Craig Lawrence

 

Craig Lawrence he/him, President: Chief Petty Officer Lawrence is a Project Manager with 20+ years of experience in the construction industry. His extensive experience with government, institutional, and healthcare project management has made him adept at leading project teams, and managing multiple projects simultaneously. His proven history of adapting to unique challenges began with straw bale construction in 2000, and his passion for ecological design continues to this day. As a Navy Reserve NCO, his proficiencies are enhanced by military construction project management with the US Navy Reserve’s Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB- 25). With his inclination to new challenges, we look forward to working with Craig to design and build our site infrastructure out to optimums while maintaining an ecological design ethic that sets the pace and direction for regional construction projects.

Alan Woods

Alan is a Christian, the husband of Beverly Woods, father of three daughters, and grandfather of four grandchildren. He is a retired Army veteran of 23 years, who’s commitment to serve others is evident by his actions. He currently serves the congregation of Trinity Christian Fellowship as lead pastor and is also the President of the Washington State Beekeepers Association where he is committed to serve every beekeeper in Washington State. He has a Bachelor’s degree in information System Management from the University of Maryland.

 

Beau Gromley

Beau he/him: Beau cares deeply about the environment, issues involving food insecurity, and asset-based community development. He has a BA in Sustainable Agriculture and is a program manager for Garden Raised Bounty (GRuB) , a non-profit that helps veterans grow healthy food, people and community.” Beau is a proud veteran of both the US Marines and US Army and is passionate about helping veterans and their families find their way home and when ready to grow their community.

Gary Michelberger

Gary Michelberger he/him, Member at large: A professor of nursing with a background in intensive psychiatric care, Gary brings over 11 years of experience as a GS employee for the Department of Defence/U.S. Army attending the needs of US Service Members. He has worked as a psychiatric nurse on two inpatient psychiatric units; most recently, he spent 5 years in Germany at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Now back in the Great PNW, Gary works to improve basic and advanced nursing skills while remaining intensely devoted to community service. His passions include End of Life rituals and the sanctity of forests; We look forward to exploring with Gary what a Veterans’ Memorial Arboretum at our site might entail.

Jake Dailey

Jake Dailey is a Husband, Father, and an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran turned Regenerative Agro-Forester. Jake served in the Army for 4 years and deployed to Basrah Iraq in 2009-10 with a Field Artillery Unit out of Fort Lewis Washington. After getting out of the Army in 2011 with PTSD from the war, he bounced around between jobs and tried college and bounced around between majors never really finding the right line of work, this lasted about 5 years. In 2016 Jake and his wife settled in Toledo Washington and started to homestead, this was always his dream. Homesteading quickly turned into a passion for regenerative agroforestry, or forest farming. Jake goes out with friends and a herd of goats to do forest fire fuel reduction and collects and utilizes the excess forest slash by making biochar, and also making mushroom compost on his 20 acre farm in Toledo. In the last 5 or so years of regenerating the forest and building soil he’s found that the work is regenerative in his own life. Jake has a track record of service to people and the planet, and has a passion to help regenerate both.

 

 

 

Jennah Kemp

Jennah she/her: US Navy veteran, an artist, a conservationist, and proud flower child. She has found a renewed sense of service and purpose in serving her community through supporting and being involved in programs designed to help veterans heal ourselves, our communities, and our land. After moving to Washington State in 2018, Jennah started as an intern through the WDVA’s Veteran Conservation Corp, and eventually transitioned to a staff member, at Garden Raised Bounty (GRuB) in Olympia, WA. Since starting at GRuB, she has led their Community Food Solution’s free backyard garden program, stewarded their volunteer program, and has most recently been helping to build their emerging veteran farmer mentorship program. In addition to her work at GRuB, Jennah has become a WA-state certified beekeeper and has recently been accepted to be a part of the Mission Continues Women’s Veteran Leadership Program 2022 Cohort to continue to serve her community with other Women Veterans. Jennah first became involved at VETC through their partnerships with GRuB, and immediately fell in love with its land and its mission. She is thrilled and honored to be a part of the VETC board and to help support its community of veteran farmers (and bees!) to continue to grow, connect with each other and the abundant natural resources, and to begin to heal each other together.