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Executive Board Chairman - Denver F. Mills
Mr. Mills works in Concord, CA and has worked
professionally in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center Program
with veterans for over 20 years specializing in the treatment post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans. He served with the U.S.
Navy as an advisor to small boat operations with the Vietnamese Navy in
1969 and 1970. He is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Santa Barbara and
Newport University he holds advanced degrees in Social Psychology
and Psychology. Prior to his current position he served as the
founding director in Santa Barbara of a federal veteran counseling program.
Director - Jerry Yahiro
Mr. Yahiro was born in Wailuku, Hawaii. He is a graduate of Seattle
University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He served
in the US Army from 1967 to 1969. He served a tour in Vietnam in
1967 to 1968 as a Mortar Platoon Leader with the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry,
4th Infantry Division. He has been with the East Bay Stand Down since
1998 and as Director since 1999. Jerry is an avid fisherman and has won
awards for bill fish contests. He is retired from SBC and lives
with Patty in their beautiful home in Danville, CA.
Assistant Director for Program - Jason Deitch
Assistant Director for Logistics - Mike Weber
Mr. Weber is a Realtor in Danville. He went to
Central Washington State College where graduated with a Bachelors in Business
Administration. He served in the U.S. Army as a medic with the 1st
Medical Company in Pleiku. Mike as worked with EBSD since its beginning,
and has also worked with Central Valley Stand Down. Mike contributes
to his community in many ways including special programs for hospitalized
veterans at the Livermore Division of the Palo Alto VA Hospitals, and
in Operation Wheel Chair, delivering wheel chairs to third world countries.
Skip Benz
Mr. Benz has been in the Merchant Card Services Industry for over a dozen years and has just recently brought a “Donation Now” button to the Stand Down web site through NPC Merchant Services. He served two tours of duty in Southeast Asia and the Far East in the Air Force as a Jet Engine Mechanic on F105 & F4 Fighter Planes. He became involved with EBSD 2000 and became a member of the executive board thereafter spearheading Recovery Services. Being a San Francisco Bay Area native Skip has seen the incredible wealth of community spirit and giving that help make events like these incredibly successful. Mr. Benz has served Stand Down for over a decade.
Martin De Venuta
Marty De Venuta is an Accountant with a major financial institution in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has over 35 years experience as an Accountant. Marty enlisted in September 1966 in the U.S. Air Force and was an Administrative Specialist. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-5) in December 1969 and was discharged in June 1970. His overseas assignments included Mactan Island, Philippines (1967-1968), 2 temporary duty tours at Ton Son Nhut Airbase, Vietnam (1967 & 1968) and his final year of service was with Bomber Operations at U-Tapao Royal Thai Airfield in Thailand (1969-1970). Marty is a member of various veteran organizations. He began working with the East Bay Stand Down back in 2004. Marty is currently the CFO/Treasurer of the Diablo Valley Veterans Foundation and has served as an Officer and Director on local chapters of professional accounting and tax organizations.
Barbara Droher-Kline
Barbara Dröher Kline is a Financial Representative for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. She also has 30 years of experience as a social worker, working with people with disabilities. She also has fundraising experience from work in the non-profit sector. She has a huge heart for supporting our returning veterans and is focusing on bringing awareness about the East Bay Stand Down to churches. She is focusing on raising funds, recruiting volunteers and coordinating the Equine Therapy component for this year's Stand Down. She holds degrees from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and an MSW from San Francisco State University.
George Gibbs
Mr. Gibbs has recently retired from the Comprehensive Homeless Center of San Francisco,
California. George has spent six years in positions administering Readjustment
Counseling in Bay Area Vet Centers for combat Viet Nam Veterans.
On the front lines of homelessness, George has provided outreach, group, life skills
and supportive counseling to those veterans on the street and in or recently released
from prison. He has been involved with San Francisco's Mayor's
Veterans Advisory Commission for many years. George also served eight years on the Haight-Ashbury Food Program Board of Directors.
Dan Helix
Dan Helix retired as a major general in 1989, after a 41-year career in both active
and reserve components of the U. S. Army. He is a member of the U.S. Army's Infantry
Hall of Fame located at Fort Benning, Georgia, authorized to wear the Secretary of
Defense Identification Badge, and the parachutist badge which he earned at the age
of 50. General Helix has served as Mayor and Councilman of the City of Concord,
California, and was a Director of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District. He is a published
author of a novel set in the Korean War era and has several published articles and short
stories that have been published in military journals. He is a past president of the
Rotary Club of Concord.
D. Ronald Hyde
The Honorable Judge Hyde served as Judge of the Superior Court for five years,
subsequent to being Presiding Judge at the Livermore-Pleasanton-Dublin
Municipal Court for fourteen years, and in Private Practice in the Livermore-Amador
Valley with a specialization in Family Law. He implemented and coordinated a
Multi-Jurisdictional "Homeless Court " at East Bay Stand Down 2000, the first of its
kind in the state. He holds degrees from St. Mary's College, Moraga, California, in
biochemistry and from Golden Gate University Law School, JD. He is now retired and lives
with his beautiful wife in Pleasanton and in Mexico.
Nathan Johnson
Nathan previously was a part of the Vet Center team as a GWOT Outreach Coordinator, an opportunity to interact with the military and veteran community in the East Bay region of California. Nathan conducted professional presentations at demobilization briefings for service-members returning from the Global War on Terrorism. Nathan also interacts with various Veteran and Congressional organizations as a liaison to the D.V.A. and to inform officials on information regarding Vet Center and other VA programs. Additionally, Nathan continued a program at community colleges, universities, and local law enforcement agencies that allows the opportunity to interact with Veterans and their families. Nathan eventually worked as a Readjustment Counselor providing both individual and group therapy for combat Veterans and their family members. Nathan currently serves as the Contra Costa County Veterans Service Officer.
Ronald Lowe
Major General Ron Lowe was commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer in 1966, serving in Europe and Vietnam. He left active duty as a Captain in 1970, subsequently serving in the Army Reserve. General Lowe assumed command of the 351st Civil Affairs Command and was promoted to Brigadier General in 1988. He served as the Deputy Director of Army Communications and Information Systems (G-6) at the Pentagon from 1992-1996 and as the Deputy Commander of Eighth Army in Korea from 1997-2000. In May 2000, he was recalled to active duty to serve as the Chief of Staff of the United States Pacific Command in Honolulu, Hawaii. He retired from the Army after 38 years of service in July 2004.
General Lowe retired from AT&T in 1997 where he served as the Executive Director of General Contracting. He worked as a Senior Consultant for KPMG in Europe from 1998 until 2000.
Cindy Pieslak
Laura Rigney
Mrs. Rigney holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from Saint Mary's College in Moraga. Laura began as a volunteer with stand down in the transportation portion of the event during her tenure as General Manager with Durham School Services. That role allowed Laura to provide more than simply a ride to and from the Stand Down for the participants, it allowed her to personally interact with veterans and assist them in receiving the appropriate services. Laura's volunteerism has lead her to work with Special Olympics in fundraising events, regional and state sporting events and coordinating event transportation for the athletes.
Capt. Tara Vaughn
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