MEET THE JOEL FUND TEAM
MEET THE JOEL FUND TEAM
BROOKE DICKHART
Executive Director
Brooke is the daughter of a former Navy SEAL who suffered from PTSD, depression, and substance abuse. Brooke channeled her strong desire to help others like her dad and her frustration with the lack of treatment options available to veterans into creating The Joel Fund. Brooke brings her knowledge of entrepreneurship and personal experience to TJF in an effort to educate others about the hardships faced by our veterans. Brooke leads the TJF team and oversees fundraising, community involvement, and partnership development. Brooke is married and has three children. Brooke holds a B.S. from Virginia Tech.
EMILY KARRICK
Operation Furnish Program Coordinator
Emily has a background in social work and enjoys serving the community. She has a BA in Human Services from Columbia College and has experience working with at-risk populations including youth in foster care, homeless individuals, and the elderly population. Emily is a proud daughter of a Veteran who served his country as an Army CW5. She has a beautiful daughter, and they enjoy spending time at the beach and watching movies together. Emily is honored to be part of The Joel Fund and looks forward to giving back to the Veteran community.
KATIE BRASWELL
Operations and Marketing Manager
Katie is a creator, designer, and editor and desires to use her abilities to serve her community. Since moving to North Carolina from her home state of Indiana in 2015, she has honed and developed these strengths. Katie values faith and family above everything else. She is a proud wife of a Veteran who served his country in the Air Force Special Forces. She is a blessed momma of two handsome boys. Their time together is precious, so they make the most of it! They love trips to the family beach cottage as well as outdoor fun on the family farm. Katie understands firsthand the importance of support and camaraderie, especially within the veteran community. She believes we are all meant to serve others and our communities with our unique gifts. With The Joel Fund, Katie looks forward to making an impact in the lives of veterans and their families.
ISABELLA BREZENSKI
Operation ART Program Coordinator
Isabella was raised in Durham, NC by a Dutch mother and an American Army Veteran dad. They both supported her desire to perform and create art. She holds a BA in Drama with a minor in Psychology from UNC Greensboro and is fascinated by the intersection of art and healing. Isabella has been an acting teaching artist with the Town of Carrboro, Portland Stage in Maine, North Carolina Theatre, North Raleigh Arts and Creative Theatre, and Raleigh Little Theatre. Because Isabella was raised in a military family and her father deployed when she was young, she is honored to have the opportunity to support the Veteran community through the arts in her native North Carolina.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RICK BOWERS
Chairman of the Board
After a successful 36-year executive career at IBM, Rick decided it was time to step back to spend more time with his family, tune up his golf game, and give back to his community and others. Most recently, Rick served as an active board member for the United Way of the Greater Triangle. He is currently working as a fractional CTO with small companies transforming and implementing their business processes and systems. Rick’s grandfather was a veteran of WWI and his father was a Navy veteran. Rick is looking forward to working with The Joel Fund to serve our military community.
Rick currently lives in Raleigh, NC, with his wife Barbara and daughter Sabrina.
MIKE MCCARTNEY
Board Member
Mike McCartney is the son of an Army veteran and a longtime resident of North Carolina. Mike, his wife, and two daughters live in North Raleigh. In joining The Joel Fund’s board of directors, Mike looks to leverage his extensive board experience and deep connections in the Raleigh business community to help The Joel Fund better serve our veterans.
Jes Averhart
Board Member
Her time spent immersed in the startup scene also inspired her to co-found Black Wall Street Homecoming, a nonprofit aimed at closing the funding gap for Black and Brown tech founders. Earlier in her career, Jes launched a boutique production and marketing company specializing in providing professional management services for the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals & Cleveland Browns (NFL), Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA), the Procter & Gamble Company and Pepsi Cola North America.
Jes is also the host of the Reinvention Road Trip® Podcast and a frequently-requested speaker
DAN SANDEROFF
Vice Chairman of the Board
After a unique childhood that included 5 sets of legal guardians, Dan knew the Military was the right path for him. He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 through the delayed entry program. In the Navy, Dan served on the FFG 27 USS M.S. Tisdale and the DDG 56 USS John Paul Jones. He separated from the USN as a Gunner’s Mate 2nd class in 1999. After separation, Dan started working in the Security/Access Control industry as a construction assistant. After over 17 years with the same company, he manages the company’s regional markets’ installation and service. Dan finds time to keep in touch with his fellow Navy alums. Dan is excited to be involved in TJF, and this is his first Board Member position within a charity. He is a husband and proud father of two boys and loves the Redskins and his country.
THOMAS LINDGREN
Board Member
Tom is the son of a Marine Veteran who served during the Korean War.
He has also been on the Board of Oak City Cares since 2019 and is currently the Vice Chairman. He has been practicing law since 1982. He and his wife Maureen moved from New York to Raleigh in 2006 and have 3 children 2 of whom live in North Carolina. They are also the proud grandparents to Patrick and Marcus Lindgren.
MICHAEL MARTIN
Board Member
Michael Martin is a Producing Branch Manager at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation in Raleigh, North Carolina. Michael grew up in Alexandria, VA but moved to Sunset Beach in 1990. He graduated from East Carolina University in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Business. Shortly after, he decided that the mortgage industry is where he was meant to be and has been a loan officer for the past 21 years.
Michael has won several awards since beginning his career in the mortgage industry, beginning in 2002 when he won “Rookie of the Year.” The following three years he was fortunate to be named “Top Producer” before he began to learn more about his passion to lead people and got into Sales Management. Michael has been a President’s Club winner each year from 2008-2021, during an unprecedented time in the industry.
In 2017, Michael opened his own branch within Fairway Mortgage and is now able to follow both passions of working directly with clients while leading a customer-focused sales team. Martin Mortgage Group (MMG) strives for excellence in customer service in order to turn every client into a Raving Fan. MMG also regularly enjoys giving back to the community; from team volunteer days to donating to one of three charities (The Joel Fund, LLS, or Habitat of Wake Co) after every closing, Michael is truly grateful for the opportunity to serve others.
Michael’s family military connection includes his dad (army), grandad (Army), uncle (Navy), aunt (Navy), cousin (Army Ranger), and another uncle (Army). Michael “feels very grateful for what the folks in the military do every day.” He serves Veterans nearly every month by helping them purchase homes, many using their VA benefits.Michael lives in Raleigh with his wife Tonya, and daughter Finley and their boxer, Riggins.