Board of Directors
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Co-President
I am a proud wife whose husband’s family has a long line of military service to the United States. Professionally, I serve as an Optometry Office Manager for the Vision Center in Newark, Delaware. My experience in the field of optics transcends over 37 years, beginning in 1978. Since the tragedy of 9/11, I witnessed the dramatic change to both the active military and reserve component, mainly by virtue of my husband, COL Terry L. Greenwell’s array of key leadership positions in the Delaware Army National Guard. During his tenure as the Deputy Commander of the 2161st Signal Brigade, followed by the Chief of the Delaware Army and Joint Staff for 5 years, thousands of National Guardsmen and woman deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. It was during this time I witnessed the impact on the Soldiers and Airmen, it was the families of those deployed who fostered my intense dedication towards helping those in need.
My husband remains active today with 37 years experience, presently holding the position of United States Property and Fiscal Officer for Delaware. He holds a Master of Science and Arts Degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College. Our 30 years of marriage has blessed us two wonderful children, Bryan (25) and Ashlee (23). My son continues to work on his degree and Ashlee is currently enrolled in her MBA in Marketing and Advertising at the University of Delaware. My children have been active in our military community since they were old enough to walk. They have stuffed shoeboxes at Thanksgiving, volunteered at our DE National Guard Youth Camp and helped out at many of the deployments and homecomings.
It was at a breakfast in April 2007, Shirley, Chief Peet and myself met for breakfast to see what else we can do. DEBOTG was founded and we have not stopped running since!
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Co-President
I married Norman Brooks on 06/26/1976 while he was a Private First-Class, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC and instantly became a military spouse. After Norm completed his 4 year tour in 1979, we moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, to attend Liberty University, where I received my Associates of Arts degree 1982. We moved back to Delaware and Norm joined the Delaware Air National Guard in 1984. I began work at Connolly Bove Lodge & Hutz in 1983 as a legal secretary and currently work as a patent secretary and visitor program coordinator. I became an active volunteer with the Delaware Air National Guard’s 166th Wing Family Assistance Program shortly after the 9/11 attacks, when in 2002, my son Jeff’s Security Forces Sqdn. was activated and deployed to a classified location in the Middle East in support of operations necessary for the liberation of Iraq. I continued to volunteer and assist military families as my son Jason was deployed in 2003 to Qatar in further support of the liberation of Iraq.
In early 2007, Kathy Greenwell (Army Guard spouse) and I were having breakfast with CMSgt. Dawn Peet of the State of Delaware Family Readiness Office. We discussed with her an idea concerning a non-profit organization that would be able to assist military families in a way that she could not, specifically, using donated funds and volunteer help. And thus Delaware Boots on the Ground was born. We had a lot of great support from our family and friends in the Delaware National Guard. We contacted our friend Kim King, who was the secretary for Camp Colwell (a children’s camp run for the dependent children of Delaware Air and Army Guardsman and retirees) and asked her to be our secretary. Through mutual friends we met Kristen Shaw, a local CPA who assisted non-profits in Delaware and asked her to be our treasurer. During our 2nd year Dr. Jill Biden became a volunteer for DEBOTG. She was a hands on volunteer who didn’t hesitate to take on any task that was assigned to her. Dr. Biden introduced DEBOTG to the world of corporate sponsorship and in particular the military support groups within these corporations. Over the last 4 years we have been able to financially assist hundreds of families and soldiers in Delaware who have been hurt financially and/or physically by their service in support of our nation through the support of individual donations and corporate support and act as an informational resource.
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Secretary
I have my Master’s degree in elementary education from Widener University and have been teaching in the primary grades for the past 25 years in the Interboro School District. The last six years, I have been teaching Transitional First Grade. I volunteer for the Edward J. Snyder Foundation which supports families in need within the Interboro Community. My son is in his senior year at Texas A&M as a member of the Corps of Cadets and Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. He is also a member of the Texas Army National Guard and will be commissioned upon his graduation. My daughter is in her second year at Penn State University with plans of majoring in education.
Ten years ago, fellow teacher and Air Guardsmen, Chief Dawn Peet, offered to sponsor my children in a Youth Camp for the DE Air and Army National Guard. Since then, I have volunteered for the Children of the Delaware Air and Army National Guard Youth Camp – Camp Colwell as the Camp Secretary. In 2003, when the DE Air Guard was deployed into Iraq, my children and I volunteered with the Wing Family Assistance Program and I met Shirley. May of 2007, co-presidents Kathy and Shirley asked if I would be interested in being the secretary for a new non-profit they were staring up.
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Treasurer
CPA
Principal
ParenteBeard, LLC
Bio to be updated soon
