WHO
WE ARE
EERS Board of Directors includes a diverse mix of personnel dedicated to using their unique skills and experience to accomplish the MISSION.
BOARD MEMBERS
Dave Jones
Founder and President of the Board of Directors
Dave is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Trauma Therapist who works primarily with Military and 1st Responders in his private practice, Be Unlimited Counseling, in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. It was while practicing as the Primary Therapist at a trauma-focused, acute mental health and substance abuse program that Dave noticed how, regardless of the effectiveness of the treatment, that when people went home to relative isolation, lacking close friendships with people nearby other than their close family members, and without fun & interesting things to do and look forward to with others on a regular basis; they didn't fare as well as folks who were connected to people and consistent activities in the towns/cities in which they lived. That is where the idea of FOBs were born.
Dave holds the distinction of being the only person to ever run marathons on every Continent and in every US State in less than 1 year. He was also only the 2nd person to ever run official public marathons on 7 Continents in less than 7 days and has been certified as both an Ironman and USAT Coach. He has run foot races covering 50, 100, 200, 314, and even 1270 miles. He has completed over 100 lifetime marathons as well as multiple Ironman Triathlons.
He is also a husband and father of 3 and has served as a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, a City Councilman, and is currently a member of the Safety and Starting Point Ministries at his local church. He's founded and operated multiple small businesses in retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and distribution as well as working in executive management in the country's largest underground services company.
Combining his unique background in Mental Health, Endurance, Leadership, and Community; Dave founded EERS with the belief that resiliency involves building strength in all 4 of these areas.
Jarod Savage
Vice President of the Board of Directors
Jarod joined the USAF in Nov 1996 and became a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Specialist. He served for 21 years, achieved the rank of Master Sgt (E7), ultimately retiring in 2018, when he was offered a job as Survival Specialist and Personnel Recovery (PR) Subject Matter Expert for the Manned Spaceflight Division at Patrick Space Force Base (PSFB) where he continued to support the manned missions of SpaceX and others until moving on to start his family farm and prepare for the future of EERS.
He's skydived from 13,000 feet, white water rafted Class 4 rapids, flown in an F-16 fighter jet, jet skied way out in the Atlantic with spacecraft, backpacked in the remote jungles of the Philippines, traveled to all 50 states, SCUBA dived the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, TX with astronauts, run multiple races of marathon distance or longer, competed in a Spartan Beast and triathlons, and keeps a full bucket list so tomorrow is always another adventure. Dirt biking, adventure racing, orienteering, obstacle racing, mountain biking, backpacking, and exploring are hobbies he wants to share with as many of his Veteran brothers and sisters as he can through EERS.
He has been married for 15 years and has 5 sons ages 6-20 at home in Gallipolis, OH. Jarod envisions leading endurance and outdoor activities that move "suicide prevention" from an office or theory into the outdoors and involve enough time and space to build real community and connection needed to give life value after military service is done. He said, "Since leaving the brotherhood of the USAF, I’ve sometimes struggled with finding my new passion and purpose. The transition from active military to leaving the service is a real issue that often gets glossed over in our lives. This transition is not simply a fill-in-the-blank, check the box issue- we need each other spending real quality time together doing cool and fun sh** to make it work right."
Joanne Rinker
Vice President Board of Directors
Joanne has a long and successful history of organizational management and guidance within large nonprofit organizations; helping them to further their missions through strategic, systematic goal setting and objective attainment. She is also an accomplished Dietitian, educator, and spokesperson. Highlights of her career include working with the North Carolina Diabetes Prevention and Control Program on the implementation and facilitation of the North Carolina Diabetes Education Recognition Program. As the program coordinator 2006-2013, Joanne was instrumental in building the largest American Diabetes Association (ADA) accredited site in the nation. In 2013, Rinker was named the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) 2013 Diabetes Educator of the Year and used that opportunity to spread the word about the relationship between diabetes, hearing loss and depression nationally. She served on the AADE Board of Directors 2015-2017 and became an AADE Spokesperson in January of 2016. Rinker served as the North Carolina Public Health Association President 2013-2014, is a graduate of the Bernstein Fellowship 2015 class. She has been published and presented on the national level for both diabetes associations and brings a great deal of organizational sophistication to the EERS Board of Directors.
She has been married for 21 years and is the mother of 2 athletes who currently run cross country and play soccer at the high school level with one signed to run Division 1 Track and Cross Country for WVU in Fall 2023. She's the volunteer assistant coach for the high school indoor track team and was the lead nutritionist for the West Virginia University Football team as a graduate student. She loves to travel and experience new things with family and friends whenever possible, living by the credo, 'Spend your time and money on experiences, not things'.
Joanne says she loves running more than any other activity. She typically runs while talking with others, sometimes in a large group, but more commonly doing so with a couple of individuals or just going deeper in active conversation with a friend near her home in the mountains of North Carolina. "It's my favorite way to meditate on all life's decisions!" She has completed multiple full marathons and runs nearly everyday- capable of running long distances at in the hills at about any time on no notice. Her deep appreciation for the sacrifices of military members and their families has been gotten while getting to know vets and their spouses while running and she knows how therapeutic that mental-emotional-physical connection can be when life's struggles pile up.
Brad Oldham
Treasurer of Board of Directors
Brad is a CPA who has held positions in private accounting, large-scale medical, and professional sports organizations. His extensive knowledge and experience in public accountancy allow him to provide guidance and wisdom in the financial matters of EERS. He has used his skills and experience over many years to contribute to his home communities in civic clubs, church, and other organizations.
He has been married for 18 years and has 5 kids at home in Gulf Shores, Alabama. They enjoy fishing and staying active doing all sorts of outdoor activities together. Cycling, running, camping, boating, and team sports of all types help him offset the inevitable monotony and tragic circumstances of life.
Brad once flew to New York, accompanying his buddy's wife on a journey to watch her husband run the North American race of his quest to run marathons on 7 Continents in under 7 days. While there, he ran his own first marathon with his friend, handled logistics, and squelched his own pain in order to support his buddy's mission. This commitment to others, as well as his deep appreciation for the sacrifices of military families, is what drove his decision to lend his skills and experience to the EERS Mission.
Kristin Jones
Secretary of Board of Directors
Kristin is a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) with extensive experience in practicing Occupational Therapy with multiple populations. She will receive her Master's of Science in Occupational Therapy in December 2023 and become an OT-R. She has specific training and experience in working with Geriatrics, Mental Health, and Pediatrics. Over the years she has worked closely with Veterans and their families from WWII vets and widows to Post 9/11 military families who's kids needed her services.
She has also stepped up as a volunteer in her local communities wherever she's lived, believing that helping out where she sees need is not only the right thing to do, but also a great way to make new friends with folks who have similar values. She was particularly active with her local Salvation Army in Western Kentucky where she created and executed various fund raising campaigns, events, and childcare services.
Kristin has been married to her husband Dave for 14 years and has 3 kids at home on the Space Coast of Florida. In addition to practicing Occupational Therapy, she continues to volunteer at her church and with Space Coast Crew, a local youth rowing club. Her greatest loves are her family, pets, and traveling. The beaches of Florida, mountains of Montana, and Redwood Forests of California are some of her favorite places to share with her favorite people.