Advisory Council

MFRI’s Advisory Council includes military and veteran representatives, community and industry leaders, researchers, academic professionals, Purdue alumni, practitioners and policymakers. 

All members share a passion for supporting military and veteran families. They provide feedback, offer resources and help advance our mission.


Members

Charlene D. Austin, M.S.
Military Family Consultant and Advocate

Capt. William Baas, EdD (U.S. Navy Retired)
Vice President, Human Resources
Comcast NBCUniversal

Ron Davis, PhD
Retired Vice President, Nashville State Community College

Lee Ann De Reus, PhD
Executive Director
No Means No Worldwide

Robert B. Doshi
President
High Altitude Trailer Co.

Jonathan Douglas
Head, Requirements Analysis Branch
United States Department of the Navy

Rear Adm. Karen Flaherty-Oxler (Retired, U.S. Navy)
Executive Director
Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center

Michael Heard
Executive Vice President and COO
National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations

Marcy Karin, JD
Professor of Law
Jack & Lovell Olender Director, Legislation/Civil Rights Clinic
David A. Clarke School of Law
University of the District of Columbia

Dave Lapan
Communication consultant
C3 Communication

Patricia Lester, MD
Jane and Marc Nathanson Family Professor of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine
Director, Nathanson Family Resilience Center
UCLA

Bryan Morris
Project Executive
Executive Construction

Meg O’Grady 
Senior Vice President, Military and Government Programs 
National University System 

Trooper Sanders
Chief Executive Officer
Benefits Data Trust

Nora Spinks
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Barbara Thompson
Former Director
Office of Military Family Readiness Policy

Melissa Washington
Co-Founder and Publisher, Women Veterans Magazine
CEO and Founder, Women Veterans Alliance

Brigadier General Marianne Watson (Retired, U.S. Army)
PREVENTS Ambassador
Presidential Suicide Prevention Task Force

Joyce Wessel Raezer
Military family advocate and policy expert
Alexandria, Virginia

Col. Randy Whitecotton
Commander, 2nd Mission Support Group
Barksdale Air Force Base

Steve Wilson, PhD
Professor, Department of Communication
University of South Florida

Cliff Wojtalewicz
Operations Manager
Oklahoma Aerospace & Defense Innovation Institute (OADII)
University of Oklahoma