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.
LANDREY YOUNG
MARKETING & OUTREACH MANAGER
Landrey is a dedicated community relations professional, with a background in marketing, event-planning, and strategic partnerships. She moved to North Carolina from Texas in 2021 to be with her husband, stationed at Fort Liberty, and she has since prioritized serving her new community. Landrey currently volunteers and serves as the Co-Chairperson of the Fayetteville Area Community Cohesion Committee, and on the Board of Directors of Off-Road Outreach, a Fayetteville-based nonprofit serving and advocating for homeless Veterans. She received her BBA in Business Management from Angelo State University and is currently pursuing an MSM in Leadership from Troy University. Landrey is honored to use her skills and unique perspective to continue supporting the Veteran and Military community with The Joel Fund.
ISABELLA BREZENSKI
Operation ART Program Manager
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.
ALLIE ANDERSON
COMMUNITY CARE MANAGER
Allie is the proud daughter of two Air Force veterans, sister to an Air Force officer, and wife to an active duty Army soldier who also comes from an extensive military background. She obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Auburn University in 2020. Since then she has worked with several nonprofit organizations assisting vulnerable populations in various capacities, but has always felt called back to the military community. She is eager to serve The Triangle Area by connecting veterans to available resources and encouraging the community to get involved with The Joel Fund.
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.
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.
DERRICK WARE
Board Member
Derrick Ware currently serves as the Chief Product Officer and Head of Engineering at Tautuk™, a leading device identity company specializing in developing unobtrusive security and resilience solutions for Operational Technology environments. With his extensive background in technology and business, Derrick brings valuable insights and expertise to drive strategic decision-making and foster innovation within the organization.
Hailing from Moncure, North Carolina, Derrick pursued his education at North Carolina State University and North Carolina Wesleyan University, earning degrees in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration. These strong foundations have equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between technology and business.
Derrick’s professional journey began as an F-15E “Strike Eagle” crew chief in the United States Air Force, where he developed invaluable skills in precision and attention to detail. Following his military service, he transitioned to IBM, specializing in hardware and software solutions, further expanding his technical expertise.
Beyond his technical prowess, Derrick’s commitment to social impact is evident through his founding of a mission-driven technology company.
Additionally, he has served as a founding board member for a public-private partnership aimed at positioning North Carolina as the premier state for military employment. His dedication to creating positive change is reflected not only in his professional endeavors but also in his active engagement within the community.
Residing in Wake Forest, NC, Derrick takes great pride in his role as a husband to his wife, Jenna, and a father to his four children, including one daughter and three boys. His ability to balance his personal and professional life showcases his exceptional leadership and commitment to fostering a harmonious work-life integration.
BRANT IRELAND
Board Member
SFC Brant Ireland is currently serving at 3rd Special Forces Group as the lead of their Human Performance and Wellness Program. These efforts are focused primarily on Human, Spiritual, Social, and Behavioral Performance of the soldiers and their families, working to promote resilience as they navigate through the peaks and Valleys of a Special Operations Career, and to best prepare them for success after they take off the uniform. Prior to this ,Ireland had spent the previous 18 years as a Special Forces Medic and Intelligence Sergeant in 3rd Special Forces Group. During his time there, he completed Seven Combat Deployments to Afghanistan in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
During his Sixth Deployment, while on a night combat operation in the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan, Ireland suffered a severe injury to his left leg. He was medically evacuated back to the United States where he underwent nearly 20 surgeries over the next two years trying to salvage the leg. Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best efforts, Ireland made the difficult decision to have his leg amputated above the knee almost two years to the day of the original injury. With the support of his family, friends, and unit, Ireland was able to return to work for 3rd SFG as the unit’s Wounded Warrior Liaison to the Command. In this role, he was able to use his past experiences to support and advocate for other wounded warriors and their families as they faced life altering injuries, both visible and invisible.
Prior to joining the military, Ireland earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Indiana Tech University, where he also played four years of Varsity Baseball. Athletics had always played a huge role in his life, so after the amputation, Ireland had a hard time adjusting to life without it. Adaptive Sports became a huge part of his rehabilitation. Recently, he had the honor of being named Captain of Team USA in the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia and has competed in the Department of Defense Warrior Games.
Ireland and his wife of 19 years, Tanya, have two beautiful daughters, Reece and Mackenna. They currently reside in Willow Spring, NC.
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.
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
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.