Our Team
National Team & Board of Directors
Born in Chicago and raised in “The Region”, David went on to attend and graduate from West Point. He then served in infantry, artillery, and intelligence units before getting out in 2009. After his service in the Army, he began a national industrial supply company based out of Chicago. But after a few years, he realized that he wanted to have more freedom for family and community involvement. When David attended the Milwaukee Irish Fest for the first time, it sparked his idea for Hero Hut. In 2018, they set up the first "heroes hut" and began expanding to events all over the United States.
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Founder & Executive Director
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Board of Directors
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Podcast Co-Host
David Hoffmaster
Founder & Executive Director
After David got out of the Army, he founded Hero Hut as a way to reach other veterans.
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Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Jarell went on to graduate from West Point while playing four years of college Army Basketball (with David Hoffmaster). Following his service, Jarell continued his leadership path by starting a youth sports development organization in Southeast Michigan (2010-2015). After over ten years of analytics and measurement experience across several industries, Jarell supports non-for-profits and for-profit companies in all facets of data-driven insights and decision making. His experience with experiential marketing with some of the top brands and experiential events in the world makes him an excellent fit for Hero Hut.
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Chief Operations Officer
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Michigan Regional Director
Jarell Brown
COO & Michigan Regional Director
After transitioning from the Army, Jarell has been connecting people and businesses with data so they can make equitable decisions for the communities they live and serve in.
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Born and raised in Indiana, Randy earned a Bachelors in Media Communication from Taylor University. In 2010, he moved to Los Angeles to work in the film industry, quickly moving up through the ranks of set construction and props. He was accepted into the Art Guild in 2017 and has since continued to design sets for films, TV shows, commercials, virtual reality experiences, and live events. As a childhood friend of David’s, Randy joined our team as the Director of Communications in 2019, and his contributions have been key to the organization's growth and development. He helped develop the logo, edit the podcasts, design materials for our Hero Hut tents, and much more.
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Director of Communications
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Board of Directors
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Los Angeles, CA Regional Director
Randy Kizer
Director of Communications &
Los Angeles, CA Regional Director
Randy has been an instrumental part of Hero Hut since its inception, helping with design, editing the podcast, and creating materials.
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JJ was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Taiwan, the Bay Area, and Las Vegas. She went on to attend West Point and was commissioned as an Army Intelligence Officer. In 2014 she transitioned to Stryker, a global leader in medical devices, and has held positions in technical supply chain and recruiting. She currently serves as the military recruiting program manager. JJ holds a Master's degree from the University of Southern California and is fluent in Mandarin. She has been crucial to the development of our volunteer program at Hero Hut, helping with recruiting and HR processes.
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VP of Operations
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Board of Directors
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Interim Dallas Regional Director
Jacqueline Jarl
VP of Operations, Board Member, &
Interim Dallas, TX Regional Director
JJ has been crucial to the development of our volunteer program and plans events in Dallas.
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Greg graduated from West Point with David in 2009 with a BS in Economics. He then went to flight school and completed his Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training for Blackhawks. Greg served in the army for 9 years as an aviation officer. After getting out, he pursued an MBA from MIT - Sloan School of Management. He currently works for Scion Asset Management in Cupertino, California. Greg handles all financial aspects of Hero Hut.
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Chief Financial Officer
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Board Member
Gregory Stoner
CFO & Board Member
Greg helps with accounting, banking, taxes, and other financial activities.
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Originally from Crown Point Indiana, Zack attended Indiana University in Bloomington where he earned a degree in Sports Management. In 2011, he moved to Chicago after accepting a position with the Chicago Bears NFL Team. With 10 years in the sports industry, Zack helps with event and operational planning for Hero Hut as a whole and also helps plan events in Chicago.
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Board of Directors
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Illinois Regional Director
Zack Bero
Illinois Regional Director
Board Member
With 10 years in sports management, Zach helps with events and operations.
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Kristen has a Master of Arts in Art and Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London, a Master of Arts in Contemporary Art History from Christie's Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Communications from Texas Christian University. She is an experienced art professional with a demonstrated history of working in art historical research, curating exhibitions, event planning, and conducting art appraisals. Kristen recently founded A Force For Good Foundation in memory of her brother, Taylor Force, a 2009 graduate of West Point. She is excited to be starting events in the Austin, TX area for Hero Hut.
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Austin, TX Regional Director
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Board of Directors
Kristen Force
Austin, TX Regional Director
Board of Directors
Kristen organizes and runs all events in the Austin, TX area.
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Like David, Phil was born in Chicago, but grew up in Northwest Indiana. He went on to attend Indiana University and graduated from the Kelley School of Business with a Bachelor of Science. He has since worked in sales for Cargill, Feralloy Corp, and Plateplus, Inc. As the brother of David, Phil helps with Hero Hut in any way that he can.
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Board of Directors
Phillip Hoffmaster
Board Member
As David's brother, Phil has helped build Hero Hut behind the scenes since its beginning.
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Mike has been a part of our organization from its inception. He is the Executive Director of Celtic MKE, which is responsible for the Milwaukee Irish Fest- the largest Irish Music Festival in the world. He helped David come up with the first "heroes hut", where our concept was born.
Mike has a degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University, and worked for the American Red Cross for 15 years before taking on the role of Executive Director of CelticMKE. Mike oversees the 150 - year-round volunteers, nearly 4,000 festival volunteers, and over 100,000 guests during the Milwaukee Irish Fest. He is also responsible for the organization's core programs, operations, and business plans, always keeping the mission and vision of CelticMKE at the core.
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Board of Directors
Mike Mitchell
Board Member
Mike helped David create the first "heroes hut" at the Milwaukee Irish Fest.
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Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Jake went on to attend and graduate from West Point with David. He then served as an artillery officer for five years. After his service in the Army, Jake attended Indiana University in Bloomington and earned his PhD in History. He now teaches at the Citadel Military Academy in South Carolina and helps us connect with other veterans and organizations that align with our mission. Jake also organizes and co-hosts our podcast.
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Board of Directors
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Podcast Co-Host
Jacob Hagstrom
Board Member
Currently teaching at the Citadel in SC, Jake helps to grow our network with other veterans.
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Theresa enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard, then gained her commission through UW LaCrosse ROTC. After graduation, she transitioned into the Army Reserves as an AG officer and deployed to Afghanistan in 2014. Theresa has been a member of the military for 16 years, and is currently serving the 88th Readiness Division as Assistant Inspector General. Theresa earned her Masters of Public Administration from UW Milwaukee and has lived and worked in Milwaukee since 2009. She attended the 2019 Milwaukee Irish Fest and came to the Hero Hut tent. Loving the Hero Hut mission and values, Theresa became the Regional Director, and is helping to expand our outreach in the Milwaukee area.
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Milwaukee Regional Director
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Board Member
Theresa Zwieg
Milwaukee, WI Regional Director &
Board Member
Theresa organizes and runs all of our events in the Milwaukee area.
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Steve graduated from West Point with David with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Management. He is an operations research professional with over eleven years of experience, serving globally as an officer in the United States Army. He has experience in systems design, leading organizations through change, and team building. He also has his MBA and Masters of Science in Business Analytics from William & Mary – Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Steve currently serves as the Army Futures Command Data Scientist / Operations Research and Systems Analyst. He helps Hero Hut with external surveys and data analysis.
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National Team
Steve Hojnicki
National Team
Steve helps with planning and administrative tasks for Hero Hut.
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Regional Directors
Jordan is a West Point graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering. He served as a logistics officer in the Army until 2014. He currently works as a Regional Sales Representative at Tingue, Brown & Company, and is Hero Hut's Regional Director in Minneapolis.
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Minneapolis Regional Director
Jordan Morfitt
Minneapolis, MN Regional Director
Jordan organizes and runs all of our events in the Minneapolis, MN area.
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Christina graduated from West Point and served for 9 years as a logistics officer. She then went on to get a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Austin Peay State University. Christina has experience in people operations, project management, and organizational change. She is currently a Military Personnel and Administrative Assistant for the United States Army Reserve, PHR certified, and a Yoga Instructor. Christina is also an amazing asset to Hero Hut's strategic team, helping with internal documentation, survey, job descriptions, and more. She also plans and oversees all events in the Nashville, TN area.
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Nashville Regional Director
Christina Johnston
Nashville, TN Regional Director
Christina organizes and runs our events in the Nashville, TN area.
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Jeremy is a Pilot, Veteran, Investor, and our Hero Hut Regional Director in Savannah, GA. Jeremy graduated from West Point wit a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors Engineering. He served in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and then went on to work at Infinity Flight Group. He transitioned to SkyWest Airlines, and is currently the First Officer at Air Transport International, INC. He also serves as a mentor for the West Point Aviation Foundation. Additionally, Jeremy has several licenses and certifications in aviation, including Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), Commercial Airplane Multiengine Land, Commercial Airplane Single Engine Land, and Commercial Rotary Wing with Instrument. Jeremy lives in Savannah and manages all events and volunteers there. He loves organizing events, such as Pint Nights and Fundraisers, as well as, networking with partner organizations to help build the community.
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Savannah Regional Director
Jeremy Lee Huggins
Savannah, GA Regional Director
Jeremy organizes and runs our events in the Savannah, GA area.
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Advisory Board
Dean is a graduate of West Point and a former Army Captain who served as a Helicopter Pilot and Ranger. He has an MBA in Finance from California State University-San Bernardino. After his service in the military, he went on to work in sales for companies like P&G, KPMG, and Mars Petcare. He then began his own apparel company based out of Nashville, TN called Authentically American. He serves as a Board Member for several apparel, fashion, and veteran organizations. Dean helped Hero Hut create and sell apparel.
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Advisory Board Member
Dean Wegner
Advisory Board Member
Dean has his own apparel company, Authentically American, and has helped to make Hero Hut’s apparel.
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Scott is VP of Sales and Marketing for Performance Services. Scott is a West Point graduate with a bachelor's degree in Management and an MBA in Business from Boston University Overseas Program. He previously worked in sales for GE and Roche, before joining Performance Services INC in 2009. Scott is especially proud of helping his company grow into new geographical and vertical markets while maintaining a strong culture. His insights are invaluable to Hero Hut's Advisory Board of Directors and we're proud to have him on board.
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Advisory Board Member
Scott Zigmond
Advisory Board Member
Scott gives valuable insight into business and marketing on our Advisory Board.
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Co-Founder and President of Unite Us, Taylor is a former Army Infantry Officer who attended West Point. He also went on to get an MBA from Columbia University. He's an entrepreneur focused on solving social issues and implementing technology into archaic markets. His organization, Unite Us, digitally connects community services together and tracks the patient through their “total health journey” to meet an individual’s holistic needs in a cohesive and collaborative ecosystem that reduces costs, increases efficiency, and improves the patient experience.
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Advisory Board Member