Executive Committee

Kathy Sturla

Kathy is married and the mother of three grown sons and has 5 grandchildren. Two of her sons were active in the military. Her youngest son was severely injured in Iraq on September 22, 2004. Kathy has 20 years of experience as a student tour and travel operator. She is currently the office manager of Performing Arts Consultants, a company that runs music festivals for high school bands and choirs in every major city in the United States. She brings expertise in business and administration to the Executive Committee.

Sue Halliday

Sue and her husband, Mark, have been married for 27 years and have three grown children, ages 25, 22, and 18. She has been employed as a secretary at Butler High School in Butler, NJ for the past 11 years; currently working in the Guidance Department. She is a member of the First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains, NJ where she serves on the Congretational Life Committee and sings in the choir. Sue has done a lot of volunteer work over the years and feels passionate about helping our injured Marines and their families.

Dawn Kennedy

Dawn is married to David Kennedy who owns and runs a general contracting business. Dawn is responsible for the human resource and office operations of Kitchens and Baths by Kennedy Construction, Inc. She has many years of administrative experience in the human resource consulting business. They are the proud parents of three children ages 21, 20 and 15. Dawn has grown up in a military family having a grandfather who retired as a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy after a long and distinguished career. Her father also served in the Navy which is where he met her mother and now their oldest child is currently serving in the US Army. She is honored to be involved in an organization that serves our military and their families.

Sonja Talerico

Sonja is married with two beautiful grown daughters. Her husband, Joe, was in the Army National Guard for six years. Sonja is an Executive Assistant at Prudential Insurance where she has worked for the past 22 years. Working in such a diverse company, Sonja brings a myriad of experience from the Corporate business world. She is proud to be part of an organization that recognizes the need to help the injured from all areas of our military and their families.

Joe Morstatt

A retired New York City Firefighter, Joe currently resides in Orange County, NY with his wife Doreen, and three grown children. Assignments in the FDNY included Engine Company, Ladder Company, Special Operations Command, Marine Division, and personnel management at the Battalion level as a chief's aide. Joe was assigned and detailed for several months, to the rescue/recovery effort at the World Trade Center...on/post 9-11-01.

Joe believes our military and their families deserve our utmost admiration and support.

Board of Directors

David R. Groener

Dave Groener is Vice President, Global Supply Chain for the Colgate-Palmolive Company, with worldwide responsibility for all of Colgate's manufacturing, packaging, customer service, logistics, materials management, purchasing, and engineering operations.

During his distinguished 28-year Colgate career, Mr. Groener has also held key manufacturing positions in Mexico and New Zealand, served as Divisional Industrial Engineer for the Western Hemisphere, and worked for in Colgate's technology organization as Director of Engineering for Oral and Body Care manufacturing worldwide.

Mr. Groener is an outstanding developer of Colgate people, many of whom today hold key supply chain positions around the world. He is also a champion of product quality and providing a safe working environment in Colgate's manufacturing facilities around the world. He is a founding member of the Supply Chain Executive Board and a frequent speaker at supply chain conferences.

Mr. Groener holds an engineering degree from SUNY Maritime College.

Rick Jennings

Rick retired from a municipal law enforcement agency with the rank of Sergeant First Class on January 01, 2005. During his law enforcement career he worked in patrol, detective, undercover narcotics assignments as well as county-wide task force assignments. Rick founded and supervised the Community Services Bureau and was tasked with forming and training a regional Special Response Team (SWAT) in 2000. He commanded this unit until his retirement.

Rick was part of a team deployed to NYC on September 11, 2001 and provided security at the George Washington Bridge and Port Authority Police Headquarters. The regional SWAT team provided support to deployed Marine sniper teams in Afghanistan through the www.AmericanSnipers.org program.

Rick is married to Kathy and they have three sons, Mike, 25, Doug 17, and Rob, 15. He is also a member of the Special Forces Association and National Tactical Officers Association. Since his retirement it is his intention to make life miserable for anything with fins, fur or feathers.

Charles J. Valente

Charlie Valente was born in Staten Island, New York. At the age of seventeen Charlie joined the U. S. Marine Corps and served from 1967 thru 1971 active duty and from 1971 thru 1973 in the reserves. He served 2 tours in Viet Nam, with the 3rd tank battalion, 3rd Marine division and spent the remaining year of his service at Headquarters Marine Corps, Arlington, Virginia. He currently resides in Bloomingdale, New Jersey and has lived there for the last 8 years. Charlie has one very special daughter named Kristen. She graduated from Ramapo College in 2005 with full academic honors. She is now employed as a marketing manager for a company in Boonton, New Jersey. Charlie works for United Garage Door in Butler, New Jersey as an installer/Service tech. He has completed 2 years at Kean College and also attended DeVry Technical Institute and has an Associates degree in electronics.

William A. Montano

Bill was born in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, NY where he completed his grammar school years. His family relocated to New Jersey in 1963 and upon graduation from Boonton High School served in the United States Army from 1969-1971 which included a 13 month tour of duty as a combat engineer with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in the Republic of South Vietnam.

In 1973 Bill was appointed to the Pequannock Township Police Department where he served for 30 years and retired as Chief of Department.

Education background includes a Bachelor of Science degree from William Paterson College, Master of Arts degree from Seton Hall University, the Certified Managers Program from Rutgers University, the West Point Command and Leadership Program, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development School, and the 187th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

Bill currently resides in West Milford, NJ with wife Barbara and has two grown children, Bill & Lisa. Black labs Jeter & Ziggy complete the immediate family.