U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Pete Perzel
President – TSP Board of Directors
pete.perzel@thesummitproject.org
U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Pete Perzel is one of the founding fathers of The Summit Project, specifically responsible for the installation of the Honor Room at the Portland Maine Military Entrance Processing Station. In 2014, Pete participated in the inaugural “TSP at BSP” event at Baxter State Park. His military service spans over 3 decades – from implementing the first ever R&R flights to over 60,000 Soldiers during the first stages of Operations Iraqi Freedom to organizing and leading Operation Sleigh Ride, delivering over 12,000 pounds of mail on Christmas Day 2005 by CH-47 Chinook helicopter to troops at the far reaches of Afghanistan. His focus has always been set upon Soldiers and their families.
Pete is currently stationed in Washington D.C. at the Defense Intelligence Agency where he is the Army Battalion Commander in support of the global attaché and intelligence mission. He has deployed on numerous occasions all around the world, is the recipient of two Bronze Star Medals, and an Eagle Scout. Pete is originally from Tolland, CT, a graduate of UCONN, and currently owns properties in both Windham and Porter, ME. He is married to the former Amanda Ritchie and they have two daughters together – Zoe and Charlotte. In addition to his amazing family, Pete enjoys playing competitive ice hockey, boating, hiking, renovating pinball machines, carpentry, graphic arts, music and has even performed at Carnegie Hall.
Greg Johnson
Executive Director & Treasurer – TSP Board of Directors
greg@thesummitproject.org
Greg Johnson is a 10-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps who has dedicated his service to The Summit Project since its inaugural event at Baxter State Park over Memorial Day Weekend of 2014. During his military career, Sgt Johnson deployed on (5) separate occasions – to include (3) deployments to Iraq, (1) to Afghanistan, and (1) to Okinawa during a Unit Deployment Program.
Born and raised in our beloved state, Greg is a University of Southern Maine alumnus where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and a minor in Nature-Based Tourism. He is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in the field of Leadership Studies. Sgt Johnson currently works Pratt & Whitney’s North Berwick Aero Systems as forward-representative of the Eagle Supply Delivery Assurance Team in direct support of advanced aerospace technology, and manages the F100, F119, and F135 aftermarket military programs for both U.S. and commercial-based engine centers around the world.
As an avid outdoorsmen, his most favorite pastime activities include spending time out on the water with his wife and three kids and embarking upon new wilderness adventures at every possible chance he gets.
Mike Hernandez
Secretary – TSP Board of Directors
mike.hernandez@thesummitproject.org
Mike Hernandez first became involved with The Summit Project by providing pro bono legal services. Since 2017, Mike has handled various legal matters for TSP, including registering its logo and various other trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, drafting partnership agreements, and providing legal advice on updating and implementing various policies. Such efforts not only deepened Mike’s appreciation for TSP’s mission, but also kindled his desire to do more for TSP. After participating in the BSP substitute honor hike and the ANP hike with his wife in 2020, Mike was honored to join the TSP Board of Directors. Mike is humbled and excited by the opportunity to further pay tribute to our military service members and their families by keeping the memories of our fallen heroes alive. Mike currently lives in Scarborough with his wife and two daughters, and works as an intellectual property attorney at Pierce Atwood specializing in trademark law and technology transactions.
Betsy Hutchins
Basecamp Coordinator & Member – TSP Board of Directors
betsy@thesummitproject.org
Betsy Hutchins has been involved with The Summit Project since Memorial Day 2013, when she and her husband Jeff met David Cote at their kitchen table. That was the day her husband presented The Summit Project with her step-son’s, Cpl. Andrew L Hutchins, memorial stone. Born and raised in Maine, Betsy is graduate of Bates College with a BA in Sociology, and has been in the financial services industry for 30 years, for the past 19 years with Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. As a Gold Star family member herself, Betsy has become an important part of The Summit Project’s hosted events at Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park, leading basecamp operations. As many know, Betsy loves to cook and take care of everyone. You will often see her at these events making sure everyone is well fed and comfortable. For this, she earned her nickname Momma Bear. Betsy lives in Greene, with her husband Jeff and son Benjamin.
Lori Roming
Advisor – TSP Board of Directors
lori.roming@thesummitproject.org
Lori first became involved with The Summit Project through her work at the Unity Foundation, which supports sustainable, mission-driven nonprofits through capacity-building initiatives, grantmaking, and nonprofit management education. She has always held the country’s military in high regard and was proud to serve The Summit Project during its formative years. She is humbled and grateful to be asked to once again assist TSP to ensure that Maine’s Heroes Are Not Forgotten.
Lori was born in Berlin, Germany, grew up in Northern Virginia, and spent summers in Maine. Moving to Maine 30 years ago, she has been involved in her local community and greater Maine for more than 20 years. She currently serves on many nonprofit boards and committees dedicated to supporting youth, education, arts, and community development. She is an active crafter and loves spending time at her camp in the summer.
Amy Lilley
Executive Assistant
amy.lilley@thesummitproject.org
Amy Lilley first got involved with The Summit Project in September of 2019 at the TSP at Acadia National Park signature. Amy is a Gold Star sister and learned about TSP through her parents. They found a memorial stone for her brother, CPT Christopher J Sullivan, around the time they retired to Maine full-time in 2017. Amy comes from a family of veterans. Her father, father-in-law, and two uncles served in Vietnam, and her grandfather was a WWII veteran.
Although Amy is not originally from Maine, she spent many summer vacations downeast visiting her grandparents. She moved to Maine right after finishing graduate school for physical therapy. She worked in Bangor for about a year, left for a brief stint, then returned in 1997 and has lived in Southern Maine region ever since.
Amy is married and lives in Scarborough with her husband, Steve. They have two boys who are in college. In her spare time, you can find Amy on the roads or trails running, on the road biking, or in the woods and mountains hiking.
Joan Neumann-Thain
Convoy Commander
joan.neumann-thain@thesummitproject.org
Joan Neumann-Thain is originally from North Carolina, but loves and presently lives in Maine. She has three kids (more she claims as her own), three granddaughters, and a grandson due April of 2019. She is a Patient Care Technician (PCT) at Maine Medical Center and a foster parent who enjoys wildlife, coaching life skills, and coaching gymnastics. Her family is her life and her passions include motorcycles, books, and The Summit Project. She is a member of multiple riding organizations and has carried TSP tribute stones on 6 motorcycle convoys at both Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park events. She is very proud to support the TSP mission by coordinating these rides and serving as a liaison to our riding community throughout the Northeast.
Phil Thain
Assistant Convoy Commander
phil.thain@thesummitproject.org
Phil Thain Jr is a proud father of a Coast Guard veteran and step-father to an Army veteran. He’s also a past President and the last remaining founder of Patriot Riders of America Maine Chapter One (PRAMCO). Phil is very proud to say that he has been involved with The Summit Project since the very first signature event at Baxter State Park and has been escorting stones and building relationships ever since. He has met so many amazing people and is honored to be a part of the Core Leadership Team. Phil looks forward to spreading the word of our mission and that MAINE HEROES ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.
Mark LoSacco
Family Liaison
mark.losacco@thesummitproject.org
Mark is a 52 year old husband and father of two who enjoys running, hiking, guitar and card/board games of all kinds. Since earning his graduate degree in Software Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY he has worked as a software engineer at a variety of startup and established technology companies. After years of vacationing in Maine and dreams of making it their home, he and his family took the plunge in 2013, left Connecticut, and never looked back. Shortly after arriving, Mark became active on the leadership team of the Central Maine chapter of Team Red, White & Blue – an organization committed to enriching the lives of America’s veterans. He served as the Chapter Captain for four years before recently passing the torch.
Mark’s wife, Baerbel (a photographer), was the first in the family to hike with The Summit Project. It didn’t take long for her to involve the rest of the family at BSP, ANP and other TSP events over the last several years. Mark recently had the honor of being a hike team leader for recent TSP hike events. Mark considers TSP an extended family and is honored to step into the Family Liaison role on the TSP leadership team where he looks forward to serving our heroes’ families.
Melissa Wetherby
Honor Case Manager
melissa.wetherby@thesummitproject.org
Originally from Vermont, Melissa Wetherby moved to Maine in 2017. She has worked in Higher Education since 2006. While in Vermont, she worked at a college exclusively for students with Learning Disabilities and still reserves a special place in her heart for accessibility in design and learning. Currently, she is the Lead Instructional Designer for the Maine College of Health Professions in Lewiston, ME.
Melissa first learned of The Summit Project in 2019 from reading stories shared on social media platforms and following Greg’s ruck from Cadillac to Katahdin during the 150-Mile TSP Memorial Ruck Fundraiser. It was then that she knew she needed to learn more about this living memorial. Soon after, she signed up to hike at TSP at ANP in 2020 and was amazed by the event – even with the limited-scope format that was incorporated due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. Being new to hiking, she was grateful and extremely moved by the support she received from her teammates. Since then, she has participated in many events and volunteer opportunities, to include TSP at ANP 2021 where she was finally able to experience a full-scale TSP event!
When Melissa’s not working, she can often be found on a hiking trail, spending time with her rescue Boxer Dudley, or with her grown daughter Selena – many times doing all three at once! Melissa is very excited to serve as a member of the Core Leadership Team and looks forward to learning more about the organization, the stories of the Heroes, and meeting their respective families.
Steve Bailey
Hosted Events Manager
steve.bailey@thesummitproject.org
Stephen, a lifelong Mainer and father of two adult children, resides in Windham with his wife. He also shares his time at his camp in Millinocket where many adventures launch from. Stephen first learned about TSP during the 150-Mile Memorial Ruck Fundraiser conducted by its Executive Director back in 2019.
When he is not staging for the next adventure he can be found planning and executing strategies to bridge the digital divide in Northern New England. Leveraging fiber optics and 4G and 5G technologies, Stephen is dedicated to his role to get every community in Northern New England connected to reliable and affordable broadband. Stephen was trained as an outdoor leader by a team created by and including one of America’s most accomplished mountaineers, Paul Petzoldt. The expedition leadership skills developed focused on planning, preparation and execution with a keen eye on safety, enjoyment and a minimal impact approach.
This culmination of experience and passion for our veterans, fallen heroes, and Gold Star Families has brought Stephen to TSP in an effort to make a difference through influence in honoring our Maine military families and fallen heroes. As hosted events manager Stephen intends to ramp up some additional TSP adventures and bring the project into some new realms beyond hiking while including TSP volunteers, Gold Star Families and the next generation.
Courtney Evans
Public Relations Manager
courtney.evans@thesummitproject.org
Courtney Evans came to TSP in 2018 and has been an active member ever since. She has stepped into roles as Assistant Team Lead for TSP at ANP 2019 and as Team Lead for both TSP at BSP and ANP in 2020. She achieved her Master of Education degree from the University of Maine and is employed as a clinical counselor at Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine, where she also calls her home. She is actively involved in Girl Scouts of Maine as a troop leader and as an adult learning facilitator for the organization. She is also the President of the UMaine Band Alumni Association, responsible for coordinating the homecoming events for the alumni band, which is always the largest returning organization each year. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors chasing the 4,000 foot summits of New England and going on amazing adventures with her daughter, Delaney.
John Gold
Information Technology Advisor
john.gold@thesummitproject.org
John Gold has been involved with The Summit Project since 2017 when he redesigned the organization’s website. Since that time he has assisted the organization with various web site and technology-related projects. John grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from the University of New Hampshire where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a concentration in Journalism. His professional background is in Journalism and graphic design with more than three decades of experience as a writer, editor print and website designer. He is the author of several non-fiction children’s books. He has lived in Maine for more than 30 years and when he’s not fixing something around the house he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, swimming and boating. He and his wife live in Saco.Mili Johnson
Store Manager
mili.johnson@thesummitproject.org
Mili Johnson was born and raised on the North Shore of Hawaii. She attended both Kahuku High School in Oahu and Westwood High School in Mesa, Arizona. She has been involved with The Summit Project in many different capacities since its inaugural event in 2014. Currently, she works as a Supervisor at JCPenney and looks forward to transferring her extensive knowledge of this industry to her position as TSP Store Manager. Mili is also the mother of (3) beautiful children and married to a wonderful, loving veteran of the United States Marine Corps. In her free time, she likes to travel and explore new places with her family.
Brittany Senft
Assistant Store Manager
brittany.senft@thesummitproject.org
Growing up Brittany Senft always had a love for the outdoors and found exploring the mountains and rivers where she lived to be one of her favorite past times. From her love of the outdoors came a desire to preserve and protect that which was sacred to her. She decided to go to school to further study different types of forests, their unique properties, and the animals that inhabit them.
In June of 2019, she accomplished her goal of earning a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of Vermont. During her time in college, she got to do a lot of hiking and gained considerable knowledge of forest ecology. She was also able to intern with the Vermont State Fish and Wildlife Game Wardens. After graduating college, Brittany made the decision to join her family’s long line of military members. In December of 2019, she signed the dotted line, held her right hand up, and swore to protect and honor her country by joining the United States Air Force. During her time in the Air Force, she trained as a Security Forces member and spent her time serving and protecting her base as the first and last line of defense.
Within the TSP family, she not only serves as the Assistant Store Manager, but is also an active member of the TSP Fundraising Committee. During her free time, Brittany can be found reading, exploring the woods, hunting for sea glass on the beach, or hanging out with her boyfriend and their cat and two dogs.
Jake Hill
Marketing Manager
jake.hill@thesummitproject.org
Jake decided to join the military when he was (10) years old after witnessing the attacks of September 11th in 2001 and enlisted directly following his high school graduation in 2010. He is a 6-year veteran of Air Force Special Forces. During his military career, he deployed on two separate occasions to Afghanistan and Africa where he participated in missions to capture the world’s most wanted terrorists.
Though born and raised in Maine, he travelled the world during his military career and also spent two years living in New Zealand. In 2018, he decided to come back home to Maine in order to live the way life should be. Currently, he works at Tyler Technologies as a Deployment Engineer providing global support for his public sector clientele.
He loves anything and everything to do with outdoors, and especially loves spending it with his girlfriend and two dogs. “Any chance to reboot from the long week and spend that time outdoors, is simply underrated. The world needs more of it.”
Ian Hunter
Portland, Maine MEPS Liaison
ian.hunter@thesummitproject.org
Ian joined The Summit Project in 2022 following a 9/11 memorial ruck march honoring fallen Service Members and First Responders. He is a former Airborne Infantryman and Paratrooper. SGT Hunter deployed to Afghanistan with the 2-503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment (The ROCK), 173rd Airborne Brigade as well as the 82nd Airborne Division. He medically retired from the U.S. Army in 2010 after being wounded by an IED.
Ian is an outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, camping and backpacking with the Dirigo Ruck Club. Ian lives in Brunswick with his wife, Bobbi, and son, Gabriel.
U.S. Army Major Brandon C. Tyner
Portland, Maine MEPS Commander
brandon.tyner@thesummitproject.org
U.S. Army Major Brandon C. Tyner is the Commander of the Portland, Maine, Military Entrance Processing Station. Originally from Lumberton, NC, he enlisted in the Army at the Raleigh MEPS in January 2008, and earned his commission at Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia, in July 2008.TSP Ambassadors
Jackie Carter
Jessica Cloukey
Justin Cloukey
Stephen Crossman
Lisa Jean
Roberta Joline
Clare Peaslee
Mike Peterson
Cherie Sackville
Jill Sennett
Stuart Sennett
TSP Photographers
Stephen Crossman
Baerbel LoSacco
Mike Peterson