Meet our Staff
Our staff is the backbone of National Veterans Foundation and the Lifeline for Vets. They share the vision and values of NVF and helping Veterans. Meet our team that makes things happen.
Ren H. Ross M.S.
Director of Operations
Mr. Ren H. Ross M.S. joined the National Veterans Foundation as its Director of Operations in October of 2025. He brings over 17 years of proven leadership experience, to include 9 years serving in the Special Operations community within the United States Army. He is a highly decorated combat veteran with multiple deployments, serving as a Special Operations Task Force-Alpha (SOT-A) team leader as a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). He has sustained multiple injuries while serving his country and is a 100% disabled veteran for those service-connected injuries.
Mr. Ross has accomplished measurable results while leading teams in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. He possesses a comprehensive background in program implementation and strategic planning, derived from conducting domestic and global operations. He has expert knowledge and abilities in project management, training, and operational planning, and he provides a proven track record of delivering tangible, robust improvements within the military, non-profit and private sector. He is a recipient of multiple awards for outstanding performance and professionalism, and his career is supported by a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Psychology and a Master of Science in Criminology, where he focused on our veterans with PTSD; and the factors that lead some of our nation’s heroes to criminal behavior.
Since leaving the Army in 2015, he has dedicated his life to improving the well-being of the veteran community. He has worked with developer partners, the VA, and state and community partners; to construct over 800 supportive housing units for our homeless veteran community in Los Angeles and Orange County. He is passionate about doing the right things for our veteran community, and he ensures his projects have the appropriate services our veterans need to recover and thrive in our communities. He is now a small business owner, offering a range of consulting services, and he is honored to help the National Veterans Foundation reach their goals moving forward as their Director of Operations.
Gerald Hillard II
Community Relations Specialist
Gerald Hillard joined the NVF as an Information Services Representative. He is a Los Angeles native and comes from a family of Veterans. He got involved with the NVF to be part of a movement that can actually make a difference to improve the lives of Veterans across the nation through our Hotline and Street Team.
“I am honored to be accepted by the NVF. And I am thankful they have given me the opportunity to help Veterans who have risked their lives to serve this country.”
Louis Geiger Jr.
Information Services Representative
Louis Geiger, Jr. served in the Marine Corps from 1988 to 2007. He experienced combat during Operation Desert Shield/Storm as an Artilleryman, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF-1) as an Infantryman. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1992. He transferred to the reserves and was reactivated in 2002 for Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom. When he left active duty for the second time, he had a one-week period of debriefing. Not enough time to fully grasp what benefits he had earned and how to access them. Not enough time to acclimate back to civilian life, either. “I didn’t know what came next,” he says. “I knew about the VA, but you have to do your research. Here in Southern California, it’s fairly easy to find resources and get to the nearest VA. I expect the same is true in large metropolitan areas. But in many small towns across the country, there’s often no support for Veterans, and it’s not uncommon to have to drive 1-2 hours to get to a VA clinic or hospital.”
While in the reserves, Louis was in charge of his Reserve unit, married, worked full-time in the cable industry and was going to school full-time. He was functioning at a high level, but his PTSD would flare up to the point that his wife delivered an ultimatum that he get help. In 2004, he went into the PTSD program offered at the West Los Angeles VA. The program began with group sessions, followed by one-on-one counseling. “If it weren’t for that program, the PTSD counselors and the appropriate medications, I would not be here today.” Louis says “For the program to work, you have to be proactive and do your part. Unfortunately, the PTSD department at the local VA has moved locations within the campus and the program is now more of a clinic than a therapy environment, which was more effective for so many vets like me.”
Louis says “90% of Veterans have no clue about the benefits and resources available to them.” He’s a counselor who can speak from personal experience to vets. That’s what makes him such a valuable member of our team.
Jim ‘Sneaky’ White
Prison Outreach Coordinator
‘Sneaky’ White served first in the Marines. His first enlistment was as a machine-gunner (0331), then he re-enlisted as served as a helicopter crew-chief (CH-34s &CH-46s), including service in Cuba, Dominican Republic Civil War, and 19 months in Vietnam. He received an inter-service transfer into the Army where he served as a CWO flying helicopters. During his three (3) Army Vietnam tours he flew two tours flying Aero-Scouts and an extended tour flying Cobras for MAC-V-SOG out of Quang Tri for Special Forces. He is a disabled Veteran who wrote a book about his time in SOG. He spent 38 years in the Cal Dept. of Corrections where he started the incarcerated Veterans programs, as well as the inmate college program which is now in all California prisons. The college program is responsible for the reduction of recidivism for those that complete the course to under 2%, which is well below the national average. A longtime friend of Shad’s he volunteers full time to NVF and is committed to helping Veterans for the rest of his life.
“I have always been helping our Veteran’s community, but now being with NVF I find that I am able to do more, which gives me great satisfaction in my life. A sense of accomplishment in spite of my age.”
Markham Anderson
Information Services Representative
Army Vet Markham Anderson started with us a volunteer and was such a quick learner that we invited him onto our staff.
He grew up in Wichita, Kansas, raised by his grandmother after he was orphaned at three. Markham says, “I brought home strays.” He means animals and people. No matter whom he brought, his grandmother set a place at the table for them. Country breakfast or country dinner, it didn’t matter.
Markham met Shad in 1984 through James “Sneaky” White and Geronimo Pratt, both decorated Vietnam combat Veterans. Markham’s gentle manner on the phones communicates a message of care at a time when it’s needed.
Kathleen Reilly
Counselor/Regional Representative of NorCal
Kathleen Reilly joined NVF as an advocate for suicide prevention after the loss of her brother, USMC Veteran Shaun Patrick Reilly, who took his life after losing his battle with PTSD. Kathleen is a Field Advocate for Veteran Mental health and public policy thru the Sacramento Chapter of The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Kathleen volunteers her time to several Veteran Organizations as a part of her outreach and to bring NVF’s mission of eliminating Veteran suicides to Northern California.
She spends most of her free time playing music with her 2 kids, hiking, meditating and learning about new healing modalities.
Melinda Meshad, LCSW
Women Veterans Coordinator
Melinda Meshad has over twenty years working with individuals and families. She has focused her career on serving populations with high rates of trauma. Her experience includes working with incarcerated youth, teaching special needs, ten years in child welfare and over five years with the National Veterans Foundation.
Cathie Sandstrom
Writer and Editor (Advisory Board)
A military brat, Cathie Sandstrom has lived in five countries and ten states. She has written for the National Veterans Foundation since 1997 and currently serves as Writer/Editor as well as on the Advisory Board.
Twice a Pushcart nominee, her work appears online at the Academy of American Poets and has appeared in The Southern Review, Ploughshares, Ekphrasis, Cider Press Review, The Comstock Review and Lyric, among others. Anthologies include Wide Awake: Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond and The Coiled Serpent. Her work is forthcoming in Poetry in Motion, Los Angeles. Her poem “You, Again” is in the artists’ book collection at the Getty Museum, Los Angeles and in the library of the University of Southern California. She makes her home in Sierra Madre, up against the San Gabriel mountains.
Michael Alcorn
IT / Telecommunications Director
Michael "Tiny" Alcorn is a multifaceted professional with a rich background in IT, fundraising, and the arts. He served in the US Navy, which laid the foundation for his diverse skill set and determination.
Holding a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Arts Institute, Tiny combines technical expertise with a creative edge to deliver innovative digital solutions to the National Veterans Foundation.
In addition to his IT career, he is a seasoned professional fundraiser, having led successful campaigns and built strong donor relationships across various sectors.
Tiny is also known for his work as an actor, with a notable appearance in Star Wars, Transformers, and Marooned Awakening, along with many other features. His dynamic experience makes him a standout contributor in both technical and creative environments.