President – Rick Hewett
Mr. Hewett is a decorated 29 year Special Operations Forces (SOF) veteran and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian national security practitioner. He is a combat veteran with multiple Joint SOF duty assignments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and with other Intelligence Community (IC) elements within politically sensitive countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. He held a variety of positions in his career including reserves, active duty, and federal civilian employee positions within the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. Mr. Hewett served in both conventional and SOF units. He served at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence & Security) (OUSD(I&S)), the U.S. Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) Combatant Command, and at the Secretary of the Air Force levels.
Since 1994, his military assignments included technical and leadership positions in the 6th Cavalry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and the U.S. Army Office of Military Support (USAOMS). As a civilian, he served on the staff of the OUSD(I&S), USSOCOM, and Department of the Air Force.
While active duty, he deployed and participated in classified operations in ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) and IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). He was a member of national-level Joint Special Operations Task Forces (JSOTF) and other U.S. Embassy-based teams conducting counterterrorism and sensitive assignments. He held a variety of leadership positions in high-stress, no-fail situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (3), a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and numerous other Foreign, Joint, Army, Unit, and civilian awards.
As a federal civilian since 2007, Mr. Hewett served in the USSOCOM J3X Special Activities Division and was attached to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in the USSOCOM J2X Counterintelligence and Human Intelligence (CI/HUMINT) Division. In Mr. Hewett’s many roles within USSOCOM, he routinely supported national and theater SOF and Other Government Agencies. He deployed to multiple AORs in support of JSOTFs as a civilian. For his time as a USSOCOM Civilian, he earned the U.S. Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Global War on Terrorism-Civilian Award, and was nominated for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award which is the highest award that can be presented to a civilian within the Joint Staff or a Combatant Command.
Mr. Hewett is an adaptive innovator and strategy entrepreneur. In 2015 prior to departing to Senior Service College, he was awarded the USSOCOM Commander’s 2015 Project Innovation Award for a unique and revolutionary overseas contingency operations project supporting an Air Force Special Operations element. In the Naval War College resident course, he was accepted into two prestigious programs: 1) the Gravely Group Advance Research Program where he focused on transformational policies to counter strategic great power competitors, and 2) the Arleigh Burke Fellowship. Arleigh Burke Fellows (ABF) are specifically selected by the Navy International Program to integrate, attend classes and events with the 40+ senior international officers enrolled in the Naval Command College. The intent is to build lasting personal and professional relationships between the ABFs and the international officers as they go on to become flag officers, ambassadors, and ministers in their home countries and the United States. The DoD intends ABFs to use those relationships in the future to work together with their foreign counterparts to prevent or resolve regional crises. Mr. Hewett made enduring professional relationships with foreign officers from around the world. Due to his demonstrated leadership, innovation, and problem solving skills, Mr. Hewett was promoted to lead a Department-level portfolio of programs in the Secretary of the Air Force’s Concepts, Development and Management (SAF/CDM) office.
He is an alumnus of Saint Leo University, Salve Regina University, The George Washington University, the U.S. Naval War College, and Liberty University. His degrees include an AA in liberal arts, BA in business administration, MA Business Administration with a concentration in management, MA in National Security and Strategic Studies, MA in International Relations, and a Master’s Certificate in Project Management. Mr. Hewett is currently attending Liberty University pursuing a Doctorate degree in Public Policy with a cognate in National Security. To compliment his civilian education, he obtained the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute, an internationally recognized business credential. He attended numerous DoD and IC operations, intelligence, and Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) logistics, engineering, and program management courses throughout his career.
Mr. Hewett is a dedicated family man. He married the former Ms. Julie Lamb, a retired Army Major/SOF veteran, and veteran of Kosovo, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) I, and OIF II. Mrs. Hewett is a 100% service-connected disabled veteran. She is extremely supportive of Mr. Hewett’s DoD career and has assumed the most important job in the world, that of “full-time Mom.” They have six children total; two biological children together, four adopted, and are frequent Foster Parents and mentors within the Florida Department of Children and Families system. They have a very large, strong, resilient family. As such, they are also very connected to their local community and active in their church. They teach financial planning skills to local families at risk in small group settings as well as other classes. They are both lifetime members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion where they served as officers at the local, district, and department levels.
The Hewett’s started the Family and Youth Research and Education (FYRE) Foundation in Florida, a nonprofit organization, to fortify families, encourage adoption and foster parenting to assist abused and neglected children, and grow good citizens. Through the FYRE Foundation, the Hewett’s deliver multiple programs that benefit the community, families, and youth. Mr. Hewett is an Eagle Scout, Vigil in the Order of the Arrow, and both are simultaneously active adult leaders in the Boy Scouts of America. They believe in demonstrating servant leadership at all levels. The Hewett family leads by example.
Secretary – Charles McBurney, Esq
Charles W. McBurney Jr. is a Florida native, having attended the public schools in Florida. He is a high honors graduate of the University of Florida where he was selected to Phi Beta Kappa, was a member of the leadership honorary Florida Blue Key and was president of the Debate team. McBurney also graduated from the University of Florida Law School where he was a member of the moot court team, and was selected to the Order of the Barristers.
McBurney served as an Assistant State Attorney for 6 years trying cases from simple misdemeanors to murder. He was responsible for obtaining record forfeitures from drug dealers of well over a million dollars.
In 1990, McBurney entered the private practice, and was a partner at Fischette, Owen, Held, and McBurney, specializing in commercial collections, commercial and bankruptcy litigation, and now also representation of homeowner and condominium association matters. In 2004, McBurney opened his own practice. He has served as an officer or director of a number of professional organizations such as the Commercial Law League of America and has achieved the highest rating among his peers for ethics and competency.
For over 30 years, McBurney has served as an officer or director of over 20 organizations in Jacksonville. He has been recognized a number of times by civic organizations, including the Small Businessman of the Year by the Southside Business Men’s Club, the Leadership Award by the First Coast Tiger Bay Club, and the Most Outstanding Chapter President Award by the Florida Jaycees.
On September 18th, 2007, McBurney was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 16, with 79% of the vote. McBurney was re-elected in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. McBurney was “term-limited” and his term ended November 8, 2016. He had the longest continuous service in the Florida House and was considered “Dean” of the House.
McBurney served as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee; and he also served on the Appropriations Committee, Rules, Calendar and Ethics Committee and Rulemaking, Oversight and Repeal Subcommittee. Among other honors, McBurney has received the 2011 Statesman Award from the First Coast Tiger Bay Club, the 2014 Champion for Children’s Rights from Florida’s Children First, 2015 Legislative Champion Award from the Florida Sheriff’s Association, 2013 and 2014 Florida Bar Legislative Award, the 2013 House Legislator of the Year, Florida’s Clerk’s and Comptroller’s Association, the 2012 and 2013 “Defender of Liberty” from the American Conservative Union, the 2016 Furtherance of Justice Award from the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the James C. Rinaman Jr. Public Service Award from the Jacksonville Bar Association 2016, and the Distinguished Legislative Service Award from the Florida Bar in recognition “of his outstanding leadership, statesmanship and sponsorship of legislation to significantly improve and enhance the business laws of the state of Florida.”
McBurney lives in Jacksonville with his wife Deborah, retired music teacher from the Duval County School District, in Jacksonville. He is also a deacon at South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church. McBurney is an honorary member of the San Jose Rotary Club.
Treasurer – Mr. Gabriel Wilson
Gabe Wilson has been a servant leader his entire life. Growing up in rural Colorado on a ranch he learned the meaning of responsibility, hard work, and serving. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps to become a Combat Engineer where he served the next twenty years and continued to volunteer numerous times to serve others in various charitable organizations including his church, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts.
His leadership skills were honed through three combat deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, Cuba, France, and Japan where he led Marine Corps operational elements. Gabe’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal (with Combat ‘V’ for Valor), Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with four gold stars in lieu of the fifth award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (with two gold stars in lieu of the third award), Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation-Navy, Navy Unit Commendation (with three bronze stars in lieu of the fourth award), and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (with one silver star and one bronze star in lieu of the sixth award).
After retiring from the Marine Corps with 20 years of service in 2015, Gabe transitioned into a position with Banamax USA as an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Analyst supporting Citigroup Bank. Earning the Florida Community Association Manager (CAM) license, he started his own company, Neighborly Community Management where he manages multiple Home Owner Associations (HOA) in the Brandon, Valrico, Plant City, Ruskin, Chapel Chase, and Riverview, Florida areas.
Gabe married the former Ms. Courtney Renee Johnson in 2003. They have two children, Colby and Chloe. They are active in their children’s lives, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and with their church. He is a graduate of Ashford University with a BA majoring in Organizational Management and minoring in Business.
Director & Assistant Secretary – BG (Ret) Neil Tolley
Special Forces, Rocket Scientist, Entrepreneur
Neil Tolley’s military service began in 1983 after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. His military career spanned over twenty-nine years working on every continent except Antarctica. It began in Fort Carson, Colorado with the Infantry. In 1985, he left the Infantry for the Green Berets. He was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens,
Massachusetts where he served until he left active duty in 1989 to pursue a civilian career.
His civilian career was as a rocket scientist with Lockheed Martin where rose from engineer to manager directing the manpower, planning, assembly, integration and test, and launch of 13 commercial communications satellites. While working for Lockheed Martin he also trained and deployed with the 20th Special Forces Group (National Guard) in Maryland.
In 1999, Neil returned to full time military duty with his initial assignment to the Special Operations Command South at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. His subsequent assignments took him twice to the Republic of South Korea assigned to the Special Operations Command,
Korea, United States Army Special Operations Command, and United States Special Operations Command here in Florida. He commanded the Special Operations Command and Control Element in Djibouti, Djibouti (Africa) to coordinate and oversee special operations missions and enhance the readiness of selected counter terrorism forces in seven countries on the Horn of Africa. Brigadier General Tolley’s final assignment was as the Commanding General of the Special Operations Command Korea. Neil is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of Stalwart Naval Innovation, LLC, a naval design company.
Neil is married to Caroline Perrucci Tolley and they have two children. They attend Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Riverview, FL.