2012 was an amazing year for Operation Ward 57. As a result our board structure and directors commitments have had to expand as well. After going back to active duty, our Board of Directors President, Michael Moore, stepped down in September 2012. Additionally, co-founder and Secretary Scott Cameron, was resigned in September in order to focus on personal and health related matters. On behalf of the organization we wish them both well. The remaining board immediately began to recruit new members to fill the vacant officers positions as well as to increase the number of general serving board members. In November 2012 a new restructured board took over operations. It is my pleasure to introduce you to our new board. Please take a moment to read their bios and learn more about them. As you can see we have a very passionate and diverse board and as the Executive Director I look forward to working with all of them in 2013. – Brittney Hamilton
Jason Perry
President
Jason Perry is an Attorney and advocate for disabled military Service members and Veterans. His military service as a Captain in the US Army JAG Corps included representing hundreds of Soldiers at the Physical Evaluation Board in San Antonio, TX. His service began in 1992, when he enlisted as an infantryman in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. He was later commissioned through Officer Candidate School and served in a variety of positions, including as a Platoon Leader, Motor Officer, Executive Officer, and Company Commander. He was mobilized from February 2002 through May 2003, and served at Ft. Bragg, NC, as Commander of the 1166th Transportation Company, 7th Trans Bn, 507th Corps Support Group. In June 2003, he accepted a direct commission in the JAG Corps. After leaving the Army in 2007, he established the Physical Evaluation Board Forum, www.pebforum.com to help educate members on the laws, regulations, and policies governing the military disability evaluation system.
Doug Cox
Vice President
Doug Cox is the owner/operator of posterGIANT, a guerrilla marketing firm based out of Seattle. He was responsible for the creation, dissemination and sales of the silk-screened posters for Suburban Noize Records, 2007 & 2008 “Strange Noize” summer tours that benefited Operation Ward 57, which came about as a natural outgrowth of his time in the music industry, appreciation of poster art and — most importantly — his respect for the selflessness of the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way for their country.
Erick Schmidt
Treasurer
Erick Schmidt joined the US Army in 1993 at the age of 19. He served overseas and throughout the US. On a deployment to the Middle East in 1998 he broke his back protecting a Soldier from being crushed during a sand storm, which led to his early exit of the Military in Dec 1999. Since moving to WA State, he started working at the Veterans Hospital and has received a Commendation from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for deploying to aid in Hurricane relief.
Edmund Murphy
Secretary
Edmund Murphy, CEO, is the CEO of Perfect By Perfect Dry, LLC. As CEO, Edmund believes people are the most valuable resource within the military and civilian industries. Edmund received his commission through ROTC at the University of West Fla., where upon he entered service as a Naval Flight Officer. Edmund received his Master Degrees from USC and the Medical University of South Carolina. As a senior manager for such companies as Phoenix Technologies Limited, AOL/Tegic, and Microsoft, Edmund has successfully brought a facet of skills and talents to dynamic environments. Edmund has served in the United States Navy and has held various positions to include Chief Staff Officer of several commands. Edmund is an advisory board member of CIGA, a performance silk shoe company. As a new member of the Operation Ward 57 Board, Edmund is looking forward to working with his colleagues in serving our men and women of the US Armed forces.
Traci Williams
Master Sergeant Traci Williams joined the Army in 1990 and has been deployed 4 times to include Iraq and Afghanistan and has been both active duty and a Reservist. After missing her favorite football team (the Seattle Seahawks) during a deployment to Kosovo, she helped start a fan club to reach out to those military members deployed and living abroad that are also hard core Seahawk fans. She currently is assigned to the 364th MSE, Ft. Lawton, Washington, and still assists the Seattle Seahawks as their Military Liaison.
Jason Ely
Jason Ely is a well-rounded professional with a background in business strategy, financial analysis, fraud examination, law, and human behavior. He holds professional designations as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, and Certified DOD Auditor. Jason is a founding member of Task Force Awesome, a small group that participates in various events to raise funds and awareness for the needs of wounded veterans. Earlier this year, Jason completed a 12-hour, 20-mile military simulation with a backpack filled with bricks, each marked with the name of a lost or wounded veteran. It has been said that “Jason Ely is the epitome of a supporter of our Military Community.”
Amanda Sullivan
Serving Military and Veterans for the past 6 years, Amanda is the founder and operator of the highly recognized outreach Operation Christmas Cards (OCC). Since its inception, 3 years ago, over 500,000 cards from the US and multiple countries have been sent to troops serving overseas during the Christmas holiday to lift their spirits. OCC is a program of the multifaceted non-profit organization the New England Dream Center (NEDC) based out of Worcester, MA. Now with OCC, Amanda is responsible for establishing Valiant Veterans, the NEDC Veterans initiatives, which will encompass programs for work force training in culinary arts, hospitality and property management, PTSD support and a resource center for veterans and families.
This information can also be found on our website at https://www.operationward57.org/about/board-directors/
