data Management. Kathleen will help OVS launch in South Carolina.

Fr. Chris Kerkeres,
Viki Kerkeres and
Téo Kerkeres

The Kerkeres Family is hosting the OVS Fundraiser at their church, Saint George Greek Orthodox Church. on October 19, 2024

Rita Kollias

Rita Kollias is a United States Marine Corps veteran whose distinguished military and community service spans nearly three decades. A recipient of the National Marine Toys for Tots Coordinator of the Year award, she currently serves as both the DuPage County Toys for Tots Coordinator and Department of Illinois Toys for Tots Chairman. Through her tireless dedication to veterans, children, and military families, she continues to exemplify the values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.

Rita will be helping OVS with Illinois Events

Cynthia Kohll

Cynthia began her photography journey in 1995 while residing in New York City. She purchased a quality camera and enrolled at the School of Visual Arts. She encountered the mystifying events that take place in the dark room. She said it was fascinating to be able to shoot film during lunch hour in the streets of Soho and to see the results on paper that evening in the darkroom.

In 2012, she relocated back to her hometown of Omaha with her husband and two children. 

Her portfolio includes:  Associated Press, Reuters, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Jerusalem Post, Headshots, Children, Family Portraits, B’nai-Mitzvah’s, Weddings and Commerical Shoots.  Her work has been shown at several galleries across the country.

Cindy will be helping OVS with Omaha events.

Michelle Mahoney

Michelle Mahoney Michelle supports the philanthropic initiatives of OVS by working closely with donors, including the facilitation of gifts of stock. Michelle provides wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners at Captrust.

Eleanor Sweet McDonnell

Eleanor is an executive coach willing to help our veterans get ready for job interviews and career transitions. She is offering her job search books and training expertise to OVS.

Eleanor is the Village President of North Barrington, and CEO of the Remington Group. A graduate of Boston College, Eleanor is a mother of 2 children, and author of 5 books, She credits her interest in helping veterans to the influence of her father, who was Navy ROTC.

Connie McElfresh

Connie McElfresh is a senior Hr executive with broad talent base and skill set in the C suite space.  Wife to an Air Force veteran, she has  been a Blue Star mom simultaneously with a son in the army and daughter in the Navy, managing their deployments and assisting  others serving alongside her family. Connie knows the  need for support and assistance for active duty military, but also  for the vets. Her strong sense of  support carries into her  role as a volunteer Team member for OVS.  OVS hopes she can recruit her veterans to join us.

Anna Puleo McGowan

Anna joins the OVS team to assist in writing grants. She is a middle school science teacher and tutor for the Chicago Public Schools. Anna received a Masters in Health Administration degree from the University of Michigan, and received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. . She is a mom of 3 and married to John McGowan, the OVS treasurer. Her father and grandfathers served in the military. 

Heidi Mihelich

Heidi Mihelich is an Omaha-based freelance graphic designer, art director and educator who loves bringing creative ideas to life through her agency, cre8ivenergy. She has over 30 years of experience in brand identity, publication design and visual communication; and collaborates with local organizations and institutions to deliver compelling visual strategies and meaningful layouts.

Heidi will be helping OVA with Omaha-based events

Joanne Mihelich

Joanne Mihelich is an art teacher and floral designer and arranger in Omaha.

Joanne will be helping OVS with Omaha-based events. With her daughter Heidi, she becomes part of the 4th Mother-Daughter pair to join the OVS volunteer team

Marca Mucha

Marca is helping to launch the Michigan operation of OVS. She is daughter of board member John Mucha, and owns dog grooming and crochet businesses.

Marco Nasca

Marco Nasca is a Milwaukee-area resident and an executive at Lineal Services, a global litigation technology firm that supports corporate legal departments and law firms with litigation, eDiscovery, managed review, and technology-enabled legal operations.

Marco oversees Lineal’s corporate outreach efforts as part of Lineal CARES, the company’s community engagement initiative. Through that work, he has helped focus Lineal’s charitable efforts on supporting local communities, with a significant emphasis on addressing hunger and assisting organizations that provide food, resources, and support to those in need.

Marco’s connection to the veteran community is also personal. His father served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, giving Marco a meaningful respect for the sacrifices made by veterans and their families. He is honored to assist Operation Veteran Success in its mission to support those who have served and to help ensure veterans receive the resources and assistance they deserve. 

Annette Nikolich

Annette is a partner at Setter Holdings LLC. She serves as Board President of the The DEMAR Foundation, and is a 30+ year volunteer in the Barrington community. A graduate of Northwestern University, Annette is excited to work with Operation Veteran Success in serving veterans and veteran families that have given so much in service to our country. Annette will be assisting OVS with fund raising and events.

Not For Profit

Not for Profit is a 13 piece 70s and 80s band known in Chicagoland for playing to assist  others in raising charity dollars. They graciously agreed to play at the OVS FALL fundraiser to assist raising vet dollars.

Jennica Owens

Jennica is a hair stylist, bar tender for the Cubs and Wrigley Events.. Originally from Michigan, this entrepreneur in Chicago her family served in the military. She is married to Nico Vergis , fellow team member and helps with OVS Special Events.

Lisa Petrilli

Lisa is a trusted confidante and elite personal transformation coach to leaders who feel a deep yearning to help save the world. She guides them to discover and complete the Sacred Assignment their soul was born to fulfill, providing them answers they cannot find elsewhere and enabling them to access a profound level of wisdom, power, and purpose that lies dormant within.

A former Fortune 500 executive at Baxter Healthcare and Medline Industries, Lisa led a $750 million global business unit, created the healthcare industry’s only corporate-owned executive leadership institute for hospital CEOs, and served as Head of Customer Events and Experience at Medline and Chief Relationship Officer to 250 mid-market CEOs. After decades of corporate leadership, a transformational spiritual encounter led her to her true calling: guiding accomplished leaders to their soul’s deepest work.

She is author of The Introvert’s Guide to Success in Business and Leadership, co-author of The Character Based Leader, and has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Inc. Magazine. Her most recent book, Life Quest: Your Role in Saving the World Revealed by Jesus, offers a revolutionary spiritual guidebook born from an extraordinary encounter with Jesus, helping readers discover their soul’s sacred mission and become agents of global transformation.

A Kellogg School of Management MBA and speaker to the United Nations, Federal Reserve, and Naval Academy, Lisa bridges corporate excellence with spiritual wisdom. She is a certified executive coach and Blue Star Family member.

Lisa will be helping OVS with special events.

Matthew Reed

Matt will be helping OVS with special events. He is an attorney and HR Consultant Trainer at Seyfarth Shaw @ Work, and also a Senior Consultant in employee relations at Chessboard Consulting, A graduate of Loyola law School and Northwestern University, Matt is a musician and serves as Master of Ceremonies at various events. Matt is a father of two and resides in the Chicago Area.

Deanna Salasek

Deanna is helping with Special Events.

She graduated from Valparaiso University, after which she worked for United Airlines for 44 years.

A former neighbor of Mary and Jay Gerak, Deanna loves to bowl, do crafts, travel, and play with her grandchildren.

Anthony Sandoval

Tony spent his time in the Army operating tanks. Following his service, Tony has identified numerous gaps in veteran assistance and has worked continuously to connect veterans with their entitled benefits. With a history working in WA State veteran programs, as a county Veteran Service Officer, and currently as a Program Specialist in the WDVA, Tony brings a huge amount of experience to the OVS team.

Rusty Schwimmer

Brad Schaeffer

Caroline McKittrick Speranza

Caroline is an attorney and the mother of two daughters. Serving on the Event Committee, she has been helpful in executing various details in support of the Fall 2024 fundraiser, including picking up donations of cake and other goodies from our generous bakery donors.

Maura Sujdak-Fitch

Maura will be helping to organize OVS events. She has 30 years of professional experience working in the health and beauty industry as an esthetician and body worker. A volunteer at the elementary, middle and high schools levels supporting the performing arts, and Booster president, Maura’s diverse background in the health and beauty industry, along with her community involvement, make her an asset to the OVS team. Her experience has equipped her with empathy, compassion, and leadership skills essential for supporting and advocating for veterans in need.

Zaconia Turner

Zaconia Turner serves with the Nevada Department of Veterans Services as Veterans Healthcare Champions Program Manager for the State of Nevada. She performs outreach and education to care providers surrounding the unique healthcare needs of those who have served in the U.S. military. She works to raise awareness to care providers on the importance of asking patients if they’ve ever served in the U.S. military because identifying veterans can lead to better healthcare outcomes. Additionally, Zaconia provides care providers with information on military-connected exposures. She works in partnerships with the Perry Foundation, AARP, and other non-profit and partnering organizations to offer training and workshops on military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress, and Parkinson’s Disease along with other program initiatives to veterans, spouses of veterans, caregivers, healthcare administrators and military community.

Carolyn Van Driesen and Kevin James

Pictured here with friend of 44 years, OVS President Jay Gerak, Carolyn and Kevin co-own Department of Production, where they produce professional videography. They donated their time and talent to make OVS’ first public service announcement to seek additional sources of funding and donations.

Richard Wayrynen

Richard served in the U.S. Army for 26 years. He is married to board member Ruth Wayrynen.
Richard joined the U.S. Army in 1990 during Operation Desert Shield.

In 1991, he graduated as Blackhawk helicopter mechanic. His first duty station was at Schofield Barracks, HI in 25th Infantry Division

After active duty Richard moved back to Nevada and joined Army National Guard was trained as a medevac crewchief. He retired from the Nevada Army National Guard in 2016

Andrea Wells

Andie was active duty Navy 2010-2014 as an aviation electrician attached to VAQ-133 out of Whidbey Island, Washington. She deployed twice onboard the USS John C. Stennis CVN 74 to the Persian Gulf and Northern Arabian Sea in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. After service, Andie attended DePaul where she earned a BS in Business Management with emphasis in Human Relations management. She has since worked in HR with a federal contractor in Arizona, dipped her toes in the cannabis industry after learning how much it benefits Veterans with PTSD, and performed operations support with a manufacturing company in Crystal Lake. Andie spends her free time in the woods with her dog, Grace, hanging with her family, cooking and baking, or planning her next road trip! She will be helping OVS with events.

Max Younger

Max Younger is a veteran of the US Army. He has joined our team at our Oklahoma chapter. Max is the son of Board members Phil Tucker and Kate Weaver Tucker. He led a fundraiser for OVS on his birthday. During his service he was a military escort for the remains of deceased US service members. These days, Max is a welder and a father.