We’re passionate and experienced professionals who are committed to serving military veterans and providing them with the services and support they deserve. We are grateful for each of our team members, and empower them to deliver the highest level of care and assistance. Please take this chance to get to know them!
“All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters either. Every single man in this Army play a vital role. Don’t ever let up. Don’t ever think that your job is unimportant. Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Every man is a vital link in the great chain.”
Direct donations are one of the best ways we can fight this battle together. Your gift goes straight to programming that helps veterans and their families get the support they need.
Niki grew up in Frederick County, Maryland and now resides in Washington County with her family. She graduated from Linganore High School, completed her BA at Hood College, and later earned her MBA from Mount St Mary’s University. After college, Niki served in the United States Marine Corps as an intelligence analyst supporting Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 in Twentynine Palms, CA. During her service she served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Upon completion of active-duty serve, Niki returned to Maryland working in housing and support of active-duty service members and their families. Her passion for the military and public service made the transition to Platoon 22 the perfect next step. Niki’s involvement started with volunteering and as a member of the Board of Directors, and later transitioning into a full-time employee.
Niki enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, especially anything outdoors.
Kelly Hartzell
Director of Veteran Services
Kelly is a native of Charleston, South Carolina and shortly after high school her husband’s commitment to the United States Air Force landed them in Dover, Delaware where she first experienced the military lifestyle.Following his separation from active duty, they returned to Charleston and during this time she worked in property management and was a proud small business owner. When they decided to start a family, she took on numerous roles as a stay at home mom. In 2018, her husband’s career brought them new opportunities and they relocated to Frederick, Maryland.
Her husband, Josh, currently serves in the United States Air Force Reserves and works as a Federal Law Enforcement Instructor. As a military wife for the past 20 years, she has the utmost respect for our armed forces members (and their families!) and is passionate about supporting veterans.
When she’s not at Platoon 22, Kelly enjoys exploring the outdoors with her husband, two kids and their French bulldog.
Kate Moughan
Veteran Navigator
Kate is a South Philadelphia native and the daughter of a World War II Naval Veteran. She is also the proud Mother-In-Law of an Army Veteran who served 2 tours in Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom with the 82nd Airborne. this has served as the foundation of a lifetime commitment to championing Veteran’s causes and aid. She enjoys volunteering and helping anyone she can.
Kate loves to rescue dogs and invest the time to earn their love and trust. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring her creativity through painting, drawing, meditation, reading, and music.
Kate resides in Hagerstown, Maryland, and has been there since 2015. Her recent rescue is a puggle dog, named Bella
Ashley Poindexter
Veteran Navigator
Ashley is a Marylander through and through. Born, bred and raised in Maryland from the shore to here in Frederick. Yes, Old Bay Seasoning is running through her veins. She found her passion for helping others early in life and held on to that energy as she entered her first full-time position assisting first-time mothers preventing child abuse and neglect by providing parenting education as well as connecting families with resources in Montgomery County. After which she was blessed to work with children facing emotional and mental trauma, in addition to the children she shadowed who were on the spectrum in a private school setting. She found a partner in life, married and created the family she hoped for. She was able to add to her family through adoption four short years after that. She joined the ever-growing community of homeschool families for the last twelve years and loved every minute of growth within herself and her children. During the last five years she found volunteering with Warrior Canine Connection extremely rewarding and was asked to come to the groundbreaking for Platoon 22 and Veteran Services Center with one of the puppies she was raising for Veterans. She felt the honor of standing with those who have served and those currently serving. Her great grandfather was a mail carrier for the Army and was gassed during one of his routes, her grandfather lied about his age to enlist with the Marines at the tender age of 16 to fight for his country with honor, her uncle served in the Army then national guard and her cousin Mathew did three tours overseas. The opportunity to support Veterans and connect them to resources filled her heart with joy and excitement. She looks forward to creating a safe landing place here at Platoon 22 for all Veterans and their families.
Caleb Sebra
President, Board of Directors
Caleb grew up in Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia and joined the Marine Corps in 2002. He served in the Marine corps for just under 6 years including a tour in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. After separating from the Marine Corps, Caleb began working as a contractor for the Department of Defense before eventually starting his own contracting company. In his spare time, Caleb enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and 8 children, running, and riding his motorcycle.
Scott McCaskill
Vice President, Board of Directors
Scott McCaskill is the President and Founder of McCaskill Financial in historic downtown Frederick, Maryland. Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Scott moved to the U.S. to study at Norwich University – the oldest private military school in America. After moving to the Washington DC and Maryland area, Scott joined a private financial firm, eventually becoming a Director, Partner and then Owner of the company.
Scott is a firm believer in giving back to the Frederick and Military communities, and actively volunteers and serves on boards for many local non-profits and charitable organizations. As well, Scott is a member of the Old Fat Bald Guys (OFBG) organization, which is a group of like-minded individuals who enjoy playing hockey together while also supporting local charities. OFBG is honored to be involved with Platoon22, in honor of David Anthony “Tony” Johnson, a friend, teammate and veteran who tragically lost his battle with PTSD.
McCaskill Financial is a full service financial planning and investment management firm, with roots in the Frederick community going back over 40 years. They assist their clients with Education Planning, Tax Strategies, Retirement Planning and Investment Management. McCaskill Financial has been voted the “Best of the Best – Financial Advisor” by the Frederick News Post and “Best of Frederick – Financial Planning” by Frederick Magazine.
Mike Bowers
Board of Directors
Mike is a Hagerstown native and has returned home after 30 years in the Marines. During his service he moved 18 times, commanded more than 7,500 Marines, and fought in high-end combat operations in Ramadi and Fallujah.
Mike is passionate about connecting different generations of Veterans and showcasing their talents, leadership and skills. He is on the George Mason University Board of Advisors, the Maryland Veterans Commission, Governor’s Challenge Team to Prevent Veteran Suicide and is a lifetime member of the VFW, American Legion, DAV, AmVets, MOAA and Marine Corps League.
Susan Kenedy
Secretary, Board of Directors
Susan Kenedy is a Public Information Officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. In her role she maintains positive relations between Montgomery County and the public while providing the media and public with accurate and timely information relating to public interest. She is responsible for media relations, writing and editing press releases, creating ceremonial documents and correspondence, and organizing special events.
Susan is also the face of County Cable Montgomery where she serves as a producer, reporter and liaison to the community. Her 25-plus years of service has contributed to the County’s transparency through news style reporting on a weekly basis, and through that work she has established herself as an effective storyteller. Throughout her career Susan has won numerous awards, most recently a 2020 NATOA Award in the Social Issues Documentary category, a 2019 Alliance for Community Media Award for Public Affairs, a 2018 NATOA Award in the Public Health Documentary category, a 2017 NATOA Award and SAAVY Award for her documentary on the heroin epidemic, and a Capital Emmy in 2015 for her short format program that focuses on economic development in the Washington D.C. region.
Susan started her career as a journalist in Princeton, New Jersey, after graduating from Iowa State in 1984 with a degree in broadcast journalism. She and her husband Steve, a 1983 aerospace engineering graduate of ISU, have five children. Since 2015 Susan has been involved in raising and training service dogs for Warrior Canine Connection, a Maryland non-profit that provides service dogs to veterans.
John Nowell
Board of Directors
John Nowell served in US Army Airborne and Infantry units in Europe, Asia, and North America. He is currently the Chief Executive at CarrTech LLC, an innovative Life Science startup with several key products that will disrupt and improve the delivery of parenteral medicines worldwide.
John also serves as a partner in Akeso Ventures, a life science investment management company focused on Maryland, DC, and Virginia. He is Vice Chairman of the Frederick Innovation Technology Center, a life science Incubator. He is a former President, Board of Trustees, Harvard Episcopal Chaplaincy.
John lives in Frederick Maryland with his beautiful wife Kelly and their 17 year old Jack Russell/Chihuahua attack dog, Scout.
Alex Uphold
Board of Directors
Alex was born and raised in Frederick County, Maryland and now resides and owns an Insurance and Financial Services agency in Thurmont, MD. She graduated from Thomas Johnson High School and went on to graduate from The University of Maryland University College with a bachelor’s degree in Management and Certificate in Management Foundations. In 2022, Alex earned the title of Frederick Maryland’s “Top 40 Under 40” people to watch and 2022 Top Female-Owned Insurance Agency.
Alex comes from a long line of family and friends who have served and are serving in all branches of the military and feels a deep personal connection and empathy for our heroes. Her grandfather was a Major in the Army during WWII, and her brother, Army Infantry combat veteran served in Afghanistan. Her husband, Zach served in the Air Force Reserve as a Plane Mechanic/Crew Chief. Working with Platoon is Alex’s way of giving back and paying it forward in honor of her family.
Alex enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 girls who keep her busy with sports schedules and weekend trips to Deep Creek Lake.
John Loveless
Board of Directors
John Loveless was born and raised in the “Ole Line” state of Maryland. He enlisted in the USN in 1989 and served on the Aegis Cruiser CG-56 “USS San Jacinto”. While on board he qualified as a “Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist” and received numerous medals while serving during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. John has held several senior leadership roles with major corporations like Nortel, Avaya & currently with Extreme Networks. John is married to his high school sweetheart Jennifer. They have 5 beautiful children and live in Ijamsville, Md.
Jim Olson
Board of Directors
Col. C. James Olson was formerly the Executive Officer to the Principle Assistant for Research and Technology at the U.S. Army Medical and Materiel Command (MRMC) in Frederick, Maryland. For the past three decades Col. Jim Olson has been involved in the advancement of medical technology research as well as the management of Army field medical materiel readiness worldwide. He previously served as the Director of Business Development at Henry Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Chief of Staff at the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, during which he managed Department of Defense (DoD) investments in emerging technologies and integrated DoD and Georgetown University advanced technology research programs. Colonel Jim Olson has enjoyed a lengthy career of leadership in the U.S. Army, serving as a Battalion Commander in Korea in the early 90′s, the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency, and Chief Operating Officer at the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center at Fort Detrick, Maryland. He is a recipient of the Legion of Merit award and is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. He sits on the Board of Directors of numerous organizations including the AMAR International Charitable Foundation in the USA (AMAR U.S.), the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Mission of Mercy, Frederick Veteran’s Service Center and the Board of Associates of Hood College, MD. He also served for 9 years in the Presidency of the Frederick Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jim was raised on a remote cattle ranch in the high mountain desert of Vernon, Utah. He served a 2.5 year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Sweden. He received a Bachelors Degree from Utah State University, was a ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) and commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1971. He later received his Master’s Degree from Webster University. He is married to his wife of 53 years, the former Sarah Ann Starr. They are the proud parents of daughter Starr, married to Brian McClatchie, and the grandparents of 5 beautiful granddaughters.
Josh Williams
Josh Williams, a combat veteran, has made a profound impact across national preparedness, resilience initiatives, and strategic leadership. His diverse career, bridging the public and private sectors, is defined by innovation, dedication to veterans, and community development. As a strategic thinker and technology visionary, Josh has significantly enhanced national defense and championed veterans’ welfare. As a retired US Army Officer with the Special Operations Command, Josh demonstrated exceptional strategic planning and resource management on a global scale. He currently manages the development of AI systems to predict and mitigate threats and has been pivotal in strengthening the nation’s defense capabilities, showcasing his ability to merge technology with security strategies effectively. In the private sector, Josh, as the co-owner of the Frederick County-based general contracting firm Homestead Mods LLC, has been instrumental in providing accessible housing for veterans and those with disabilities. His role as an adjunct professor in business and computer science further reflects his commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders, emphasizing his broad impact on both education and veterans’ well-being. Josh and his wife, Kristi Jacobs Williams, along with their children, make their home in Ijamsville. Beyond his professional endeavors, Josh is passionate about exploring new destinations, capturing his experiences through writing, and cherishing quality moments with his family.
Jackie
Facility Service Dog
Jackie was born June 10, 2018 at Warrior Canine Connection in Boyds. MD. She was donated by South East Guide Dogs to become a service dog in training. Due to her infectious personality and draw to interacting with people it was decided that serving as a facility dog would be the best career path for Jackie. Jackie is named after Navy LT Jaqueline Melvin.
She currently resides with her handler, Associate Director Niki Falzone, and will be the face of the Platoon Veteran Services Center. Make sure to stop and say “hi” when visiting the center. Her favorite trick is “wiggle, wiggle” but be prepared for puppy loving! I can’t wait to meet you soon.