Board of Directors

Board of Directors
	Lt. Col. Roy White USAF (Retired) - Chairman Roy White has been a Captain for Southwest Airlines for seven years. Roy served 20 years flying in the Air Force and believes strongly in the mission of the Snowball Express. “These 'fallen heroes' did not choose how to die, but they chose how to live their lives with honor, integrity and service to their country. Bringing these families together annually is a way to honor them in a manner that is cathartic for the spouses, enjoyable for the children and life changing for the volunteers.”

	John N. Mavros - Vice-Chairman With over 35 years in the hospitality industry, John is a well-recognized and respected leader, both in business and the various communities he has lived in. He has been President of Preferred Hotel Management for the last thirteen years, prior to which he held multiple high-level luxury hotel management positions in Europe and Asia. His international experience and service to those in need as a Rotarian expanded his understanding of how the world views the USA.
“I have been a Rotarian for nearly 30 years and supported hundreds of wonderful local, national and international charitable activities. But helping to bring a few days of happiness into the lives of the children of our fallen US military has been the most rewarding charitable experience of my life. We owe the children and spouses of our fallen military an immeasurable debt of gratitude, since they, too, are heroes.”

	Brigadier General Albert E. Brewster USMC (Ret) Brigadier General Albert E. Brewster USMC (Ret) served in the Korean War as a Platoon Leader, flew 105 combat missions in Vietnam, and served in all levels of command, before retiring in 1980 after 3 years as the Legislative Assistant to the Commandant in Washington, D.C. He was then employed by the Northrop Corporation as Vice President, Legislative Affairs, to obtain Congressional funding for Northrop’s military programs. He retired from Northrop in 1989 and he and his wife spent several years sailing in the Caribbean and South America before returning and settling in St. Leonard, Maryland. There, he became deeply involved in volunteering for service to the community, joining Rotary, taking leadership positions in the Red Cross, Literacy Council, volunteer teaching, and was appointed by County Commissioners to serve on the Board of the County’s multi- million dollar Sculpture Garden. In 2000, they moved to Virginia to be closer to their children, and in 2005, to California to be with his wife’s aging mother. Upon her death in 2006, they moved to Frisco, Texas. General Brewster holds a Bachelor Degree in Business from the University of New Mexico and a Masters Degree in Education from Pepperdine University.
“My passion for working with Snowball Express stems from my belief that military families face many unique challenges everyday, however, the loss of a loving parent in defense of the nation is something that too many people take as an “everyday occurrence”, without understanding its long term effect on the children. I’ve seen and heard the difference Snowball Express makes in these children’s lives. I hope you will also, and that you will support our efforts.”

	Captain Jim Palmersheim, Director of Veterans Initiatives, American Airlines Jim earned his bachelors degree and received a Regular Army Commission in 1984 as a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC Program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was selected for follow-on training as an Aviation Intelligence Officer and subsequently transitioned into the RU-21H and OV-1D Reconnaissance aircraft. Jim left active duty in January 1990 to pursue a career as a pilot with American Airlines. With the exception of a recall to active duty in 1991 in support of Operation Dessert Shield / Storm, Jim served in the US Army Reserves until 1995 flying UH-1H Huey Helicopters. In 2002, Jim and a group of volunteers flew a Vietnam Era Huey Helicopter 65-10091 in support of the documentary film “In the Shadow of the Blade“, and in 2004, they delivered and donated Huey 091 to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History where it is the largest artifact in a major 30 year exhibit, "The Price of Freedom, Americans at War". Jim serves on the Board of the Huey 091 Foundation whose purpose is to educate future generations about the Price of Freedom and to provide resources to those that have paid that price. In 2007, Jim was named Director of Veterans Initiatives at American Airlines and also flies as a Captain on the McDonald Douglas MD-80 Aircraft. Jim and his wife, Patricia, reside in Grapevine, Texas with their daughter Lauren. Their son, Josh, is a lieutenant in the Army, currently stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama attending flight school.
"The Snowball Express mission represents the very essence of what defines us as a country, in our communities and as individuals that recognize that freedom is not free. Serving on the Snowball Express Board on behalf of families that have paid that price is truly an honor and a privilege". - Jim Palmersheim

	Jeanette Chervony Jeanette’s father, Sgt. Eddie Chervony, served with the 77th Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division and was killed in action on May 5, 1968 in the Republic of South Vietnam. Sgt Chervony was credited with saving the lives of five of his fellow soldiers and received the Army Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star. Jeanette was 13 months old at the time. Jeanette has been an active member of Sons & Daughters In Touch (www.sdit.org) since 1992 and served on the National Board of Directors from 1997-2000. Her interest in military families blossomed during Gulf War I, when she watched the children say “good-bye” to their fathers and wonder if they would ever see each other again. The Veteran and Military Communities have been an important part of her adult life, primarily the Vietnam Veterans of America. Although her focus has mainly been on war orphans, it wasn’t until the passing of her mother in 1997 that she realized how important the relationship is between war widows and their children. “Providing insight to the widows/moms is important to me, I feel that I can provide them with information about the experiences their children might encounter and hopefully I can be helpful in some way”.

	Trisha Marshall - Fund Development Chairman After a lengthy career with a major airline holding positions as In-Flight Service Manager, Flight Attendant Instructor and Corporate Speaker, Trisha is now a Residential Real Estate specialist with Coldwell Banker a in Orange County. She is deeply committed to community involvement as an Ambassador to the Newport Chamber of Commerce, Speaker for Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused/Abandoned children, and most recently, Community Service Director for the Newport-Irvine Rotary. Trisha’s father served in World War II with the Marine Corp; her brother served with the Corp in Viet Nam and is currently a grief counselor for Viet Nam veterans on the East Coast. Snowball Express is especially meaningful to Trisha, as she and her six siblings lost their mom at a young age and she knows first-hand the impact and challenge of having only one parent for support, love and guidance.
“Last year it was my honor, along with thousands of volunteers and fellow Rotarians across the Nation, to help provide this opportunity of healing for these deserving families of our fallen heroes. The experience of feeling the joy and the cathartic bonding of child with child, widow with widow throughout the weekend is something that is etched on my heart and soul and is truly life-changing.”“Together we CAN make a difference not only for a weekend but for a lifetime. Last year, it rained for a bit at Oakley and it was heard that the spouses saw this not as an annoyance but “as the tears of joy” being shed by their loved ones in heaven in appreciation that there were people on earth who cared to show so much love.”“I am honored to join the Board of this incredible organization, and as the Fund Development Chair, I encourage you to come on board and join our Snowball Family as a contributor, volunteer or sponsor.”

	Gary B. Lawson Gary Lawson received a J.D. from St. John's University School of Law in 1970 and an LL.M in Tax from New York University Law School in 1974 He is the father of two boys, ages 29 and 17. Selected as a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines in 2007, Gary is the author of numerous legal articles and is a frequent speaker before such groups as the National League of Cities, Guns & Hoses and the State Bar of Texas. He has also served as an expert witness before the U.S. Congress on pension and health matters. Gary's affiliations include Founding Board Member of Medisend International 1989 and today is a member of its Advisory Board, Going Home With America’s Huey 091- Board Member 2003-2005 and America's Huey 091 Foundation – Board Member 2007- present.
"There is no more important job any of us undertake than becoming a parent. The men and women of our Armed Forces who defend our nation, risk their lives in service to our country and our country's allies, and those who are parents, knowingly and bravely place in jeopardy not only their own lives, but risk not being there to help their children grow, mature and enjoy that process. Now I have been given the opportunity to serve on the Snowball Express board and to help it to provide a measure of love and appreciation, to help create new memories of honor and joy for the children of our fallen heroes, children who otherwise are too quickly forgotten. Please join us in providing all Americans a way to say ‘thanks’ to these children.”
	David Fine After working in the software industry for more than 12 years, David is currently a director for one of the largest business software companies in the world. In addition to his duties in the corporate world, David also supports Master’s Men, a national men’s ministry. Serving as an associate chaplain, he works closely with NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Race teams. David is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. He is also a military veteran serving eight years in the US Navy where he achieved the significant accomplishment of becoming submarine qualified. During his Military service, he was deployed as a Hospital Corpsman with the Marine Corp during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. David, a cancer survivor, resides in Texas with his wife Cyndi. They have a son Christopher, currently attending college in Arizona.
"I know the concerns our active duty personnel have when away from home. Having been deployed during the first Gulf War, it would have given me comfort knowing that Snowball Express was there. I know the challenges families face when one of the parents are away fighting to defend our freedom. I have also experienced the effects on families when they lose a parent in combat. I’ve seen and heard the difference Snowball Express makes in the lives of those who truly made the ultimate sacrifice for you and me. I hope that you will share my vision, embrace these families, and that you, too, will support our effort."
	Dan Ronan is the Media/Corporate Communications Manager for the American Automobile Association of Texas/New Mexico based in Irving, Texas. He joined AAA in May 2008 after a more than 20-year career in network and major market television at CNN, CBS News, WAGA/Fox in Atlanta and WFAA/ABC in Dallas/Fort Worth. Prior to that, Dan was a freelance correspondent for CBS News in the Dallas/Fort Worth "Newspath" bureau covering, among other stories, Hillary Clinton's win in the Texas Presidential Primary and the decision by Texas authorities to remove more than 400 children from a Polygamist compound. During Dan's career he was honored by his colleagues with eight Emmys and two Edward R. Murrow awards for journalism excellence, most notably for his coverage of the Space Shuttle explosion. His first National Emmy came at CNN for his work as a news writer during the first hours of coverage after the Oklahoma City Bombing. His most recent Emmy came in October, 2007 for his reporting and writing about north Texas soldiers and volunteers who served in Iraq. Other career highlights include being one of the first journalists selected by the Pentagon to be "embedded" with U.S. Soldiers to Kuwait and Iraq, in the weeks just before hostilities started. He filed more than a dozen stories from the Iraq/Kuwait border while living with troops from Fort Stewart, Georgia. One of his most vivid memories is spending Thanksgiving with soldiers at Camp New York, Kuwait. While never serving in the military, his time with the soldiers proved to be a life-changing experience. After the war started, he was selected to "embed" with the Navy aboard the air craft carrier, USS John F. Kennedy - CVS 67 - as it deployed to Afghanistan. Dan holds a commercial pilot's license with multi-engine and instrument ratings and he's been trained as an airplane crash investigator at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. He graduated with a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to his work with Snowball Express, he is the Chairman of the Communications Department media/industry advisory committee at Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach, Florida. Dan married his college sweetheart, Lori, and they have four children. They live in suburban Dallas.