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Staff

Charlie Hall

President

To see Charlie Hall’s Official UWS bio, click here.

Degree: Bachelor of Science; Environmental Science
School: United States Military Academy at West Point
Military Service: U.S. Army 1996-2002, U.S. Marine Corps 2002-Present
Deployments: Iraq from 2004 to 2005
Other Experience: Harper Construction 2006-2009, USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment 2009-2014
Dream Dinner Guest: C.S. Lewis

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Theresa Thompson

Chief Operating Officer

Degree: M.Ed. Community Agency Counseling
School:  Clemson University
Professional Affiliations: Commissioner-Greenville County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Leadership Greenville Class #44 Graduate

Licenses or Certifications: Nationally Certified Counselor #80400
First Responder Service: Police Officer- Greenville Police Department, 1997-2013
Favorite Quote: “In Valor there is hope.” – Tacitus

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Nate Moore

Director of Programs

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
School: Southern Wesleyan University
Professional Affiliations: Upstate Veteran Business Network
Military Service: U.S. Marine Corps, 2005-2012
Deployments: Iraq and Afghanistan
Other Experience: Mission Continues Fellow, Leadership Simpsonville, Opportunity Greenville, Military Order of the Purple Heart
Dream Dinner Guest: My Granddad, WWII Army veteran

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James Mulak

Director of Warrior Advocacy

Degree: Bachelor of Social Work & Master of Social Work
School: Limestone University and Boise State University
Military Service: U.S. Marine Corps from 2001-09
Deployments: Iraq in 2003, 2004, and 2005
Other Experience: The Mission Continues Fellowship
Dream Dinner Guest:  My Father

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Elisabeth Schatke

Director of Development

Degree: Bachelor of Science, Sustainability Sciences; Bachelor of Science, Urban Studies; Pursuing Master of Science, Nonprofit Administration
School: Furman University and Louisiana State University
Professional Affiliations: Member of The Rotary Club of Greenville; Member of Habitat for Humanity’s Greenville Young Professionals;
Board Member of Friends of the Reedy River
Other Experience: AmeriCorps VISTA with United Way of Greenville County
Favorite Quote: “You never fail until you stop trying.” – Albert Einstein

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Catherine Pelicano

Director of Marketing & Communications

Degree: Bachelor of Science | Mass Communications

School: Greenville Technical College & USC Upstate

Professional Affiliations: Rotary Club of Greenville

Special Training or Experience: AmeriCorps VISTA, 2019-2020

Favorite Quote: “Never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill

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Lauren O’Dell

Spartanburg Warrior Advocate

Degree: Associates in Arts; Early Childhood Electives
School: Spartanburg Community College and USC Upstate
Professional Affiliations: Spartanburg Community Action Board, Homeless Taskforce, Behavioral Health Taskforce, Safety Net Member
Licenses or Certifications: Suicide Intervention/Prevention, Mental Health First Aid
Favorite Quote: “Thy will be done.”

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Serge McAvoy

Greenville Warrior Advocate

Degree: Bachelors in Psychology

School: Columbia College

Military/First Responder experience: U.S. Army, 1998-2019 | Five combat deployments in GWOT Campaign

Other relevant internships, fellowships, or work experience: Substitute teacher for Greenville County School District

Dream dinner guest: Gary Sinise or George W. Bush

 

 

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Joshua Colburn

Anderson Warrior Advocate

Degree: Bachelor of Arts Arabic Language and Culture

School: California University of Pennsylvania

Military experience: U.S. Army, 1999-2022 | Infantryman in the special operations community

Favorite quote: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right” –Henry Ford

Dream dinner guest: George Washington

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Tim Conrad

Pickens & Oconee Warrior Advocate

Jonathan Keever

Justice Involved Veteran Outreach (JIVO) Program Manager

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
School: University of South Carolina Upstate
Military Service: U.S. Marine Corps from 2006-2010
Law Enforcement: State Probation 2018-2023
Dream Dinner Guest: My Father

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Shannon Sports

Employment Program Manager

Professional Affiliations: Greenville Society for Human Resource Management (GSHRM)

Military Service: SC Army National Guard, 25 years

First Responder Service: Firefighter

Other Experience: UWS Fellowship Graduate, 2019

Dream Dinner Guest: Gary Sinise

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Jack Sterling

Veteran Entrepreneur Program Coordinator

Degree: BA History, MBA Analytics

School: Rhodes College (2008) & Clemson University (2020)

Professional affiliations: PNC, SEAL Future Foundation

Licenses or certifications: Master Training Specialist, service dog handler

Military experience: U.S. Navy, 2009-2017 | Enlisted SEAL

Special training or experience: Security awareness training practitioner, business technology consultant

Favorite quote: “When you pray, move your feet”; “The only easy day was yesterday.”

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Sandra Drake

Office Manager

Degree: Bachelor of Science; Business/Healthcare Management

School:  Brown Mackie & Penn Foster

Military Service: Spouse of Retired USMC (22yrs service)

Favorite Quote: “Let all you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14 NKJV)

 

 

 

 

 

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Lindsay Escher

RHVC Operations Manager

Degree: Criminal Justice
School: CCAF & SUNY Buffalo State
Professional Affiliations: USAF Sergeants Association, Korn Ferry Leadership Course
Military Service: 20 years (Ret.) U.S. Air Force Security Forces
Deployments: Kyrgyzstan; Afghanistan; Al Dhafra
First Responder Service: 5 years, Law Enforcement Officer
Favorite Quote: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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Virginia Barnes

Family Services Program Manager

Degree: Bachelor of Science; Sales and Meeting Management
School: Johnson and Wales University
Professional Affiliations: NAMI, Mentor with JUMPSTART (Transforming the lives of prisoners from the inside out), and Victim’s Advocate with Julie Valentine Center.
Licenses & Certifications: VSP (Victims Survivor Course) SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Licensure in Progress; NAMI Teacher Certification Family to Family; Justice for Vets Training Certificate; Mental Health First Aid Certification; Certificates in Home Inspection, OSHA and English as a Second Language
Other Experience: Started with UWS as a Volunteer in 2018, Case Management in Corporate Law
Favorite Quote: “It’s the notion of being part of something bigger than yourself and of making the people around you better,” she said. “In our daily struggles to advance within an organization, we sometimes forget that it’s actually more about the organization and the people that are around us.  And to make them better makes the organization better.” – General Lori Robinson, a Servant Leader

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Russell Thompson

First Responder Program Manager

Military Experience: U.S. Navy (Ret.) – Active: 1994-1998; Reserve: 2001-2018

First Responder Experience: South Carolina Highway Patrol (Ret.) 1999-2023

Favorite Quote: “When you feel like quitting think about why you started.”

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Seana McPherson

Donor Relations Manager

Degree: BS in Business Administration, Marketing/Management

School: University of South Carolina

Favorite Quote: “People will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

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Rose Simpson

SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Program Data Manager

Pat Devine

Spiritual Support Program Volunteer

Degree: Master of Divinity

School: University of Idaho; Biblical Theological Seminary

Professional Affiliations: Evangelical Church Alliance

Military Service: U.S. Army (Ret.), Chaplain

Favorite Quote: “Let the greatest among you become as the least, and the leader as one who serves.” – Luke 22:26

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Jerry Nalley

Warrior Intake Specialist

Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration
School: Furman University
Professional Affiliations: Materials Management Society of the American Hospital Association
Military Service: U.S. Air Force 1967-1971
Deployments: Goose Bay AFB, Labrador, 1967-1971
Other Experience: Supply Chain Management and Procurement in Industry and Healthcare
Favorite Quote: “Don’t take yourself too seriously.”

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Charlotte Edwardson

Community Engagement Coordinator

Degree: Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

School: Saint Leo University

Professional Affiliations: National Verbatim Reporters Association

Licenses or Certifications: Certified Verbatim Reporter (CVR)

Military Service: U.S. Marine Corps, 2005-2017

Other Experience: U.S. Marine Corps Family Program Lead for the 2019-2022 Warrior Games and the 2020 Invictus Games.

Favorite Quote: “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:3

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Jimmy Pregel

JIVO Program Coordinator

John Kiehl

Employment Program Coordinator

Ryan Mosher

Recreation Program Coordinator

Vera Petronis

Executive & Administrative Assistant

Degree: Bachelor of Arts; Theatre/Literature

School: Point Loma Nazarene University

Licenses or Certifications: California secondary level teaching credential and ESL certification

Military Service: Wife of a U.S. Navy veteran

Other Experience: Church youth group leader, teacher, administrator and movie reviewer

Dream Dinner Guest: G.K. Chesterton

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Nica Carson

Anderson County Warrior Advocate Coordinator

Degree: B.S. Physician Assisting (MUSC), B.S. Psychology, & B.A. Biology (OBU)

College: MUSC & Ouachita Baptist University

Professional Affiliations: Military Officers Association of America

Licenses: Physician Assistant (lapsed)

Military & First Responder Service: CPT, MSC, Army National Guard (AR, VT, and SC) / EMT-P Dorchester County

Other Relevant Experience: Daughters of the Revolution | Chaplain

 

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Abigail Bennett

Greenville County Warrior Advocate Coordinator

Degree: Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Masters of Social Work (2025)

School: Grand Canyon University

Military/First Responder Experience: South Carolina Army National Guard

Dream Dinner Guest: Taylor Swift

 

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Shameka McClung

RHVC Guest Relations Associate

Tasha Forshee

RHVC Guest Relations Associate

Degree: Bachelors in Elementary Education

School: Converse College

Military/First Responder experience: Spouse of a 21-year Army retiree.

Other relevant experience: Served as the FRG (Family Readiness Group) leader during my husband’s years in the Army. I started as platoon leader and moved to company leader and eventually battalion leader. I attended many training sessions of FRG protocol. I also made sure that all of my spouses felt important, connected, and heard.

Dream dinner guest: My grandmother, Barbara Pangle.

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Kelly Burgess

UWS/Phoenix Center Liaison

School: DeSales University, Southern New Hampshire University, Liberty University. 
Military Service: Marine Corps 
Deployments: Afghanistan – 2010 
Dream Dinner Guest: Bea Arthur 

 

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