Tyler Sparrow was born in Brattleboro, VT and grew up in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The older of two boys, Tyler left home for the Marine Corps in September of 1999. Upon completing Recruit Training aboard MCRD Parris Island, SC, where he was selected by his fellow recruits to be the Platoon Honor Graduate, and School of Infantry aboard Camp Geiger, NC, Tyler joined Weapons Co., 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines as an 0351 Assaultman. Following a security deployment to Vieques, Puerto Rico, Tyler took and passed a Reconnaissance Marine screening during a six-month rotation in Okinawa aboard Camp Schwab, and later transferred to 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion upon his return to the United States.

In 2001, Tyler completed Amphibious Reconnaissance School aboard Ft. Story, VA, where he was named the Honor Graduate for ARS Class 04-01, and earned the MOS of 0321, Reconnaissance Marine. Tyler then joined Alpha Company, and later Charlie Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, and continued his reconnaissance training pipeline. After completing schools including Cold Weather Mountain Survival School, U.S. Army Airborne School, and Advanced Urban Reconnaissance and Sniper School, Tyler deployed as part of the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Platoon attached to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in early 2003. The deployment with the 26th MEU included service in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Mosul, Iraq, and Joint Task Force, Liberia in Monrovia, Liberia, as well as training exercises in Djibouti, UAE, and Albania.

Upon separating from the Marine Corps as a Sergeant in 2004, Tyler attended Trinity College in Hartford, CT, where he played football for the Bantams and met his future wife, Molly. After graduating from Trinity, Tyler moved to Boston to attend Suffolk University Law School, where he graduated with honors and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Suffolk University Law Review. Following law school, Tyler went to work in the Securities Litigation Department of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr, LLP. Tyler left WilmerHale in 2013 to clerk for the Hon. Richard J. Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Upon completing his clerkship, Tyler returned to WilmerHale for several more years, before leaving to join the in-house legal department of The TJX Companies, Inc., parent company of T.J. Maxx, T.K. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Homesense, Sierra, and Winners stores worldwide.

Tyler was first introduced to fly fishing as a boy by his father, trolling for brook trout in northern Maine. After being away from the sport for more than a decade, Tyler finally picked a 5 wt. back up and quickly realized what he’d been missing. Tyler’s passion for fly fishing has continued to grow over the years, with most of his free time now being spent either at the vise, chasing freshwater species around his home west of Boston, or exploring the Rhode Island and Massachusetts coasts in search of striped bass, bluefish, and albies.

Tyler lives in Acton, Massachusetts with his wife of 13 years, Molly, and their two amazing children, Teddy (8) and Lily (6).

Dr. Tina Atherall is a social innovation strategist with a concentration in nonprofit and education leadership. She is the CEO of PsychArmor leading a public health EdTech nonprofits educating and advocating for critical support for those who have served and their families. She has embedded her career in the field of social work leadership and obtained her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the University of Southern California. Her recent work focuses on the 13 Grand Challenges for Social Work to eradicate the public health crisis of social isolation. Dr. Atherall is a George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Scholar. She serves in an appointed role on the SAMHSA National Advisory Council and is a committee lead for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Military Social Work Specialized Practice review committee.

Dr. Atherall has advanced certificates in nonprofit leadership, military social work, and is a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator. She is an Associate Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work, and Doctor of Social Work adjunct at Simmons University and the University of Kentucky online programs. Board leadership roles include Board of Director participation at Mission Edge (San Diego) and Task Force Movement (Washington DC).

Rear Adm. Cynthia A. Kuehner is a native of Fort Rucker, Alabama. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her graduate degrees include a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She was commissioned an ensign in 1991 through the baccalaureate degree completion program (BDCP).

Operationally, Kuehner served as the senior nurse of Bravo Surgical Company, with the 1st Force Service Support Group, in Fallujah, Iraq, providing direct casualty care during the height of combat operations at the busiest role II medical facility, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Vigilant Resolve (the first battle of Fallujah). She also served as the senior medical officer, and ultimately as the executive officer, of the Provincial Reconstruction Team, Khost, Afghanistan. As the team’s provincial partner for health sector development, in a war-torn province of more than one million Afghans, she worked with Afghan government officials, U.S. departments, and non-government organizations to bolster reconstruction efforts essential to the counterinsurgency strategy, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Kuehner’s previous assignments include staff nurse positions on the pediatric ward and labor and delivery units, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California; division officer at the Branch Medical Clinic, Sasebo, Japan; duty under instruction at USUHS, Bethesda, Maryland, family nurse practitioner (FNP) track; medical staff and primary care manager (PCM), Naval Health Clinic, Corpus Christi, Texas; department head and PCM, Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; department head, and PCM, Naval Hospital Bremerton, Washington.

Executive assignments include director for branch clinics and command executive board, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia; executive officer, Naval Medical Center San Diego, California. As commanding officer, Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan, she directly supported forward deployed Navy and Marine forces and theater operational plans in INDOPACOM. Staff assignments include Navy Medicine transition lead; assistant deputy chief, medical operations (M3); and deputy chief, operations, plans and readiness (M2, M3, M5), Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) headquarters, where she ensured Navy Medicine’s successful surge response and led novel, adaptive naval force solutions to the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic. In June 2020, Kuehner was appointed to her final assignment as the commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and concurrently as the 26th director of the Navy Nurse Corps.

In addition to numerous unit and campaign awards, her personal awards include the Legion of Merit (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (three awards), the Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the U.S. Army’s Combat Action Badge. She was awarded the Japanese Defense Cooperation Award (Second Class) from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Kuehner maintains board certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) and as an Advanced Nurse Executive (NEA-BC) with the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is a Fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) and the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).

John served in the Marine Corps, as both enlisted and officer, for 23 years, primarily as a Weapons and Sensors Officer in theF-18D Hornet, before retiring in 2009. He completed multiple operational and combat deployments and brings with him an extensive background in Veteran nonprofit leadership focused on sports, wellness, and development. John has over 37 years of experience in executive-level leadership, strategic planning, and organizational change management, and in 14 years since his military retirement, has served in senior leadership roles in defense contracting and consulting firms, corporate sales, and the nonprofit sector.

For the last eight years, John has led multiple organizations in nearly every facet of Veteran nonprofit management, including event planning, service member transition, and development. John is a humble and passionate servant leader with a lifelong commitment to serving the Veteran and military community. John is a graduate of multiple advanced military schools and courses including Air Combat Tactics Instructor and Weapons and Tactics Instructor Courses, Amphibious Warfare School, and Command and Staff College. He holds a Master of Science in Sport Business from Temple University. John has five adult children, including two who are active-duty Marines. He’s an avid outdoorsman and lives in northern Colorado, where he finds joy and solace in fly fishing, hunting, and being in the outdoors.

Chris Woodward served in the United States Marine Corps during the Desert Storm era. During his honorable tenure, he learned transformative lessons on servant leadership. These incorporated values and morals influenced his efforts for nearly a decade in the for-profit sector, managing teams in Fortune 500 companies such as Aflac and Progressive Insurance. While he and his teams were very successful, Chris felt these endeavors lacked the satisfaction of impacting his community in meaningful ways.

In 2002 Chris transitioned to the non-profit sector, where he has served for over 20 years, helping organizations effectively deliver programming aimed at healing pathways and the advancement of relationships. He has stewarded the mission of organizations such as Catholic Charities Veteran Services, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Colorado Youth Outdoors.

In addition to his career “serving others, solving problems, and speaking truth,” Chris considers himself deeply blessed to be a father and husband for over 21 years. His wife and three beautiful children share his love of the outdoors, fly-fishing, camping, archery, hiking, and snowboarding. He and his family consider themselves fortunate to have lived in some of the most beautiful places in the United States, including Arizona, Texas, Montana, and now Colorado.

Jessica owns an HR consulting company and brings over 20 years of HR expertise and experience from large public companies and small to mid-size private equity companies. During her career, she has been an HR Business Partner at Pratt and Whitney, Addivant, a spin off Private Equity company from Chemtura and Current Powered by GE and their spin off Private Equity company, GE Current. Most recently, she has partnered with Lean Focus as a Talent Search Partner.

Throughout her career, Jessica has been a trusted advisor and has developed and deployed HR processes and training on several HR topics for her organizations and leadership teams.

Jessica holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from Eastern Connecticut State University and a M.S. degree in Business Management from Rensselaer at Hartford, both degrees with a concentration in Human Resources.

Alyson comes to us with over a decade of experience in public education, and over five years of nonprofit experience. Most recently, she taught Language Arts at the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy. Prior to this she taught elementary education, while also working in several capacities for Colorado Youth Outdoors, a 501(c)3 focused on building relationships through traditional outdoor recreation. There she was involved in programing and curriculum, employee management, and fundraising.

Throughout her career, Alyson has demonstrated a commitment to service to others. Working with populations that are considered at risk is a passion of hers.

As the daughter of a 30 year Air Force Veteran, and a former military spouse, she has a unique understanding of the challenges our veterans face.

Alyson is a Colorado native who enjoys fly fishing, hunting, skiing, hiking and all things outdoors. She loves spending time with her two children and exploring Colorado with them.

Daisy brings a rich and diverse background to our organization. She began her career as a middle school math and science teacher, dedicating herself to educating young minds in both Jacksonville, Florida, and Carbondale, Colorado. Her passion for service led her to the nonprofit sector, where she worked with Challenge Aspen. She also worked for an organization which played a crucial role in helping Veterans secure their VA benefits.

Coming from a military family, Daisy understands the importance of resilience and mental toughness. Her father, a commanding officer Navy SEAL, was in charge of BUDS phase 2 training, instilling in Daisy the values of perseverance and strength from an early age.

An athlete, Daisy was a collegiate All-American and Academic All-American in Women’s Track and Field at the University of Florida, where she also received the University Athletic Association’s Award for Character. Her adventurous spirit has taken her on the incredible journey of becoming a Triple Crown hiker, having completed over 12,000 miles of long-distance hiking across the United States.

Daisy currently resides in Missoula, Montana, with her beloved husband Shaun, their one-year-old daughter Emma, and their German Shorthair Pointer, Georgie. She is excited to dive into her new role at Project Healing Waters, embracing our culture, working hard, and having lots of fun along the way.

Jordan has been in public service for over 25 years, serving his communities as an EMT, firefighter, park ranger, and local representative. During his 8 years in the United States Marine Corps, he grew his leadership skills in both small and large team operations.

Jordan is currently the Mayor of Nunn, Colorado where he is also a volunteer firefighter. He has a strong commitment to community and a passion for improvement. He has 10 years of volunteer experience with veteran and non-profit organizations focused on building relationships, outdoor experiences, and post-traumatic growth.

Jordan is a lifelong fisherman and sportsman. He picked up his first fly rod at age 11, exploring the rivers of New England. He still fishes avidly in the Mountain West, having guided and worked in fly shops and lodges in Connecticut, Colorado, and Montana.

Nathaly is a recent graduate from the University of Colorado Denver, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics. During her academic career, she focused her research on at-risk populations, highlighting her dedication to addressing and understanding the challenges faced by these communities. Her commitment to service was further demonstrated through her work with DIECE Athletics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) positions within college and professional sports. In her role there, she contributed to program development, community engagement, and resource allocation.

A significant influence in Nathaly’s life is her brother, who has served over 12 years in active duty with the Army. This personal connection has given her a profound understanding of the challenges faced by Veterans and their families, fueling her passion for supporting military communities.

Her enthusiasm for sports is matched by her dedication to staying active as an avid gym-goer and sports fan. Originally from Colorado, Nathaly enjoys exploring the state’s outdoor activities and embracing its vibrant culture.

Nathaly is thrilled to bring her expertise and passion to Project Healing Waters and is excited to contribute to the organization’s mission of supporting veterans through healing and empowerment.