After graduating with a degree in business and political science, Ashlee felt the calling to serve in a position to help others. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in education and Master of Arts in teaching while traveling the country with her husband, an Army EOD tech, and her 3 children. While teaching, she felt she could serve on a larger scale and began looking into working in the non-profit sector. This brought Ashlee to the EOD Warrior Foundation in January 2022. Ashlee is very excited to support her EOD community as the Marketing and Program Coordinator.

Michelle joins the EOD Warrior Foundation as the new Mental Health Case Manager. Originally from New York, she moved to Florida in 2001 and was a stay-at-home mother to her two children. In 2003, Michelle’s husband, SSgt Patrick L. Griffin Jr lost his life while convoying from Kuwait to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraq Freedom. In time, she decided to use her experience as a Gold Star Spouse to help others, so she returned to college where she earned her master’s degree in Social Work. She has worked as a mental health and substance abuse therapist for adolescents and held various case management positions. She is excited to join the team and assist with the mental health needs of the EOD Warriors and their families.

Patricia joins the EOD Warrior Foundation as the Development Officer, and looks forward to raising awareness for the Foundation’s programs in the corporate and private sectors and increasing the support for the families of the EOD community. She comes to the position after achieving great success in managing and growing 3 separate annual funds at a professional engineering association (ASHRAE) and the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, where she oversaw community development programs and grants. She has also supported the continued success of several writing and creative arts nonprofits, serving as a member of their boards and sub-committees throughout her career. New to the EOD community, she does have a long family history of serving in active service, including her father, uncles, and grandmother. Patricia earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University, holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Walden University, and earned her CFRE designation, denoting an excellence in all areas of fundraising, in 2010.

Jaclyn Diep joins the EOD Warrior Foundation as the Accountant starting January 2020. She looks forward to assisting the EOD Warrior Foundation in fulfilling its vision and mission. Having emigrated from Vietnam, she grew up in Mobile, Alabama before moving to her current residence in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Jaclyn earned her accounting degree from the University of South Alabama. She joins the EODWF with 24 years of experience in financial management. During her career, she advanced from being an Accountant to Chief Financial Officer to Assistant GM for a local management company. Though she is new to the EOD Community, she has family in active military service with a nephew in the Army and a son recently enlisted in the Air Force. Jaclyn has always had a passion to help others, so she is excited to give back to the country that gave her the opportunity to be where she is today and to be a part of a non-profit organization that makes a difference for the EOD community. She is honored to join the EOD Warrior Foundation team and looks forward to many rewarding years ahead.

Maria grew up in the military and is the daughter of an Air Force EOD veteran. She served 6 years in the USAFR as a personnelist at Duke Field and was activated in 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After receiving her Bachelors of Arts in Communication and Public Relations from the University of West Florida, and following her desire to help people she joined the US Peace Corps and served as a Health and Community Development Worker in a remote chain of coral atolls that make up the Republic of Kiribati. Maria became a nurse in 2009 and most recently joins us from White Wilson Medical Center where she worked for 8 years as a nurse and clinic supervisor. She is excited to use her experience and skills to serve the EOD community and their families.

1SG (Ret.) J.T. Crocker served 22 years of federal active service with the US Army, accumulating a combined 18 years of Active Duty and Civilian EOD/UXO experience. JT has dedicated the last 9 years of his life to suicide awareness and intervention within the EOD community. With this accumulated experience and conviction he will now turn his attention to his duties as the caretaker of the EOD Memorial, assume the role as an inter-agency liaison with multinational EOD support networks, and EODWF Volunteer Coordinator in order to support EOD service members, gold star family members, spouses, and children ensuring we remain an EOD family.

Makenzie Carlson joins the EOD Warrior Foundation as the Fundraising Events Coordinator. Along with this new position, she has been in the Air Force Reserves for the past 12 years. Makenzie believes morale events and support programs are a valuable way to help the EOD community come together and feels like this position will be truly rewarding. She is hoping to compassionately bring EOD families and the community together, and continue growing the support they need, while having fun at the same time.