Background

Bryan Stern is a career Joint Special Operations and Strategic Intelligence Officer with nearly 30 years of service, specializing in politically sensitive and complex problem sets. Throughout his career, Stern has advised, led, designed, resourced, and executed some of the most high-profile and sensitive missions deep behind enemy lines around the world.

He is a subject matter expert in defensive and offensive counterintelligence operations, irregular warfare, non-standard supply chain and logistics, and the development of human and physical infrastructure supporting personnel recovery. Stern is a Purple Heart recipient, 9/11 First Responder and survivor, and combat veteran of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy.

As Chairman of Grey Bull Rescue, Stern directs global crisis response, rescue, and evacuation efforts supporting American citizens, private-sector partners, and international organizations in war zones and denied areas. He is frequently sought out by senior decision-makers and national and international media for insight into breaking global crises, evacuation operations, and conditions on the ground.

Background

Samuel “Sam” Howell is an energetic, hands-on financial executive and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in finance, accounting, and business management. He currently serves as Founder and Manager of GoldmanWolfe, where he oversees operations across multiple markets and helps organizations improve financial visibility, strengthen operations, and achieve sustainable growth.

Howell is known for guiding organizations through periods of transformation. His work spans company turnarounds, interim CFO leadership, controller and accounting services, audit preparation, government and municipal finance, SEC financial reporting, funding assistance, diligence services, and financial reporting for private and nonprofit organizations.

As Chief Financial Officer of Grey Bull Rescue, Howell brings this experience to the organization’s financial stewardship, supporting responsible growth, operational readiness, and the resources required to execute missions effectively.

Background

[Full bio coming soon.]

Background

Sunshine is a seasoned executive operations professional with more than 20 years of experience supporting senior leadership across Florida’s government, legal, and military communities. She currently serves at the State Attorney’s Office, as the Executive Assistant to the State Attorney. She contributes to high-level legal coordination, case support, and victim-centered advocacy with precision, discretion, and a signature warmth that defines her leadership style.

Her public-service background includes roles supporting statewide elected officials, including the Florida Lieutenant Governor and the Florida Senate, where she managed complex operations, strategic communication, and constituent engagement across diverse and high-pressure environments.

A proud veteran of the United States Army, Sunshine served twenty years, including seventeen years within Special Operations Forces, where she honed her expertise in strategic planning, mission execution, and operational leadership. Her military career shaped her disciplined, mission-focused approach to public service and professional excellence.

Sunshine earned her two Bachelors of Science first in Organizational Leadership, following one in Professional & Organizational Communication from Penn State University, a foundation that strengthens her work in law, policy, and strategic operations. Known for her intentional communication style, Southern-rooted elegance, and ability to bring clarity and dignity into any room, Sunshine is a trusted presence in every space she enters.

Background

Ray Rambowski is an accomplished business leader and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building teams, scaling organizations, and leading companies through periods of growth and transformation. Known for his energetic leadership style and forward-looking approach, he has built a career around identifying opportunity, strengthening operations, and creating environments where people and organizations can perform at a higher level.

Rambowski joined Spray-Tek in 2010 and held leadership roles across operations and business development before becoming Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the company has continued to expand its capabilities and market presence while maintaining a strong focus on innovation, performance, and organizational culture.

In addition to Spray-Tek, Rambowski serves as CEO of Raydar Entertainment & Consulting. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children.

Background

Andrew “Andy” Wilson is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major with a distinguished 20-year career in Special Operations. Following his retirement in 2009, he transitioned his executive leadership experience into entrepreneurship, building a portfolio of companies through startups, strategic acquisitions, and defense-sector ventures.

Wilson is the Founder & CEO of Endurion and has held leadership roles across several technology, analytics, and government contracting enterprises. In 2013, he founded Quiet Professionals, LLC, expanding his work in defense contracting, technology, and mission support. He has also served in leadership roles with Echo Analytics Group and Scion Analytics.

A longtime advocate for the Greater Tampa Bay defense and technology community, Wilson has supported AUVSI, the CEO Council of Tampa Bay, NDIA Tampa Chapter, the Florida Defense Contractors Association, and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Military Council. He is also an inventor with a U.S. utility patent for navigation technology and an Executive Producer of the feature film “115 Grains.”

Wilson is an Ambassador for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and has dedicated significant time and resources to veteran and law-enforcement-focused nonprofits. Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, he and his team participated in private-sector evacuation efforts supporting Americans and Afghan allies.

Background

Tristan Rizzi is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL Captain with more than 26 years of Naval service, including nine-plus combat deployments, hundreds of operations, and senior strategic assignments across Naval Special Warfare and U.S. Special Operations Command.

At USSOCOM, Rizzi served as Chief of the Program Analysis & Evaluations Division and Special Programs Assessment Director, leading development of a five-year program and resource proposal exceeding $67 billion and concurrently managing a recurring program exceeding $4.5 billion annually in support of sensitive special activities.

He was also hand-selected to serve as Naval Special Warfare’s Surface Systems Program Manager, leading a 53-person team across nine combatant craft programs totaling more than $450 million. His maritime expertise contributed to development of craft capabilities for demanding operating environments, including the South China Sea.

Today, Rizzi serves as President of StormQuant, a technology company developing advanced weather software and radar systems. He holds a master’s degree from the U.S. Naval War College, a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, and acquisition certifications from Defense Acquisition University.

Background

Damon Petracci is a Marine Corps veteran, pilot, and aviation executive with extensive experience across specialized flight operations and aviation management. He is the founder and owner of a global aviation solutions company, delivering operational expertise and mission-focused aviation services to clients around the world.

Born in Santa Rosa, California, and raised in the farming and logging communities of rural Oregon, Petracci served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an Infantry Rifleman. His military service instilled a foundation in adaptability, problem-solving, discipline, and mission accomplishment.

Following military service, Petracci launched his aviation career as a pilot in the utility helicopter industry. His operational experience includes international disaster response, wildland firefighting, seismic exploration, utility construction, VIP transport, aerial survey, oil and gas support, and powerline construction.

Background

Noel R. Boeke is a business attorney at Holland & Knight with broad experience helping organizations navigate complex legal, financial, and operational challenges. His practice spans bankruptcy and loan workouts, real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, creditors’ rights litigation, business contract negotiations, and Uniform Commercial Code matters.

Before entering private practice, Boeke served more than seven years in the U.S. Navy. He spent two years on the Headquarters Staff of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in Washington, D.C., supporting Naval shipbuilding and engineering services contracts, followed by five years at Newport News Shipbuilding as the Navy’s on-site contracts and financial representative for nuclear-related shipbuilding, overhaul, and business matters.

Boeke serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Saint Leo University and is an active board member of the Special Forces Transition Assistance Resource. He also regularly provides pro bono counsel to veterans.

Background

Michael Schoelwer brings 41 years of combined service in the U.S. Marine Corps and Central Intelligence Agency to Grey Bull Rescue. He began his career in the Marine Corps, ultimately retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel after leading infantry units through the company level and serving on staffs from infantry battalion to theater level.

After 13 years of active-duty service, Schoelwer transferred to the Marine Corps Reserve and joined the CIA’s Directorate of Operations. Over a 28-year CIA/DO career, he completed seven overseas tours, including three in conflict zones and three in war zones.

His intelligence career progressed from frontline operational assignments overseas to managing multimillion-dollar programs and forming and leading CIA task forces, multi-agency teams, and multinational coalitions in support of critical U.S. national security objectives.

Schoelwer is also a published author, earned three college degrees, worked professionally in Spanish, Russian, and German, and became an instrument-rated private pilot.

Background

Lieutenant General (Ret.) James B. “Jamie” Jarrard brings nearly four decades of combat leadership and an extraordinary career inside America’s Special Operations enterprise. His service spans conventional and special operations commands, sensitive missions, joint task forces, and strategic leadership across some of the world’s most demanding environments.

Selected for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), Jarrard served in multiple leadership positions within the unit, including troop and squadron command and ultimately command of 1st SFOD-D. His Special Mission Unit experience includes intelligence-driven operations, counterterrorism, hostage rescue and recovery, irregular warfare, and sensitive activities in denied and geopolitically complex environments.

Jarrard later served as Commander, Special Operations Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve and as Director of Operations (J3), U.S. Special Operations Command, helping oversee consequential global Special Operations activities at the enterprise level. His career also included senior command and strategic leadership across the Indo-Pacific.

His regional experience spans Asia and the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, providing Grey Bull Rescue with deep perspective on great-power competition, hostile states and networks, partner operations, and the intersection of tactical action, strategic impact, and geopolitical consequence.

As a member of Grey Bull Rescue’s Board of Advisors, Jarrard brings the operational judgment, strategic perspective, and Special Mission Unit experience developed over a career spent operating where stakes are high, access is limited, and there is little margin for error.

Background

Sean Pybus is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL Vice Admiral and longtime Special Operations leader whose career spans senior command, global operations, national security strategy, and defense advisory work.

Pybus leads The Pybus Group, where he provides national security and defense counsel to organizations across industry and academia. Throughout his military career, he held senior leadership roles including Deputy Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and Commander of Special Operations Command Pacific.

His assignments took him across South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific. He remains closely connected to the Special Operations community and continues to support capability development, readiness, and understanding in a dynamic security environment.

Pybus is Chairman Emeritus of the Navy SEAL Foundation and Chairman of the Board for the Special Operations Memorial Foundation. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame in 2021.

Background

Jim Linder is a retired U.S. Army Major General and Green Beret with more than three decades of command experience across Special Operations, intelligence, and national security organizations. His service took him to more than 70 countries across Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South America.

As a General Officer, Linder helped create new operational capabilities and accelerate the development of Afghan Special Forces. He later commanded U.S. Special Operations across the African continent and served as Commandant of the Army’s premier Center of Excellence for selecting and training Special Operations Forces.

He subsequently commanded U.S. and NATO Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan and later served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Special Operations Command, helping lead an organization of approximately 80,000 personnel with an operating budget exceeding $13 billion.

Today, Linder serves as President of Tenax Aerospace and serves on Spirit of America’s advisory board.

Background

Michael Anne Casey-Tyler brings more than two decades of leadership at the highest levels of U.S. national security, including 27 years at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service.

During her CIA career, she led and integrated highly sensitive programs, developed global intelligence strategies, and worked closely with U.S. military, law enforcement, private-sector, and allied partners. Most recently, she served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Integration within the CIA Directorate of Science & Technology, helping bridge technology, operations, and tradecraft.

Earlier leadership included the Transnational and Technology Mission Center, where her work focused on emerging threats and technologies shaping the future operational environment. Today, Casey-Tyler advises mission-driven organizations operating in complex and high-risk environments and serves on boards supporting cybersecurity, emerging technology, and the wellness of Special Operations and Intelligence Community veterans.

Background

Chris Brownell is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL Command Master Chief with more than 32 years of distinguished military service and extensive leadership experience across the highest levels of the Special Operations enterprise.

Brownell served as Group Command Master Chief for the East Coast SEAL Teams and later completed his military service at U.S. Special Operations Command, where he served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the commanding General.

He brings extensive experience in sensitive intelligence activities, including strategic debriefing and collection, HUMINT screening operations, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance employment, and threat and vulnerability assessments.

Brownell has spent more than a decade supporting the SEAL community through the SEAL Legacy Foundation, where he serves as Vice Chairman. He is also the founder of a consulting company that helps businesses navigate the federal government and align capabilities with mission requirements.

Background

John O. Bolen is the Chief Executive Officer of Sciath Security and its subsidiaries, Redcon Solutions Group, Vigilant North, and Kellington Protection. He brings extensive experience across federal law enforcement, Naval Intelligence, global security operations, investigations, compliance, and executive leadership.

Before Sciath, Bolen spent six years in the private sector with Constellis in senior director and vice president roles overseeing global security and investigations and a substantial business portfolio.

Bolen retired from federal service in 2019 after nearly 23 years with the U.S. Department of Justice. A member of the Senior Executive Service, he concluded his career as an Assistant Director of the U.S. Marshals Service. His senior responsibilities included leadership of the Judicial Security Division and Office of Professional Responsibility, along with service as Federal Senior Intelligence Coordinator, Chief Compliance Officer, and Director of Internal Affairs.

In parallel, Bolen completed 28 years of active and reserve U.S. Navy service, retiring as a Commander and decorated Intelligence Officer. His military career included service at Naval Special Warfare Development Group and command and senior intelligence assignments supporting U.S. Southern Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Naval Information Forces.

Background

Michael J. Durant is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4, master aviator, former prisoner of war, bestselling author, and accomplished defense industry executive.

Durant entered the U.S. Army in 1979, beginning in military intelligence before transitioning into Army aviation. In 1988, he joined the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, serving as Flight Lead and Standardization Instructor Pilot and participating in combat operations including Prime Chance, Operation Just Cause, Desert Storm, and Restore Hope.

On October 3, 1993, while piloting an MH-60 Black Hawk during operations in Mogadishu, Somalia, Durant’s aircraft was shot down. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war for eleven days before his release.

Following his military career, Durant became President and CEO of Pinnacle Solutions. Under his leadership, Pinnacle grew from a home-office startup into an organization with more than 600 employees supporting the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, NASA, and USSOCOM. Pinnacle was acquired by Akima in 2023. Durant is also author of the New York Times bestseller “In the Company of Heroes” and co-author of “The Night Stalkers.”

Background

MSG (R) Leroy Petry is a Medal of Honor recipient, highly decorated combat veteran, and dedicated advocate for service members and their families. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1999 and served with the 75th Ranger Regiment in roles ranging from Rifleman to Liaison Officer for the U.S. Special Operations Command Care Coalition.

Petry deployed eight times in support of the Global War on Terror, completing two tours in Iraq and six in Afghanistan. On May 26, 2008, during combat operations in Paktya Province, Afghanistan, he sustained severe injuries while protecting fellow Rangers. His actions under fire saved the lives of teammates and earned him the Medal of Honor.

His military education includes the U.S. Army Ranger Course, Jumpmaster Course, Senior Leader Course, and other advanced programs. Petry later served as President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and remains active with organizations supporting veterans, wounded warriors, and military families.

Background

Kirillo Alexandrov is an American war crimes survivor and international speaker whose story provides a rare firsthand account of life under Russian occupation. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Alexandrov later moved to southern Ukraine, where he built a life with his family before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Alexandrov survived unlawful detention, captivity, and torture at the hands of Russian intelligence before ultimately being rescued from occupied Ukraine by Grey Bull Rescue founder Bryan Stern and safely reunited with his family.

Today, Alexandrov shares his experience publicly to ensure that the human consequences of war, occupation, and political violence are not forgotten. As a member of Grey Bull Rescue’s Board of Advisors, he brings the perspective of someone who personally experienced the conditions Grey Bull Rescue works to confront.

Background

Liam Flaherty is an FDNY Captain and veteran rescue professional with more than three decades of service to the New York City Fire Department. He has served as company commander of Rescue Company 2 in Brooklyn, one of FDNY’s elite Special Operations rescue units.

His career includes specialized assignments across FDNY rescue and ladder companies, technical rescue instruction, and FEMA Urban Search & Rescue deployments. He has served as an adjunct instructor at the FDNY Technical Rescue School and contributed to advanced rescue training within FDNY Special Operations Command.

Flaherty was also involved in the response to the September 11 attacks and the recovery effort that followed. As a member of Grey Bull Rescue’s Board of Advisors, he brings decades of frontline rescue leadership, technical expertise, and experience managing high-consequence operations.