We Are United
After The Uniform

Mike Hutchings is an accomplished and visionary leader, widely recognized for his role as the CEO of Combined Arms, a prominent organization dedicated to supporting veterans and their successful transition into civilian life. With a deep-rooted commitment to service and a passion for making a meaningful impact, Mike has spearheaded numerous initiatives that have positively transformed the lives of veterans and their families.

Drawing upon his own experience as a veteran and his understanding of the challenges faced during the transition process, Mike has been at the forefront of driving innovation and change within Combined Arms. His leadership has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization into a dynamic force that uses a proprietary technology platform to effectively bridge the gap between military service and civilian life across the nation.

With an impressive background that combines military service, corporate expertise, and a genuine empathy for veterans' needs, Mike brings a unique perspective to his role as CEO. Prior to leading Combined Arms, he served with distinction in the US Army, gaining firsthand insight into the realities of military life and the complexities veterans encounter when reintegrating into society.

Under Mike's visionary guidance, Combined Arms has flourished as a catalyst for change and a comprehensive resource for veteran, growing from a regional to a national levels. He has fostered a culture of collaboration, forging partnerships with government entities, nonprofits, corporations, and community organizations to create a robust support network. Through these strategic alliances, Combined Arms has been able to offer an array of tailored services, including career transition support, education and training, mental health resources, housing assistance, and access to healthcare.

Mike has testified before the Senate and House numerous times, and in 2022 was named one of the top Influential Military people in the United States. In 2023, Mike was distinguished in his nomination and acceptance to the Essential Services Task Force for the State of Texas, an initiative focused on bridging the digital divide and increasing broadband accessibility for all Texans. Mike has earned numerous accolades and distinctions, showcasing his exceptional abilities and potential in both for-profit and non-profit roles. Notably, he was selected for the esteemed Bush Institute's Veteran Presidential Scholar Program, the AMEX Leadership Academy and for GE's Executive Leadership Program, highlighting his outstanding track record and aptitude for high-stakes leadership roles.

Mia Garcia is a native Houstonian and proud Texan. She enlisted in the Marine Corps just before 9/11; served multiple enlistments with both active and reserve components, including a deployment in support of Operation Enduring & Iraqi Freedom. After serving 8 years and earning the rank of Sergeant, she received an honorable discharge in 2011.  After transitioning from the Marines, she served as a volunteer for Lone Star Veterans Association (LSVA) where she found her passion to encourage and assist fellow veterans, ensuring they are connected with the resources they need to successfully transition. In her most recent role with NextOp, Mia led a team of 8 in an organized effort to recruit, train, and help place over 2,200 middle enlisted military leaders into industry careers. Mia is passionate about positively impacting the veteran community and actively participates in activities focused on ensuring no veteran falls through the cracks.

Bryan is the Product Owner of Combined Arms' technology. He currently leads the organization's Technology & Innovation Department as well as all national expansion efforts, serving as the chief consultant to states seeking to establish a data-driven collaborative model for social impact. Most recently, Bryan became a 2023 Presidential Scholar at the G.W. Bush Presidential Center through the Stand To Veteran Leadership Program.

In 2003, Bryan enlisted into the United States Marine Corps as a Combat Engineer. He completed three tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He attained the rank of Sergeant and was awarded the Purple Heart, Navy Achievement Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon. Bryan returned to his hometown of Houston, Texas to pursue a degree in Communications, with minors in both Philosophy & Psychology, from the University of Houston-Downtown. 

In 2010, while in college, Bryan started to apply his military leadership to community leadership. He started five veteran-focused nonprofit programs and delivered lectures centered on developing a positive post-military identity. Bryan specializes in blending software and collaborative community strategy to create large scale networks of veteran-services. 

As the Expansion Manager, he is responsible for overseeing the expansion utilizing the Salesforce platform into other cities that are requesting the services of Combined Arms. He spent time at Azimuth DS assisting with developing and implementing the Salesforce platform for their clients mainly focusing on Veteran Service Organizations. Prior to that, he was at NextOp assisting veterans gain meaningful employment while managing their Salesforce platform. As a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, he understands the transition phase and how Combined Arms can play in integral part in a veteran's success.

As Technology Platform Manager, Nainita is responsible for Combined Arms  operational and tactical execution of technology objectives. She started her career as Software Engineer at Siemens Information Systems Limited after her Bachelors Degree in Information Technology. She brings in more than 10 years of technology project management and consulting experience for clients in packaged food, manufacturing, telecommunication, media, travel and IT services industries. Prior to Combined arms, she worked with Tata Consultancy Services for several international clients in various countries including Sweden, UK, Germany, India, and USA where she led and implemented IT service management projects. 

As a Business Systems Analyst, John is responsible for developing analytics supporting the Combined Arms veteran and services provider community performance. He started his career as a programmer for a major wood products and paper company in the Pacific Northwest after achieving his Bachelor Degree in Applied Mathematics. Working with data forecasting models led him to his MBA focused on Operations Research and Accounting. He brings over 30 years experience in the IT industry working as a business systems analyst, project manager, architect and independent contractor. Vertical markets include insurance, manufacturing, retail, property management and logistics. Prior to Combined Arms, he has worked as an independent contractor for companies in the logistics, sportswear/footwear and property management business marketplaces.

As a Salesforce Engineer, Ronaldo is responsible for helping the Combined Arms technical team to get the best out of the Salesforce platform, as well as helping to adopt the best market practices for improving business and development processes. Ronaldo has been working in the technology area for more than 11 years as a Developer, Architect, and/or Project Manager for clients in various segments such as human resources, banks, tourism, insurance companies, among others. Before working at Combined Arms he served as Salesforce Architect for companies in Brazil and the United Kingdom where he implemented several Salesforce clouds such as Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Community Cloud, Marketing Cloud.

Working as a Salesforce and ETL Developer for Combined Arms, Gagan Is responsible for handing Salesforce Development and Admin tasks. Having 7 Years of experience as an IT professional, he has worked with various clients in the Banking and Life Sciences domains. Gagan has prior experience with multiple technologies including Salesforce CRM (Sales Cloud applications), ETL (Informatica Powercenter, Data Modeling, and Data Warehousing), SQL, and Reporting (Einstein Analytics) by incorporating agile and waterfall methodologies. In his prior experience, he coordinated and managed technical teams to ensure timely delivery on projects, consulted businesses through analyzing and gathering requirements, and recommending innovative technical solutions.

Earl brings his expertise with an Associates Degree in Exercise Science and specializes in adaptive training. He has been heavily involved in mentoring youth and volunteering in several organizations in the Houston area and is a formally trained peer mentor. His main purpose is to rally the veteran community and to inform them about the benefits of physical activity. He is providing free fitness classes, wellness events, and seminars to help educate in an environment that will be welcoming for the veteran and their families. Through teamwork, motivation, and encouragement he will strive to teach others veterans how to break their own mental thresholds through exercise. Earl is a Purple Heart recipient and the third generation in his family to serve in 82nd Airborne Division.

Sharon serves as the Combined Arms Central Texas Regional Manager focusing on connecting transitioning service members, veterans and their families with community leaders and member organizations.   As a native Virginian, Sharon relocated to Austin TX in 2013 following her former husband's Naval retirement after a 25 year career. Sharon has worked in various roles with the Fleet & Family Support Centers (FFSC) on the east and west coast to include teaching life skills, activating reservists post 9-11, and manning an emergency family call center following catastrophic events. Most recently Sharon was a Corporate Sales Manager for an outdoor consumer brand and wanted to find her way back to helping the veteran community. Her personal experience as a NSW spouse along with her professional experience working with the FFSC exposed her to the challenges transitioning veterans and their families can face. 

Krystle was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania (the setting of the TV Show “The Office”).  In May of 2000, she joined the Navy as an Avionics Tech at age 17. After her first six years of service, she became a Navy Counselor for her remaining 13 years of Naval service. During her 20-year career, she was stationed at various squadrons and a reserve center. Additionally, she served as a formal instructor and part of a traveling inspection team. After retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, she was hired as a Veteran Case Manager and School Certifying Official for the Community Learning Center, providing training and employment services to veterans and their immediate family members within the DFW Metroplex for two years while passionately advocating for the services provided by Texas Veterans Network.

Megan joined the Combined Arms team as the North Texas Regional Manager in August 2021. She previously served on our Texas Veterans Network team as a program specialist in our North Texas Region, connecting veterans and their families members to community resources. Megan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Leadership, five years of nonprofit experience serving veterans, and a lifetime of military culture. She is a Texas native but moved coast to coast as a military brat from the time she was born. Her passion to serve comes from her family history, her grandpa was a pilot during Vietnam, her dad is a Retired USMC Colonel, and her youngest brother and brother-in-law are both serving as active duty. Megan's role as the North Texas Regional Manager is to ensure veterans and their families have access to the best resources available and thrive in their communities. 

Sally is an active duty military spouse who recently joined Combined Arms through a fellowship awarded by Hiring Our Heroes. She has almost 12 years of management and customer service experience. Originally from Texas, she has lived all over the country but currently resides on the coast of Oregon. Her dedication and enthusiasm for helping others is what drew her to this organization. She is excited to be part of the team at Combined Arms, working alongside the dedicated individuals who tirelessly support and provide essential resources for the military community. 

Kala is an active duty military spouse who joined Combined Arms through a fellowship awarded to her by Hiring our Heroes.   She brings almost 10 years of experience providing technical support across a number of different organizations and platforms with a focus on K-12 education and technology.  Born and raised in California, she has also spent time in Washington State and recently returned to the San Diego area for her husband’s most recent PCS.  She has a passion for helping others and is excited to join the team at Combined Arms to grow and learn from the amazing people who work every day to support and provide the resources the military community  deserves.

David Archuleta serves as the South Texas Regional Manager for the Texas Veterans Network Powered by Combined Arms. In this capacity, his skill sets will complement and blend three Combined Arms verticals of Collaboration, Community Outreach, and Veteran Engagement. These efforts are added value in providing services to the military – connected communities of San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, and Rio Grande Valley. After 25 years of service in the United States Army, David retired as a Command Sergeant Major from JBSA - Fort Sam Houston. He holds a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership, multiple military deployments, to include, both Iraq and Afghanistan and has been awarded the Bronze Star and Legion of Merit. David joined the Texas Veterans Network Powered by Combined Arms because of his deep passion for assisting Transitioning Service Members, Veterans, and Military Spouses.

Erika is a proud wife of an Air Force veteran and daughter of an Army veteran. In 2020, Erika first joined Combined Arms as an Intake Specialist Intern. After graduating from Texas State University with her Master’s degree in Social Work, she joined Grace After Fire as their Intake Coordinator and was there for two years. In 2023, Erika returned to Combined Arms as a Social Services Specialist. In her current role, Erika works one-on-one with Veterans and their families. She brings her great attitude and compassion to every encounter.

Martha joined the Combined Arms team as the West Texas Regional Manager in April of 2022. Previously, she served as an Outreach/Follow-up Specialist in El Paso, Texas, where she worked closely with homeless veterans and their families. Martha holds an Associates of Art in Business Administration and has two years of veteran nonprofit experience, and a lifetime of military culture. She is a Texas native but moved coast to coast as a military spouse from the time she graduated high school.. Her passion to serve comes from her family, they have served and continue to serve in different capacities throughout the country. Martha's role as the West Texas Regional Manager is to ensure veterans and their families have access to the best resources available and thrive in their communities.

Sheetara Johnson serves as the Social Services Specialist at Combined Arms. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and is responsible for directly assisting veterans with getting connected to resources to meet their daily needs. She brings experience from various social services avenues including The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD and Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Sheetara feels passionate about helping our active duty and veteran community as she is the daughter of retired US Army Veterans, the spouse of a US Navy veteran and the sister of an Active-Duty U.S. Air Force service member. 

 Khalil was born and raised in Herat, Afghanistan. He was ten years old when the Taliban took control, forcing him to drop out of school. During this time, Khalil did what he could to earn extra money for his family and began studying English. When coalition forces ousted the Taliban regime, Khalil returned to school and started a travelling theater troupe that performed in nearby villages. Their performances educated people on the importance of voting in the upcoming first-ever democratic elections. 

After graduating high school, Khalil worked as a plumber on various contracts with the U.S. government, building infrastructure to help the Afghan National Army. His English studies paid off as he interacted with American troops, and he was eventually offered a new position as an interpreter. He spent the next 5 years working with U.S. and coalition forces all around Afghanistan. He developed close relationships with the people he served with which continue to this day. In December 2019, Khalil finally received his Special Immigrant Visa to live in the United States. His brother had been living and working in Houston since 2017, so he too chose to make Houston his home.

Jason is a proud US Army veteran who served as a Cavalry Scout with the 1st Cav Division out of Fort Hood, TX. After serving in the Army, Jason began working with two US House of Representatives in Ohio as their constituent services representative and helping with local veteran organizations. Once the campaign season hit, he was a campaign manager for one of them and assisted with digital marketing and website design with the other. Also, during this time, he used his VA education benefits to complete a degree in business communications with Excelsior College. Jason joined Combined Arms because of his passion for assisting fellow veterans and their families with the proper resources in making them successful as they settle into their post-military civilian lives. Jason currently lives in Canton, OH, with his two German Shepherd dogs, Reagan and Teddy. 

Doug is founder and owner of Sallyport Investments, LLC. and is the former chairman, president, and chief executive officer of El Paso Corporation. He brings over 30 years of experience in the energy industry. Foshee has been actively involved in civic and philanthropic endeavors for many years. He founded and is a director of NextOp Vets, a non-profit organization that provides job placement assistance, mentorship, support, and education for Veterans. He also supports scholarship programs at Rice University, separately at the Jones School at Rice University, at Baylor University, at Texas State University and at the Texas Business Hall of Fame for military veterans.

Lauren Gore is a Principal and co-founder of LDR Investment Group (LDR). LDR is a growth and innovation advisory firm specializing in growth initiatives for financial institutions. LDR has a strong track record working with management teams to enhance growth and innovation projects. Outside of LDR, Lauren is a member of the Boards of Directors at Communities in School and Combined Arms, where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Board. 

Ashley is a Tax Director at Kinder Morgan-Houston, focusing on partnership taxation and mergers & acquisitions primarily in the midstream oil & gas market. Prior to Kinder Morgan, Ashley worked for Copano Energy and PKF of Texas. A University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate and Phi Mu Fraternity alumni, Ashley is the wife of Marine Corps Corporal Christopher Eastin, a post-9/11 veteran. When not supporting the Combined Arms Spouses Group, she serves on the PTO at Saint Anne Catholic School, volunteers for the Saint Anne School Foundation, assists in coaching soccer, and is Troop Treasurer for her daughter's Girl Scout troop.

As Treasurer, Andrew works with the Managing Director of Combined Arms to oversee the financial aspects of the organization. His expertise in finance, tax, treasury, budgeting and forecasting, in addition to general business and management experience, helps ensure Combined Arms is operating with stewardship, service, and efficiency to serve veterans in Houston. 

Jonny is a partner and co-founder of Allen & Havens LLP, a veteran-owned personal injury law firm that focuses on helping clients who have suffered serious personal injuries.  Jonny deployed to Iraq twice as an U.S. Army infantry officer and is passionate about helping veterans transition from the military to civilian life.  When he is not serving clients or veterans, Jonny and his wife, Anna, can be found watching their three daughters pursue their passions on the field, in the gym, or in the theater.  They can also be found serving the St. Anne Catholic Community through various ministries.

David brings 35 years of oil and gas industry experience to the Combined Arms board, helping to align the organization with partners throughout the Houston area who can support veterans with funds, resources and career opportunities. He provides fundraising and positioning expertise, as well as the perspective of a civilian voice helping the board see how to best reach those in the community.

Jeff Hart is a Partner with McKinsey & Company and a leader of its Global Energy and Analytics practices. Serving clients across sectors and geographies, Jeff taps his deep analytics expertise to help industry leaders improve their operations, through initiatives ranging from organization-wide digital and analytics transformations to programs to improve capital project performance. Over the last few years, Jeff supported the Combined Arms team on their expansion plan and roll-out.

Jeff graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and spent 11 years as a Navy fighter pilot with more than 1,500 hours in the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet. Following service, he earned an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania before joining McKinsey & Company. Jeff lives in North Houston with his wife, Jennie, and their three children.

Jerry Lasco began his restaurant career in 2003 opening The Tasting Room in Houston, Texas.  Today, Jerry is the Founder and CEO of Lasco Enterprises, which owns and operates 7 restaurants in Texas under the brands The Tasting Room Wine Cafe's Wine Dive and Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden. Over the years Lasco Enterprises has been recognized as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Texas, The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, Houston's Top Workplaces, and Best Places to Work in San Antonio. In 2014, Jerry was named Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year for the Gulf Coast States. The company is committed to giving back to its community and strongly supports local charities and community organizations, including GenesysWorks, JDRF and Combined Arms.

Jerry graduated from the US Air Force Academy and spent 13 years as a pilot with the Air Force and then Continental Airlines.  Before moving to Houston in 2001, he lived in New York City where he attended Peter Kump's Cooking School and pursued a sommelier certification with The Court of Master Sommeliers.  Jerry lives in Houston with his wife, Laura and their two boys, Max and Jack.

Brooks Ballard is an experienced leader with success as a real estate professional and leader committed to developing business relationships within the Houston community. Over 28 years in industry experience, including a board membership, attest to his capacity to serve an organization. Nominated personally by the Mayor of Houston for three separate appointments, Mr. Ballard is a ten-year veteran of the Citizen Review Committee Board of the Houston Police Department for the City of Houston. Through this leadership position Mr. Ballard brought positive changes to the department, supporting the Mayor's efforts to connect communities with law enforcement.

Bill Pritchett is General Counsel of CAM Industrial Solutions LLC, a market leader in industrial maintenance, turnarounds, power operations & maintenance, and small capital projects in the United States and Canada. Bill graduated from the United States Naval Academy and was later designated a Naval Aviator. He deployed to Southeast Asia in 2005 and flew missions in the P-3C Orion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines. He later became a primary flight instructor in the T-34C Turbomentor. He is also an active member of the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association Texas Gulf Coast Chapter.

David Ulrey serves as a manager of corporate development with National Oilwell Varco (NOV) in Houston, assisting NOV with mergers, acquisitions, and corporate planning. Prior to joining NOV, David was an energy investment banker with Simmons & Company International, focused on mergers, acquisitions, and capital markets transactions in the oilfield services sector. David served for five years as a financial management officer in the U.S. Army, during which time he deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and was stationed at the U.S. Army Garrison Italy in Vicenza and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. 

Rear Admiral Sweredoski served over thirty years of military service with the U.S. Navy retiring in 2015 as the Admiral leading the HR Reserve community where she was responsible for the strategic growth, direction and well-being of the HR Reserve community. As a Flag Officer, she also worked for the Chief of Naval Personnel in the Military Personnel Policy office including Diversity and Inclusion (D&I).

As the Navy’s Lead in the Congressionally-mandated Women in Service Review, Rear Admiral Sweredoski oversaw the development of all the Navy’s studies and reports to the Secretary of Defense and provided expert testimony to Congress on Navy's plan to integrate women into 27,000 additional positions in 2016. Efforts directly led to the opening of over 16,000 submarine positions 17 months ahead of the required deadline and the opening of all positions to females (including Navy SEALS).

She served a three-year assignment on the Secretary of the Navy’s National Navy Reserve Policy Board, and as a member of the Human Resources Executive Board. She served in several Commanding Officer tours and a variety of staff tours including NATO, Navy Inspector General and the Chief of Naval Operations Management Analysis unit. She proudly served with Navy Command Center shipmates who were awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for actions during, and after, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

After retiring from the Navy, Rear Admiral Sweredoski used her extensive Human Resources background and experience in talent management, policy and strategy development, management consulting and multi-organizational collaboration as a Principal Executive Advisor within CEB’s (now Gartner) Human Resources (HR) Practice. CEB-HR Practice enables HR executives and their teams to execute efficiently, benchmark performance against best-in-class metrics and achieve critical business objectives through successful talent and functional strategies. CEB insights and global network help organizations work smarter and faster and deliver superior outcomes.

Rear Admiral Sweredoski received her Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from the University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y. after completing the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program. She has her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification and SHRM (CP) certification, has completed the Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) program and is a graduate of Reserve Component programs at National Defense University and Naval War College.

William H. Ahmanson (Bill) was born and raised in Los Angeles, attended Harvard-Westlake School and Occidental College where he studied Political Science, Theater Arts and sculpture.  During college he began a career in banking at Home Savings of America, where he worked for 17 years, beginning his career as a teller and ending his career there as the Chief Underwriter for Home's California Residential Lending Division, responsible for all high risk loans funded in the state.  After 6 years in Union Bank’s Wealth Management Division, Bill retired from banking and is now President of The Ahmanson Foundation which concentrates its funding on cultural projects supporting the arts, education at the collegiate and pre-collegiate levels, medicine and delivery of health care services, programs related to homelessness and low-income populations, and a wide range of human services.  In 1986 he began his service to the City of Los Angeles as a Los Angeles Police Reserve Line Officer.  After 10 years of patrol he retired to focus on other of service.  Today he is Trustee & President, The Ahmanson Foundation; Trustee and Board Chair, The Center Theater Group; Trustee, Vice-Chair of the Board, Chairman of the Audit Committee, serves on the Executive Committee at LACMA (The Los Angeles County Museum of Art); Trustee and serves on the Audit Committee, Loyola Marymount University; Director and Secretary, Petersen Automotive Museum; Director and Secretary of the Los Angeles Mounted Police Foundation; among others.