Team Members
Meet the Team, and Read their Why
National Director
Account Executive
Account Executive
Director of Marketing
Account Executive
Business Analyst
Vice-President of Operations
Account Executive
Front End Developer
Hero Rewards Coordinator
Account Manager
Technical Architect
Director of Sales/Ops
Accounting Manager
AR/AP Specialist
Digital Marketing Specialist
Account Manager
Support Services
Director, Legal & Foundation
Senior Manager Content Strategy
Support Services
Vice-President, Human Resources
CEO/President
Lead Developer
Account Executive
Emerging Media Manager
Hero Outreach Coordinator
Account Manager
Senior Director of Technology
National Director
Abby Waltz
I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the first responders that saved my life in a horrific car accident as a teenager. Now, it is my mission to be a strong positive force in the world. To inspire others to live life to the fullest by helping them realize their true purpose (their WHY) and full potential. I fulfill that mission through my commitment to saying Thank You to every hero for their selflessness, compassion and courage they display and inspiring others to do the same. I would not have the opportunity to live the life I live without our heroes continued commitment to serve and better our communities each and every day and for that I am incredibly grateful. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to each and every hero, for all you do.
Account Executive
Amber Banas
Finally working for a company that provides a deeper purpose and meaning to a lot of lives would be my “why” I feel truly blessed to be part of the Homes for Heroes family and greatly enjoy being a part of the mission!!
Account Executive
Annie Guerrero
My dad served in the Unites States Marine Corps. I grew up learning all about his service and the crazy different things he did while serving. He raised a little mini-marine soldier 😊! He continued to live a life of service and gave back well after he was out of the service. He was a bridge; he intently listened to peoples needs and would do whatever he could to connect or help that person. I am here at Homes For Heroes to honor my dad (and all those who served) and live out what he taught me by example and pay it forward. God bless America!
Director of Marketing
Bob Stanke
All my life, I have been surrounded by educators. My dad has been a school administrator for 40 years, so growing up I always heard stories at the dinner table about the importance of teachers and the hard work involved in educating our children. I have been married to a teacher for the last 18 years, and see first hand the difference my wife and her co-workers make through their hard work and sacrifices to make sure every child gets the time and attention they need to be successful. Joining Homes for Heroes was my small way to give back to not only teachers, but all of those community heroes around us who help make the United States of America the best country in the world.
Account Executive
Bryan Bukhart
Firefighters, EMS, Law Enforcement, Military, Healthcare Workers, and Teachers. These are heroes that are overlooked every day and don’t get the recognition they deserve. They are great people who make tremendous sacrifices for others and use their courage to face the harsh realities of life. The folks that serve in these careers have always shared a special place in my heart and I am continually in awe of everything they do for us. They truly have a higher calling. They’re committed to not only serving our country but also our communities. They are heroes to us, but to them they are just normal people doing their jobs. Without their sacrifice the world as we know it sure wouldn’t be the same. They make the world a better place and deserve our respect and recognition. I value the work I do at Homes for Heroes. I can never thank our nations heroes enough, but will spend my lifetime trying to.
Business Analyst
Charlie Carruth
I am so grateful for the heroic men and women in our armed forces, police departments, fire departments, healthcare systems, and education systems. These heroes are the very necessary backbone of our country and without them we could not function, yet it is all too common that these everyday heroes are taken for granted. At Homes for Heroes, I feel like I am making a difference by helping these people through the work that we do.
Vice-President of Operations
Christopher Bowles
I was created with an internal drive to serve. This drive led me to the Marine Corps where I witnessed countless men and women routinely risking their lives in the service of others. This drive then led me to the business world and eventually Homes for Heroes, a company whose sole mission is to serve and thank the heroes of our communities. There are over 45 million heroes in this country and our goal is to thank every one of them. That’s an ambitious goal – one so worthy of our efforts. It’s about serving and I’m honored to support and work alongside the thousands of people who have made it their mission to serve heroes.
Account Executive
Ehlias Karim
Heroes are a big part of my life. My family has heroes all throughout. my brother being a police officer, my father serving in the Army for over 15 years and then working as a math teach, my sister working in healthcare has shown me firsthand the unique challenges that our heroes face as well as the hard work that that they put in daily to be able to serve our communities. So often they give so much of themselves, their time and energy in positions that are vital to our survival yet mostly thankless. Watching that has inspired me to want to give back to them in kind and working for Homes for Heroes gives me that opportunity.
Front End Developer
Emily Hoang
In 1975 when South Vietnam fell into communist hands, being that my father served in the South Vietnamese army, our family was rounded up and sent to reeducation camps. These were essentially forced labor camps in desolate areas. Some were detained without a trial for up to decades. After being released, our family faced significant oppression from the communist government. My father served in the South Vietnamese army along with American troops – we consider him a hero in the front lines fighting for the freedom. As a consequence, getting treated unfairly afterwards was heartbreaking. Coming from that experience growing up, it is an honor for me to work at Homes For Heroes. Our main value is to serve our heroes, who have sacrificed so much to give us the freedoms we have today. Something that my father fought so hard to have. My father passed away a couple years ago, but I know he would very proud of me for doing what I do everyday to serve our heroes. They deserve the best from society for the service they have given unconditionally.
Hero Rewards Coordinator
Emmy Young
My mom was in the healthcare field, and she gave her life in the line of duty. Inspired by her, a great deal of my adult life was dedicated to medicine. One thing I learned from my own experiences and from my family in military, education, first responders, and law enforcement- the ones that serve us rarely see themselves as heroes. Thinking back to my time in the hospital, I don’t remember feeling like a hero. I remember the exhaustion, the sadness for those suffering, and the fear that I would not be good enough, smart enough, or fast enough to help. When my life situation changed and I could no longer practice medicine, I still felt the drive to make the world around me a better place. My job as the Hero Reward Coordinator at Homes for Heroes allows me the privilege of thanking our heroes. In a small way, I hope to support their efforts and to brighten their day, if even for a moment.
Account Manager
Heather Campbell
I couldn’t be prouder to work for Homes for Heroes! Being able to give back and serve others is not only something I strongly value but I actually get to do every day through my career, for that I am truly blessed. I have many family members who are my heroes; everyone from my mother being a special education teacher for over 35 years, my sister a pediatric speech pathologist, my brother a school district psychologist, to my beautiful daughter being a military child. It’s incredible how much they give! I know many of us can say this, the service members in my life have done so much for me personally and they deserve to be thanked every day for what they do, who they are and what they represent.
Technical Architect
Jeff Bullert
I am proud to work at Homes for Heroes because it lets me give back to those who have helped me and my family. Without our local police, EMS and healthcare workers my mom wouldn’t be here today. She has lived with some serious medical conditions since she was a kid and wasn’t supposed to make it past 20 years old and she is now in her mid 60’s. This is why I choose to give back and Thank those who are out there every day saving someone’s family member.
Director of Sales/Ops
Jesse Salomon
I have always felt a very deep appreciation for the men and women who serve others. I have members of my family that have served in various capacities. This has given me the healthy respect for what these folks do. I am honored to be able to do my part to thank these individuals.
Accounting Manager
Jessie Henry
Finance has always been my passion when it comes to the type of work I enjoy. The problem with working in this area of business is that is hard to feel as if you are really contributing. At Homes for Heroes I have the opportunity to work with the best group of individuals, doing what I love, all while supporting Heroes in communities around America get rewarded for their service.
AR/AP Specialist
Kathy Yang
The opportunity to work at Homes for Heroes allows me to serve and impact the lives of heroes. I would not be able to enjoy the life I live, if it wasn’t for the heroes. When I was born, I weighed only 2lbs and was hospitalized for 4 months. Everyday, I am reminded to be THANKFUL because there is a hero out there serving, saving lives and keeping our country safe.
Digital Marketing Specialist
Katrina Hanson
All my life I have looked up to my grandfather, a World War II Navy Veteran and principal during the civil rights movement. During my childhood, I would often refer to him as my hero –who has overcome so much in his 95 years of life and continues to be a light in so many peoples life. He is the smartest man I know and I am so thankful for everything he has done for our country and our family. My grandfather has encouraged and shaped me into the young woman I am today by instilling in me so many truths and reminding me to do everything with excellence. I am honored to work on the marketing team at Homes for Heroes and help those who serve our communities and country every day.
Account Manager
Kevin Vogt
Why am I at Homes for Heroes? The answer for me is pretty simple – God has called me to make a positive difference in the lives of people he has put in my life. Homes for Heroes gives me the perfect opportunity to live out that calling by providing the opportunity to support our affiliates who ultimately play a huge role in making a difference in the lives of those who serve our communities and our nation. I have a ton of respect and admiration for those who sacrificially serve and protect us! Through Homes for Heroes I can play a small part in thanking them.
Support Services
Lance Reynolds
I have many family, friends, and other acquaintances that fall into pretty much all of the Hero categories. They all do such incredible things every single day and working here allows me to feel as though I am doing my part too.
Director, Legal & Foundation
Lisa Welsh
I love working at Homes for Heroes because I’m driven by the cause. My original hero was my mother. She taught troubled youth and later became a psychiatric nurse before passing away from cancer (many thanks to the health care heroes who supported our family through that difficult journey). My other hero is my husband. We met when he took over my classroom at a school for juvenile offenders, when I was leaving teaching for law school. He now works as a supervisor of education in the federal prison system, to give inmates an opportunity for successful reintegration with a GED or vocational skills. As Maya Angelou said, “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” For all the heroes inspiring and serving me and my family every day, working at Homes for Heroes allows me to serve them in turn.
Senior Manager Content Strategy
Luke Feldbrugge
Back in 2012 I was laid off. During this time I realized I was chasing the wrong things professionally, so I chose to only pursue work where I could positively impact the lives of others. No exceptions. Looking back it made sense. When I was 3, I wanted to be a fireman. When I was 17, I planned to serve in the Army (but I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes). My first declared college major was education and I wanted to be a teacher/coach. Serving others was clearly important to me, but how could I do it professionally? Enter Homes for Heroes. I realized I will spend 125,000 hours working in my lifetime. If I live to 75, that’s 20% of my life. At Homes for Heroes, my work helps to positively impact the lives of people who chose to serve the rest of us.
Support Services
Mackenzie Bintner
Helping others is in my nature and it is a part of who I am. Working at Homes for Heroes provides me an opportunity to make a difference in someones life everyday. Serving those who serve our community is rewarding and it continues to open my heart and mind to how I can learn, grow and improve everyday.
Vice-President, Human Resources
Kacy Mlenar
I’ve been blessed, yet spoiled to be born on U.S. soil. It wasn’t until I got older and traveled abroad did I come to the realization that not everyone had the opportunities and the freedom that I had. It gave me a profound appreciation for those that fight for our freedom and opportunity that I unknowingly had taken for granted. Then after seeing the events of 911, my family and I started the Homes for Heroes program to say “thank you” to all who serve our nation and its communities. Creating this program made me feel like I was part of the recovery efforts by coming together and strengthening our communities.
CEO/President
Ruth Johnson
Our family started the Homes for Heroes program to say “thank you” to all who serve our nation and its communities. Those who show up, every day, to help make our communities better and safer places to live. The strength of our nation depends on the strength of our communities. The strength of our communities often falls on the backs of those who serve. Our WHY centers around the tragic events of 9/11/2001 and the many heroes involved in the rescue and recovery efforts.Those whose service often goes unnoticed until we need them. Our ‘rally cry’ is: Together a team, we will thank every hero in the nation. It is so rewarding to know that we are making progress on our goal and a difference in the lives of the heroes we serve.
Lead Developer
Sai Yang
I would have probably been one of those faces you see on the news. I was born in a refugee camp. I have heard the sad stories that war produces. However, today there’s breath in lungs and a beat in my heart. Today, I have the opportunity to give back and say, “Thank you. I am here because you gave. God bless you!”
Account Executive
Sandra Kramer
I have been in a sales role most of my life and I was attracted to Homes for Heroers to provide more meaning to what I do. I not only get to consult with real estate agents and lenders who are considering our program, I know that by bringing in the right people more heroes will be honored and rewarded. I am especially grateful this program includes teachers. It was my 9th grade teacher who pulled me aside one day because he noticed I was not myself. His interest in me changed my life and helped me to get through a tough time in my family. I will never forget his kindness and concern. I love that this program exists to heroes everywhere.
Emerging Media Manager
Seth Jeska
My career at Homes for Heroes happened through a very indirect and unexpected path. While pursuing my degree in entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas, I discovered my passion for business analysis and consulting. My professional goal was to carve out a successful career in management consulting. That professional goal changed after a summer with Homes for Heroes. After working with this company for three short months, my perspective on what defines my success changed. I realized that I could have a far more successful career by applying my skills and knowledge to help grow a national program and make sure every hero that serves their community receives the recognition they deserve. Equally as important, my career at Homes for Heroes is my way of honoring the work my mother dedicated to her community as a teacher, and my grandfather’s service to this country as a WWII Navy veteran.
Hero Outreach Coordinator
Steve Blackwell
I have spent a great deal of my life around these heroes. Seeing first hand the valor, sacrifice, and dedication to help others has been the most rewarding part of my professional career. There isn’t enough space to write all the reasons I have a special place in my heart for the prople who step forward and give themselves to making sure others are safe, well and educated. It’s a blessing to serve all of them as part of Homes for Heroes.
Account Manager
Vicki Czech
I work at Homes for Heroes so I can be a part of something impactful and hopefully help make a difference in someone’s life. Heroes are a big part of my family and being given the opportunity to honor them and what they do is rewarding everyday!
Senior Director of Technology
Wayne McPhillips
Having spent 10 years in the US Army myself, and being a part of 4 generations of Army soldiers, I always felt like I simply stopped serving when I left the military to pursue a civilian career. My civilian career allowed me to gain tremendous experience, but I never felt like I was contributing to a greater cause. I wanted my efforts to impact and serve the lives of all those involved on a much larger scale. When the opportunity was presented to me to join Homes for Heroes, it was as if two great passions of my life came together as one. I was able to once again be a part of something bigger than myself, and then apply the skills and experiences I gained over my career toward that mission. I have immediate family members who represent each of our multiple hero groups, so when I come into work every day, I see their faces. It is an honor to be a part of a program whose mission is to thank our Heroes and to be their trusted partner through the challenges and accomplishments. This is not a job, this is what I was meant to do.