BLUESTAR SENIORTECH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Mechanical Engineer from the Naval Academy
Bill Wray is a former Chief Operating Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, where he led technology, operations, customer service, and other core functions for the plan, as well as ownership of its Medicare Advantage business line. This followed his career as Vice Chairman of one of the nation's largest banks, running a broad array of functions including enterprise data management. Bill is based in Rhode Island and has degrees in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and from Stanford University.
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO of MT Newswires
Brooks is the founder and CEO of MT Newswires, a leading provider of real time, multi-asset class news and analysis of capital markets, political and economic events globally. A Naval Academy graduate and US Navy veteran, McFeely served aboard the aircraft carrier Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Persian Gulf during operation Desert Thunder. Following his military service, McFeely founded MT Newswires in 1999. He was also founder of Pearl Investments, a proprietary statistical arbitrage trading firm based in Portland, Maine. He was also co-founder and managing partner of the Washington, DC based hedge fund Brochet Capital Partners, LP.
Job Titles:
- Rear Admiral, US Navy ( Ret )
A registered nurse with over 37 years of experience in the healthcare executive and operations arena, Cindy has worked for providers, payors and vendors, both military and commercial. She held senior healthcare executive positions at Marbella Technologies and a number of other tech companies. As a Navy reserve Rear Admiral, she was Deputy Director of the Navy Nurse Corps. She holds a faculty appointment at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
David is a seasoned entrepreneur and business executive with 30 years of startup and high growth experience in the Information Technology, Internet, and Government Contracting industries. Following the sale of Comstor, which he founded in 1986, he has assisted numerous companies with strategy, organization & team building. Expert in leveraging technology, establishing competitive advantages, and building strong partnerships with third-party organizations. David is from a military family ("Army Brat"), has a son in the National Guard, and has been active in supporting service-disabled veterans for over a decade.
Job Titles:
- Business Advisor
- Chief Operating Partner for Triple Tree Capital Partners
Mr. Dorman is the Chief Operating Partner for Triple Tree Capital Partners, and has personally invested in approximately 40 startup companies. Prior to that, he served 7 years as an Operating Executive for TPG Capital, one of the largest investment firms in the world. Previously, Dean was President & CEO of Silver Oak Solutions, a supply-management software and services provider, successfully ending in a strategic sale in 2005 to CGI, a multi-billion dollar international company. Prior to Silver Oak, Dean filled senior executive roles for Chemdex, General Electric, and McKinsey & Company. Mr. Dorman has a Bachelors degree in Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a licensed Professional Engineer
Job Titles:
- Vice Admiral, US Navy ( Ret )
Doug Crowder retired in January 2010 as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy. He has commanded at sea at every level, including the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and the US Seventh Fleet, commanding all US Navy forces throughout Asia and the Western Pacific. Ashore, Admiral Crowder served numerous assignments in the Pentagon, most in the politico-military and strategic planning arena. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, he studied at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland as an Olmsted Scholar. Admiral Crowder currently leads Crowder Strategies & Solutions, an independent consultancy focused on leadership, management and international security.
Doug specializes in finance and capital structure for early-stage firms, and is a veteran of nearly 20 technical startups as founder, advisor, or Chief Financial Officer. After starting with Price Waterhouse Coopers, he was COO at VIMAC Ventures, a Boston-based VC firm whose client firms now surpass $2B in market cap. He was also Executive-In-Residence for The Cleveland Clinic, helping to license and commercialize IT technologies in the healthcare space. A Stanford undergrad, he has an MBA from UCLA.
Job Titles:
- Rear Admiral, US Navy ( Ret )
Rear Admiral Chuck Harr graduated from East Tennessee State University, and received his Doctor of Medicine from Wake Forest University. He was commissioned in 1989, and served initially as a cardiovascular surgeon at Naval Hospital Camp LeJeune. After brief duty on the aircraft carrier USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74), he began a series of tours with Marine Corps units, in duties ranging from Africa to the Arctic. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 2010, and served as the Medical Officer of the Marine Corps (RC), and as Deputy Director of the Medical Corps Reserves. He currently practices adult cardiac and thoracic surgery in Charlotte, NC.
Job Titles:
- Major General, Army National Guard ( Ret )
General Alexander has over 25 years of executive leadership and management experience with extensive skills in complex civilian and military organizations including the White House, Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, the Army Surgeon General's office, and academia. He has a record of achievement as a seasoned administrator with documented background of leadership experience in civilian and military healthcare, academia, executive, fiscal, and medical technology. He has headed effective teams, planned, managed and implemented national policies for health-related programs to maintain and restore health. Most recently, he serves as a member of the Former Army Senior Strategic Leaders Group, Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Army Medical Command.
Job Titles:
- Business Advisor
- Colonel, US Army ( Ret ) Retired Colonel Dr. Ron Poropatich, MD Retired from the US Army in 2012 After Serving
Retired Colonel Dr. Ron Poropatich, MD retired from the US Army in 2012 after serving more than 30 years as a Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine physician. He currently serves as the Executive Director for the Center for Military Medicine Research at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Medicine, at the University of Pittsburgh and is also a Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He is the former President (2002-2003) and Board Member of the American Telemedicine Association.
Job Titles:
- President of the Smith Advocacy Group LLC
- Rear Admiral, US Coast Guard ( Ret )
Duncan Smith is President of the Smith Advocacy Group LLC, a Washington, DC-based consulting firm providing legislative, government relations, and strategic advisory services primarily to clients with business, legislative, and regulatory challenges and opportunities. He has decades of experience in the public arena and an extensive background in the subject areas noted. Previously Mr. Smith was a staff counsel to the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee and was a U.S. delegation congressional advisor to the International Maritime Organization. He is also a retired Coast Guard Reserve Rear Admiral. Before establishing his own firm, he practiced law for over two decades. He is on the Boards of the Coast Guard Foundation, the North American Marine Environment Protection Association, and the Lu Young Children's Fund.
Glenn has over 20 years of accounting and financial management experience, including VP of Accounting, Controller, IT Network Manager, and Director of Accounting/Finance roles at commercial companies and federal contractors ranging in size from $35 million to $200 million. BS in Business, MBA in Accounting.
Mr. Martinez has held senior positions as CEO, CFO, Treasurer and Board Member of several publicly traded companies. He has an extensive background as an investment banker and venture capital partner. He founded and was CEO of a Silicon Valley-based investment bank and was a Venture Partner with Osprey Ventures. He co-founded and served as the President of a full service regional investment banking firm and started an investment banking group for Citigroup. Prior to his investment banking career, he was an executive with Xerox, IBM, and a variety of high technology start-up companies that he was instrumental in taking public. He comes from a military family and served honorably as a platoon leader in the US Army in Vietnam, where he was wounded in action. He is a graduate of the United States infantry school at Fort Benning, Georgia. He is a member of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation's Professional Advisory Council, and has undergrad and graduate degrees from Adams State and the University of Denver.
Job Titles:
- Rear Admiral, United States Navy ( Ret )
Rear Admiral Jon W. Bayless, Jr., United States Navy (Ret), is a consultant to the Aerospace and Defense Industry, having previously led business development efforts across those sectors. During his Naval career, he held six different commands, including: Commander, Navy Region Midwest, Commander, Harbor Defense Forces Western Pacific, and Commanding Officer, Patrol Squadron Sixty-Six. He also led organizations and activities ranging from 200 to 20,000 personnel in the areas of senior operations and program management. In 2009, he retired from active duty in his last assignment at the Pentagon as the Deputy Chief, Navy Reserve (OPNAV 095B). He has since served in a Board capacity for several organizations.
Job Titles:
- Major General, US Army ( Ret )
Keith L. Thurgood was most recently President of the Spend and Clinical Management segment of MedAssets, a company focused on improving operational and financial performance in healthcare. He also served as Senior Vice President of Operations for Sam's Club and as the CEO of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES/The Exchange). He has also held executive positions with Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. In addition, he has over 28 years of Army service, both active and reserve, serving as the commanding general of the 143d Transportation Command (Forward) and as the Deputy Commanding General, 377th Theater Support. He has an MBA from Boston University, a M.S. in Strategic Studies from the Army War College, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Leadership from Capella University. He and his wife, Carol, reside in Plano, Texas.
Job Titles:
- President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Skies of Texas Senior Living
Loyd S. "Chip" Utterback is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Skies of Texas Senior Living. Composed of six corporations, the former Air Force Village provides a full continuum of senior-living options ranging from independent living, assisted living, skilled-nursing and one of the world's most acclaimed Alzheimer's Care and Research Centers, Freedom House. A retired USAF Lieutenant General and decorated combat fighter pilot, his last military duty was as the Commander of Thirteenth Air Force and the Air Forces Pacific. A distinguished military graduate of Texas A&M University, he earned a BBA in Operations Management and holds a Master of Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle University.
Pat is a United States Army Veteran and 2011 graduate of Drexel University with a B.S. in Business Administration. He brings nearly a decade of public/private sector experience to BlueStar including as regional Operations Assistant to a Fortune 500 company in Central New York as well as Account Manager and business liaison for the United Way. In addition to his military service, he has also worked in federal civilian capacities including as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service. His diverse background and proficiency in multiple roles will serve well as BlueStar Operations Assistant where he will become fluent in all facets of company operations while providing support to the CEO, COO, and CTO in a variety of tasks.
A 2012 graduate of Boston University, Preston has a broad base of expertise in a variety of technologies, including telephony, computer networks, software programming, as well as data protocols associated with medical alert devices. He supervises the evaluation and integration of products and the integration of the numerous back-office software systems required for sales, fulfillment, inventory, and customer service management.
Mr. Jones is skilled in IT project management, systems and business analysis, business development, and team leadership. Based in Washington, he has enjoyed a long career as a consultant in business and IT issues for notable clients such as Lockheed Martin, the US Treasury, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Price Waterhouse Coopers. He is on the board of trustees of Fort Washington Hospital, and holds a masters degree in leadership from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
Job Titles:
- Rear Admiral, US Navy ( Ret )
A Mechanical Engineer from the Naval Academy, Admiral Wray spent seven years of active duty as a nuclear engineer on surface ships, carriers, and submarines. Transferring to the reserves, he enjoyed a varied 20-year career in business, in manufacturing, hospitality, technology, consulting, and construction. After mobilization to Baghdad, he was promoted to Admiral, and placed back on active duty for the past six years. He recently retired as a two star. He has a Masters from Georgetown University, is a licensed professional engineer, holds a patent, has written two books, and is a frequent professional speaker on leadership and management. He has 14 present or former service members in his family, 4 of which are aged 80 or older.
Shannon is a partner at O'Brien, Gentry & Scott, LLC, a Washington DC based government affairs and public policy consulting firm. From a military family, Shannon develops and implements successful public policy and federal program strategies for the firm's broad range of clients. Including the fields of military training and technologies, critical communications, public safety and homeland security, and transportation safety. Shannon is also a strong advocate for several not-for-profit initiatives, including efforts to advance rare disease research, assist orphan and foster care children. She serves on the Government Advisory Committee for the National Military Families Association, advocating for resources essential to military families.
Ted Bowlds' career has spanned every aspect of weapon system acquisition within the Air Force. Following graduation from Test Pilot School as a flight test engineer, he served on the F-117 test team. He was director of avionics development for the B-2 during its initial production. He also served as the program director of the C-17 that included responsibilities for advances in capability and production. His experience in initial research and development include a position as a engineer in the AF Avionics Laboratory to ultimately as the commander of the AF Research Laboratory. General Bowlds served in two Program Executive Officer (PEO) positions; first for Airlift and Tankers and then for Command and Control. He also has had multiple tours on the Air Staff and was involved in numerous foreign military sales efforts. Before his retirement, General Bowlds commanded Electronic Systems Center, responsible for command and control, surveillance and cyber system acquisitions.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Secretary of Defense
The Honorable Thomas F. Hall, a native of Barnsdall, Oklahoma, was sworn in as the fourth Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs on October 9, 2002. A President George W. Bush appointee confirmed by the Senate, he served as the principal staff assistant to the Secretary of Defense on all matters involving the 1.2 million members of the Reserve Components of the United States Armed Forces. He was responsible for overall supervision of Reserve Component affairs of the Department of Defense. Upon his retirement from Federal Service in April 2009, he was the longest serving Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs in the history of the position. He also served for a period of time in President Obama's administration as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
Tom is an expert in marketing and communications to the military and veteran community. A WestPoint grad and former Army Captain, himself, he started the company MARCH Marketing, LLC to help organizations work with the military and veteran community. His expertise in military, marketing, employment and veteran challenges enables a unique perspective on veteran issues. Tom has helped employers hire over 50,000 vets and raised $118 million for community programs, helping more than 110,000 military and veteran families.