The Cape and Islands
Veterans Outreach Center
Our mission is to provide comprehensive life sustaining services for veterans and their families.
Thanks to the continued generosity of our supporters, the Outreach Center is a robust and resourceful organization with the professional capacity to continue serving the veterans of the future.
What We Do
Providing Help & Supportive Services to Veterans & Their Families
We continue to strive for an innovative and integrated program of essential services which evolves as the needs of each new generation of veterans emerges.
Donate today to assist us in preserving and expanding our reach to Cape Cod veterans in need with programs that may save their lives.
Our Team
Cape & Islands Veterans Team
Jim Seymour, US Navy Veteran
Executive Director
Jim Seymour, US Navy Veteran
Executive Director
Mr. Seymour has devoted the majority of life to the service of others, beginning as the Associate Pastor at various parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Boston. During those years, he was also the Chaplain for various Police, Fire and Emergency Services agencies throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. His devotion to his fellow man led him to serve eight years as a Navy Chaplain in the US Naval Reserve, filling a wide range of assignments to various Naval and Marine Corps commands. During his service, he also attained the rank of Naval Lieutenant.
After leaving both the navy and the priesthood, Mr. Seymour invested 13 years working as a key member of the Human Resources leadership team at Cape Cod Healthcare. During his tenure at CCHC, Mr. Seymour was recognized as a leader among executives in healthcare management by becoming a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).
Prior to taking on the leadership role at the Cape and Islands Veterans Resource Center, Mr. Seymour was an Adjunct Professor with New England College of Business specializing in the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programs in Quality Systems Management. He also
served on the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center Board of Directors for three and a half years prior to assuming his new leadership position.
Mr. Seymour holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Suffolk University, and Master of Divinity from Saint John’s Seminary, as well as a Master of Healthcare Administration from Cambridge College.
Jim lives with his wife of ten years, Kristen, and his daughter Emily, in South Yarmouth.
Dan Hoben, US Navy Veteran
Operations Manager
Dan Hoben, US Navy Veteran
Operations Manager
Dan is an eight-year veteran of the United States Navy, where he served honorably as a Master-at-Arms. His duties took him first to Washington State, where he was assigned to Marine Corps Security Force Battalion – Bangor, with the duty of safeguarding the nation’s largest strategic nuclear weapon storage site. Following four years in the pacific northwest, Dan was assigned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hawaii-Hickam where he performed the duties of Patrol Officer, and later assumed management of the base Auxiliary Security Force Program. Dan is a motivated, team-player who has led a highly qualified, multidisciplinary team across a variety of high-risk/no-fail missions. He brings a balanced approach to leadership, understanding that it takes time and patience to establish and maintain a high-performance team.
Brian Weiner
Development Manager
Brian Weiner
Development Manager
Brian Weiner has been actively engaged in the business of philanthropy for most of his career.
After many years spent principally in support of various charitable organizations as a board member, Mr. Weiner created The One to One Group, which specialized in blending the power of variable data publishing and directed communications with skillful applications of design and messaging…all in support of the non-profit and philanthropic communities. At its peak, the company served well over 150 national and regional charities, including 17 Feeding America Food Banks, from one of its three offices in Sarasota, Florida; Raleigh, NC; and Boston, MA. Since 2003, Mr. Weiner has raised more than $350 million for the clients he has served.
The One to One Group was a PODi Best Practices Award Winner in the Small Business Category, and a Fundraising Success Gold Award Winner, for its work with The Out-of-Door Academy. Mr. Weiner sold the company in 2013 to his minority partners and retired from the business in 2016.
Mr. Weiner has been married to his wife, Kathleen, for 34 years. (Kathleen is the Chief Development Officer of Outer Cape Health Services). They have three daughters, Dr. Sara Valente, Rachel Collins, and Dr. Alison Manikowski.
Dr. David Mishkin
Counselor
Dr. David Mishkin
Counselor
- BA in Psychology, Clark University; MA in Psychology, Boston University, PhD in Neuropsychology, Boston University
- Greater than 30 year career as neuropsychologist and life coach
- Alternates between traditional counseling and mindfulness training offering a selection of modalities depending upon client preference and effectiveness of approach
Becky Bergeron
Housing Case Manager
Becky Bergeron
Housing Case Manager
Becky Bergeron our housing case manager at CIVOC and started working at the agency in August 2021. Becky is a licensed social worker (LCSW) who comes to CIVOC after 13 years of working with children and families. She completed her bachelor’s degree in social work at Providence College and her master’s degree in social work at Boston College.
Becky completed her undergraduate internships and one graduate internship in the field of adoption; her second graduate internship was as an adjustment counselor in a middle school. After graduating from Providence College, Becky worked as a Therapeutic Mentor at Child and Family Services on the Cape where she assisted children with mental and behavioral health challenges with learning various skill sets, such as social skills and healthy coping skills. Upon completion of graduate school, Becky worked at Justice Resource Institute for seven years as an Intensive Care Coordinator. Becky engaged with the families of children who had mental and behavioral health difficulties and worked with them to develop a team of providers to support them and their child, while also providing support herself. Becky was the weekly point person for the providers and families in all her clients’ teams and ran monthly care plan meetings to ensure that everyone was on the same page and that the clients were receiving the care that they needed. While at JRI, Becky also helped co-facilitate a Christmas drive for three years to gather gifts for the teens receiving services through the agency who were not eligible due to their age to receive gifts from Toys For Tots.
Becky made the shift away from working with children and families during the Covid-19 pandemic and decided to try serving a new population. Working with veterans and housing is a new experience for Becky, but she hit the ground running.
In her free time, Becky enjoys baking, seeing live theater, and playing the flute and saxophone.
Barbara-Anne Foley
Outreach & Programs Manager
Barbara-Anne Foley
Outreach & Programs Manager
Barbara-Anne Foley holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Family Counseling from Quinnipiac University. She has dedicated over 30 years of her career working in healthcare, 18 of which were spent as the Director of the Council on Aging for the Town of Harwich. In that role, she was responsible for providing programs and services to fulfill the health, educational, social, financial, recreational, outreach, food, and transportation needs of a growing elderly population in a safe, friendly, and comfortable environment.
Additionally, Ms. Foley is the Co-Director of the Holy Trinity Church Religious Education Program. In that role, she has worked with many homeless Veterans through her Youth Group’s work with the “Street Reach Program”, St. Clare’s Sober House, CHAMP House, and St, Joseph’s Shelter in Hyannis. This program takes introduces students to a range of ways in which they can make a difference in the lives of others.
Ms. Foley’s expertise in working with community and state service providers, collaborators and outreach organizations has allowed her to provide vital resources and activity programming necessary to meet the needs of new and already established veterans.
Ms. Foley has been married to her husband John for 35 years. They have 2 adult sons, and 2 grandchildren.
MaryRose Hovestadt
Administrative Assistant
MaryRose Hovestadt
Administrative Assistant
Experienced Executive Administrative Assistant with a demonstrated history of working with Non-profit Organizations. Strong Administrative Office Skills. Excellent Customer Service. Database Management. Bookkeeping, Payroll, Food Pantry Volunteer Coordinator, Food Purchasing and Receiving Representative, Demographics Management.
Lt Col Dwayne Turmelle, USAF, (Retired)
SSVF Program Coordinator
Lt Col Dwayne Turmelle, USAF, (Retired)
SSVF Program Coordinator
- BA, Political Science, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; MA, Human Resources Management, Webster University; scheduled to receive MPA, Suffolk University
- 21 years service in the United States Air Force, 5 year employee of the organization as Housing and Homelessness Prevention Manager, and employed for the last 4 years by the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center as the Cape & Islands SSVF Program Coordinator
- Offering a high level of expertise and compassion in the implementation of the homelessness prevention program, accessing the resources of multiple collaborators to ensure the success of his veteran clients and their families.
Aidan Ryan, US Air Force Veteran
Operations Support Specialist
Aidan Ryan, US Air Force Veteran
Operations Support Specialist
Aidan is a 6-year veteran of the Air Force where he served honorably as a Medical Technician. His military career took him first to Ghazni, Afghanistan for 10 months where he performed trauma care duties, directly supporting multi-branch combat teams. Following that deployment he returned to Travis, AFB for one year before deploying again, this time to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. During his second deployment, supporting OEF and Freedom Sentinel, Aidan worked in emergency care at Craig Joint Theatre Hospital for six months. Aidan has worked closely with a diverse group of multi-national agencies and highly mobile combat teams across multiple deployments and has a proven strong desire to help his fellow veterans, whether directly on the battlefield or on here at home.
Aidan has family in New Hampshire and has previously studied at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, but hopes to pursue a career in music.
LtCol Michael Dunford, USMC, (Retired)
President
LtCol Michael Dunford, USMC, (Retired)
President
Lt Colonel Mike Dunford is a retired Marine Corps Reserve Officer, a combat veteran of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon, and a veteran of both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Mike is currently a Leadership and Human Resources Consultant and principal of the Dunford Consulting Group. He had previously served as the Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Covidien, an $11B global medical device company.
In addition to his consultancy, Mike works as a veteran advocate with a focus on employment and homelessness. In 2017 Mike joined FourBlock (www.fourblock.org), a semester-based veteran career readiness program that provides the professional development, career exploration, and network access that today’s generation of veterans needs to be competitive for great careers.
Mike serves as an advisor and member of several boards to include Bon Secours Mercy Health in Cincinnati, Edge4Vets (www.edge4vets.com) , the Greater Boston Veterans Collaborative (www.collaborate.vet) leading the employment work group; as the Co-Chair of the FourBlock National Leadership Council; as the Co-Chair of the Executive Committee for the Boston College Veterans Alumni Network; as a member of the Red White & Blue Alliance at Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program for veterans (www.homebase.org); and as an event organizer for the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.
Mike received his Bachelor of Science from Boston College, and his Masters of Science, in Human Resources Management from Lesley University and currently serves as the President of the Board for the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center.
Col Robert Kilmartin, USMC, (Retired)
Vice President
Robert Kilmartin
Vice President
Bob Kilmartin enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve at age 17 in 1976, and served in active duty or reserve billets for the next 34 years. Bob graduated from the University of Mass (Lowell) in 1980, and Villanova University Law School in 1983. He served in numerous active duty billets including trial counsel; chief defense counsel; military judge; and Director of Legal Assistance at MCB Camp Pendleton. He deployed to Iraq with the 15th MEU from 2004 – 2005 as liaison officer. Bob’s last active duty assignment was as Prosecution team chief at the Office of Military Commissions, responsible for prosecuting the terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He retired from the USMCR as a Colonel in 2010.
Bob’s civilian career included service as an Assistant Attorney General (MA) from 1987-1991; Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2002-2011; DOD department counsel and Administrative Judge at the DOD, Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals from 2011 – 2019. Bob recently retired and relocated to Cape Cod with his wife. They have two grown children.
William Blaisdell, US Army Veteran
Treasurer
William Blaisdell, US Army Veteran
Treasurer
Mr. Blaisdell is a semi-retired telecommunications executive with domestic and international business experience. A resident of Mashpee, he was a long-standing member of the New Seabury Board of Managers, retiring from that role in 2020 after 12 years of service. He is currently a member of the Mashpee Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and serves as the board’s Vice Chair.
Mr. Blaisdell is a veteran of the United States Army and served as a Combat Medic and Operating Room Specialist in Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. He has been a member of the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center (CIVOC) since 2015, and currently serves on the Executive Board as its Treasurer. In that role, he is committed to preserving the financial integrity of the organization so that we can accomplish our mission of providing the necessary services to our veterans and their families, today and in the years to come.
Lt Col Dwayne Turmelle, USAF, (Retired)
Secretary
Lt Col Dwayne Turmelle, USAF, (Retired)
Secretary
Lt Colonel Dwayne Turmelle received his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1983. He served on active duty from 1983-2004 in various capacities, most notably as the Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, Titan II and Peacekeeper Nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Combat Crew Commander, Chief, ICBM Operational Test and Evaluation, and Commander, Detachment 475, at the University of New Hampshire. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Additionally, in 1996 he earned an MA in Human Resource Management from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, and he is matriculating towards an MPA from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Members at Large
Brig Gen Jimmy Dishner, USAF, (Retired)
Brig Gen Jimmy Dishner, USAF, (Retired)
B/General, USAF, retired in 2003 after serving 41 years in the active, reserve and senior executive service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Installations in the United States Air Force. His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Presidential Meritorious Executive Service Award. He is a graduate of the Citadel, and Texas A&M, and holds an Honorary Doctor of Public Administration from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He serves as a director of the Lower Cape Outreach Council, and the Cape Cod Council of Churches, and has given four years of service to the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center as a member-at-large on its Board of Directors. For decades following his retirement, and continuing to the present, General Dishner has given unselfishly of his time in support of veterans, and is passionately committed to continuing his service to veterans of all generations.
Robert Cyrklis, US Marine Corps Veteran
Robert Cyrklis, US Marine Corps Veteran
Bob has a Bachelor of Science degree from Suffolk University, Boston, which included a student internship in the Non-Commissioned Officers Association. He served 20 years in the US Marine Corps Reserves with a communications background. Following that service, he worked for one year as a chaplain’s assistant and in disaster preparedness in the MA Air National Guard. His civilian work experience includes 20 years with Verizon, working again in the field of communications in various outside plant technician specialties.
Bob has been a member of the organization for 15 years, and a member-at-large of the Board for 5. During his tenure, he has been an enthusiastic supporter of both the organization and of veterans. His contributions include multiple facility maintenance tasks, all of which he has either completed himself or coordinated and supervised the crew necessary to complete the task. His advocacy for veterans has included outreach to the Union Veterans Council, and frequent dissemination of materials to Joint Base Cape Cod. Finally, he has coordinated the fund raising event held by a local car wash to benefit veterans, and arranged for educational presentations for the membership on second amendment rights as they pertain to veterans. Bob’s passion for the causes of veterans is long-standing and unwavering.
Col Don Lynde, USA, (Retired)
Col Don Lynde, USA, (Retired)
Don is a retired Colonel of the Judge Adjutant General Corp and the US Army. His military and reserve career spans 39 years, and has included both enlisted and officer status. His legal career includes admittance to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1974, admittance to practice law in US District Court in 1975, admittance to practice law in the US Tax Court in 1987, admittance to practice law in the US Court of Military Appeals in 1991, and finally admittance to practice law in the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Court in 2011.
Don also serves on multiple community committees, and was elected as one of our Board of Directors in April, 2016.
LTC William Burke, USA, (Retired)
LTC William Burke, USA, (Retired)
LTC Burke was commissioned a 2nd LT, Corps of Engineers, in June 1969 after graduating from Boston College. During a 21 year career he had numerous assignments culminating as the Engineer for the Berlin Command, Berlin, West Germany. Awards included Legion of Merit. He completed an MBA from Babson College and a Master in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute during his career. Following retirement from the Army in 1990, he was selected as the Public Works Director for the Town of Marshfield MA, where he managed the organization from 1990 to 1995. In 1995 he was selected by the quasi-public agency, Mass Development, to be part of the 200 million dollar project to redevelop the former Fort Devens, where he was promoted to Executive VP for the redevelopment project. As Executive VP for Devens Operations he was responsible for all municipal functions, engineering design and planning for all infrastructure construction and local public relations for the redevelopment. While managing the operation the redevelopment successfully brought 80 new businesses and over 4000 jobs to Devens, culminating with Bristol Myers Squibb Constructing a new drug manufacturing plant after defeating a bid by North Carolina for the plant. Retired in 2008, he now pursues photography, golf and volunteering for many non-profit organizations. He is an active and dedicated Board Member, assisting the staff in a wide variety of ways.
Maj Joseph Taylor, USMC, (Retired)
Maj Joseph Taylor, USMC, (Retired)
Joe Taylor took on the role of Executive Director in July of 2020 after serving on the Board of Directors. A former Marketing Executive for a National Mortgage Company, he is a graduate of Saint Anselm College Class of 1982 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the USMC the same year.
After leaving active duty Joe joined the Reserves and was stationed at NAS South Weymouth. As a member of MWSS-473, the Squadron was activated in support of the Desert Storm and Desert Shield Operations.
Upon leaving the Marines as a Major, he was very active in the Corporate Relocation industry and still is today to a far lesser degree.
As a veteran and resident of Wellfleet Joe is laser focused on accomplishing the mission of the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center and achieving our vision of ending chronic veteran homelessness in our community.
Timothy Williams, US Army Veteran
Timothy Williams, US Army Veteran
The Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center would like to welcome its newest honorary member of our Board of Directors, Mr. Tim Williams.
Tim’s background is construction. Growing up in a construction family and having participated in the building of tower apartments, shopping centers, retail and commercial buildings, as well as historic preservation, Tim has an exceptional amount of experience and construction community contacts to resource and execute complex building projects.
Tim attended St. Lawrence University with an Army ROTC scholarship and was graduated in 1989 with honors. He then served 4 years active duty overseas as a Regular Army officer. After completing active service, he attended law school and graduated in 1996. Tim was admitted into the New Hampshire Bar in the fall of 1996.
Mr. Williams is currently the owner of the Village Marketplace in Hyannis, the new location of CIVOC offices, and was instrumental in CIVOC’s relocation here with the intent of being closer the VA’s Community-Based Outpatient Clinic so that the veteran community would have easier access to both organizations’ services. We are honored to have this distinguished veteran on our team.
LCDR Christina Schultz, USCG, (Retired)
LCDR Christina Schultz, USCG, (Retired)
Tina grew up in Port St. Lucie, FL and enlisted in the U. S. Coast Guard in 1988. In 1998, she applied and was accepted to attend Officer Candidate School. She had numerous operational and administrative assignments and promoted to Lieutenant Commander before retiring in 2010 after 21 years of honorable service.
She holds a BS in Business Administration. Her final two assignments on active duty were as Chief of the Personnel Division at Integrated Support Command St. Louis, MO and as Chief of the Administration and Personnel Division at Coast Guard Sector New York, NY. During these assignments she was responsible for the management and implementation of the Coast Guard’s administrative polices relating to military justice, separations, medical readiness, housing, personnel evaluations, pay, educational services, and awards for active duty, reserve and civilian personnel within the commands. Following retirement, Tina worked in an administrative position at a military medical clinic. Her military and civilian positions have helped her develop a keen understanding of the issues and challenges facing our veterans today.
She is a Gold Star daughter. Her father, an Army Platoon Sargent with Bravo Company 5th Bn, 7th Cavalry, was killed in action in 1970. Her mother served as an Army nurse and inspired her to join the service. Tina is also a proud military spouse, whose husband is currently serving with the U. S. Coast Guard.
Matthew Young, US Air Force Veteran
Matthew Young, US Air Force Veteran
Matthew Young is a Construction Project Manager with over 30 years of building experience. As a young man, he started out helping his father on job sites of their family-owned construction company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where it was instilled in him from a young age that the highest standards of quality must be upheld. That attention to detail and strong work ethic is part of what makes him an excellent Construction Executive. Matt was both active duty and a reservist in the United States Air Force, in support of Operation Desert Storm.
LTC Paula Smith, USA, (Retired)
Dr. Paula Smith, LTC (USA, Ret.) is a Cape Cod native and is honored to have served our great Nation as a Soldier and a medical provider during her twenty-year military career. Previously the Health Director for the Soldier for Life Program under the Army Chief of Staff, Dr. Smith connected government and private sector programs and enabled collaborative health ventures among 42,000 Veteran Service Organizations (VSO’s).
While on active duty, Dr. Smith served in key clinical and administrative positions at Fort Riley (Kansas), Seoul (South Korea), Fort Campbell (Kentucky), Fort Jackson (South Carolina), Fort Stewart (Georgia), Northern Iraq (1st Cavalry Division) and at the Pentagon. In each of her assignments, she spearheaded the design and implementation of health and medical programs that significantly improved the healthcare afforded to our Veterans and their families.
Dr. Smith was recognized by the Army Surgeon General for leadership and occupational proficiency and by the Army Medical Specialist Corps for outstanding leadership and mentorship. A life-long learner, she earned her doctorate and master’s degrees in Physical Therapy, her undergraduate degree in Communications and professional certificates in process improvement, project management and non-profit executive management.
Dr. Smith has successfully transitioned to civilian life and is proud to continue to serve this community as a member of the CIVOC Board of Directors. She values the CIVOC mission and has witnessed the CIVOC’s initiatives positively and effectively impact our Cape Veteran population every day.
Not Pictured
Maj Gregory Quilty, USMC, (Retired)
Honorary Members
Maj Gen John Brennan, USAF, (Retired)
Maj Gen John Brennan, USAF, (Retired)
MG Brennan is a senior executive with over 35 years of experience in Air Force and Corporate Leadership. He has led large and small organizations ranging from an overseas military Fighter Wing of over 7,000 to a high tech private sector Profit and Loss Center. He is described as a “proactive, innovative leader with strong interpersonal skills, and proven track record of successfully motivating teams and managing complex relationships with Congress, foreign governments, the DOD and Intelligence Communities.”
He is returning to Cape Cod after working with Pratt & Whitney as their Regional Manager in South Korea and will be residing in Mashpee with his wife. He has generously offered his services and expertise to the Cape and Islands in support of its mission to grow its ever-increasing capacity to provide the most comprehensive menu of services of any veteran provider on the Cape.
Dr. Ann Skopek
Dr. Ann Skopek
Dr. Ann Skopek is an internist who retired after practicing primary care medicine for 40 years. After completing her training at Yale New Haven Hospital, she spent most of her career in the New Haven, CT area, actively participating in the Yale medical community while managing her own practice. She moved to Cape Cod in 2007 and worked in a large primary care practice until May of 2014. She then served as a medical attending physician at Pleasant Bay Nursing and Rehabilitation Center until August 2020.
Dr. Skopek is married to Dr. Richard Peterson, a plant biochemist. They are the proud parents of 2 children; a daughter Kathryn, an artist, and a son Adam, who was a captain in the Massachusetts National Guard. Adam returned in July of 2013 from his second deployment to Afghanistan, where he served as company commander of the 181st Engineer Company.
As a military mom and active member of the Family Readiness Group for her son’s deployed unit, Dr. Skopek witnessed the tremendous sacrifices of our soldier heroes and their families. Through her involvement with Operation Adopt A Soldier, she has learned of the ongoing needs of military families and our veterans. She remains energized by the prospects of helping those who have sacrificed so much for our country, and by the generosity of members of our communities.
Marc Golderg, US Army Veteran
Marc Golderg, US Army Veteran
Marc is a SCORE Mentor in Cape Cod SCORE Chapter 225.A retired seasoned executive, Marc brings over 40 years of experience to his SCORE volunteer work, his marketing and small business seminars. During the past four decades, he has worked in all facets of domestic and international marketing and General Management. He has devoted himself to maximizing the results attainable through performance measurement. For almost 30 years his company, Marketech360 specialized in exhibitor staff training and measuring results at trade shows and events.
As a SCORE Mentor, Marc serves start-ups, small businesses wanting to grow and strategic planning for nonprofits.
He is the author of Small Doesn’t Mean Second Rate – a reference workbook for the under 400 square foot exhibitor, Exhibiting in Mexico and has developed the first software for measuring exhibit performance – Measurement Made Easy. His White Paper – The Future of Healthcare Exhibit is Learning was a landmark study defining best practices in this vertical industry segment. Marc launched his ebook, Strategic Trade Show Success in 2016.
Marc served in the US Army, MACV as a mobile advisory team in ICorps – 1969-1970. He attende OCS at Fort Benning, GA and was a TAC Officer there until his deployment to Viet Nam. He was awarded the Bronze Star and honorably discharged 12/7/70.
He has committed countless hours to assisting the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center, and in May, 2017 was made an honorary member of our Board of Directors.
Gwen Errhalt
Gwen Errhalt
Gwen Errhalt is the Director of Communications at Willowbend Country Club (Mashpee). For the previous 10 years she was employed as the Membership Manager at The Golf Club of Cape Cod (TGC at Sacconnesset). Gwen sat on the Board of Directors for The Community Leadership Institute of Cape Cod for 3 years. For 7 years Gwen was the chairman for a charity golf tournament (TGC for The Troops). The tournament raises funds for The TGC Fund, a donor advised fund through the Cape Cod Foundation. The TGC Fund considers grants to organizations who provide assistance specifically to Cape Cod Veterans, Military as well as their families. The TGC Fund also provides college scholarships to children of veterans. Over the course of those 7 years the fund raised over $365,000 dollars. It was during those 7 years Gwen became interested and invested in the needs of the local veteran population. Once engaged in the veteran community she was instrumental in the creation of the annual Free Golf Clinic for active military and veterans, the now state wide Operation Backpack, The creation of a special fund at St. Vincent De Paul Society reserved to assist veterans and military and the Easter Egg hunt on Joint Base Cape Cod. Her proudest accomplishment for the local veteran community was working 4 other passionate individuals to create The Cape Cod Military, Veteran and Family Collaborative. Gwen’s husband is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War and is the Director of Golf at TGC of Sacconnesset. Gwen and her husband are the proud parents of 2 young men (1 of which just completed 6 years of service in the USN Reserve).
Regina Giambusso
Regina Giambusso
- BA, English, Regis College, MAT, English, Bridgewater State University, CAGS, Educational Leadership, Bridgewater State University
- 24 year teacher, and eleven year administrator at the middle school level; administrative duties including full responsibility for curriculum and professional development for staff of 100, as well as management, staff evaluation and student guidance and discipline.
- 10-year volunteer and employee of the Cape and Islands in the capacities of grant writer, Grace Program Development, SSVF Case Manager, and Outreach and Program Coordinator prior to becoming Executive Director and then transitioning to the Board after retiring.
- As a civilian with no military experience, extremely committed to the support of those who served their country, many of whom suffered lifelong losses, and to the full awareness of their suffering and their strength on the part of the communities they defended.
Dr. Robert Tankard,
Ed. D., US Army Veteran
Dr. Robert Tankard, Ed. D., US Army Veteran
Hailing from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts USA, Dr. Robert Tankard has spent the past fifty plus years of his life as a strong advocate for people, attempting to improve the quality of life for the underprivileged and disadvantaged. As an educator and administrator, Dr. Tankard has developed many programs that have improved the quality of education for both students and educators that have worked under his guidance. Dr. Tankard has directed several television programs pertaining to community issues as well as programs designed to give high school and college students a voice or forum to discuss issues that affect them. In the past two years he has been working as the Martha’s Vineyard Veterans Outreach Advocate providing veterans with their needs and other issues.
Michelle J. Donabed, Esq.
Michelle J. Donabed, Esq.
Attorney Michelle J. Donabed is the founding attorney of Donabed Law, PLLC with locations in Hingham, Falmouth, and Nantucket where she advocates on behalf of individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits located on the South Shore, Cape & Islands. Michelle is a friend of and advocate for the Veteran Community. She has committed her firm to donating a portion of the practice pro-bono to the veteran community for matters including veteran benefits and discharge status upgrades, and regularly advocates at legal aid clinics to provide legal assistance to homeless, at risk, disabled and low-income veterans.