BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Davey edwards
Founder / Executive Director
Proudly served in the United States Marine Corps, Davey Edwards is happily married to Amy Edwards and cherishes their three wonderful children. Davey, an avid ultra runner, has achieved remarkable feats such as crossing the entire state of Connecticut twice, each time completing the grueling journey in just 41 hours. He has also conquered the challenges of the Moab 240, Tahoe 200 and most recently the Cocodona 250 multi-day endurance races, in addition to numerous other 50 and 100-mile foot races. With over 1000 miles logged on the Appalachian Trail (AT), Davey's passions lie in his faith, his family, and the joy of sharing the outdoor life. WFA Certified.
VICE Chairman of the Board
Bill Geist
Treasurer
Bill lives in South Glastonbury, Connecticut with his wife of 32 years, Tatiana Geist, Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services! He has two daughters; Nicole, who works and lives in Denver and Danielle, who’s is currently a nomad , working and traveling as much as possible.
Bill is recently retired from a 26 year career at ESPN as their Senior Vice President of Finance, Programming & Ad Sales, where he headed up the finance department responsible for the planning and strategy for all rights, production and ad sales. He enjoys skiing, fishing, boating, hiking and pretty much anything outdoors.
BG (Retired) Lesbia Nieves
Female Veteran Health and Advocacy Lead
BG (Retired) Lesbia Nieves was a member of the Connecticut Army National Guard for 36 years( 9/1987-9/2023). During her years as a commissioned officer, she held various leadership positions She completed her career as the Brigade Command for85 th Troop Command in Niantic, CT. She is an OIF Veteran (2004-2005). BG (Retired) Nieves holds a B.S. degree and two Master Degrees: one in Counseling with a concentration in Marriage and Family Counseling and the second degree inPublic Administration with a concentration on National Security Affairs. She has also completed various military educational programs including graduating from the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Command and General Staff College program. She was employed by the State of CT for 29 years. She worked for the Departmentof Children and Families from 8/1995, where she held the position of Social Work Supervisor until August 2018. In August 2018 she was hired by the State of CT Department of Veterans Affairs as their Director of Residential Services and Programs until retirement in 7/2024. She is member of various Veteran Service Organizations (Life Member VFW Manchester CT, American Legion South Windsor CT). Current Member of Veterans Advisory Committee in Manchester, CT. Current Member and Past President of the Hispanic American Veterans of CT (2008-2013). Member of Elks Club (Westbrook, CT). She was Board Member and Co-President of the Connecticut State Veterans Memorial, Inc (2009-2024). Congressional Gold Member Committee Member of the 65 th Inf Regiment (2012-2016)( Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal Alliance). Past member of CT Community Veterans Engagement Board. Past Board Member of South Park Inn Hartford, CT (Homeless Shelter). Past Board Member Brave Minds (Serving Veterans impacted by PTSD and TBI). She was inductee of the CT Veterans Hall of Fame (2024). She is married to Edward Nieves, and they have three children (Mariah, Kristiann and Isaiah). She is also a grandmother of two children. BG (Retired) Nieves and her family reside in Manchester, Connecticut.Jeff arnold
Philanthropy Management and Business Development
Jeff Arnold is the Owner and Managing Director of Opt‑in Group, LLC, a full‑service medical education and publishing company he founded in 2023. With over two decades of experience in developing peer‑reviewed journals and accredited CME programs, he leads the team in producing impactful content for the practicing healthcare community.
A proud Veteran of the Connecticut Army National Guard’s 248th Engineer Company, Jeff served on active duty in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, from 2003 to 2004. His 8 years of military service instilled a deep sense of leadership and mission-driven focus that continues to guide his work across industries. Jeff, along with his wife and two kids (and dog), call Portland, CT, their home.
Chad Albano
Philanthropy Management and Business Development
Chad’s career has been focused in Finance and Accounting and for the past 6 years, he has been the Chief Financial Officer of Drew Marine International, LLC, a global marine chemical provider, based in Waterbury, CT.
He lives in Ellington, CT with his wife Nicole and his two teenage children, Luca, a recent high school graduate who is attending Sacred Heart University and Carlyna, a sophomore at East Catholic High School.
Chad is extremely patriotic and has a passion for helping Veterans given all the sacrifices they have given in their lives. He enjoys being outdoors and especially tennis, golfing and most water activities.
Tracy Robinson
Secretary
Tracy is the director of sales at Lyman Orchard in Middlefield, CT where she has worked for 15 years. She also brings many years of event planning to the ODO organization. She volunteers at the Mission Fitness, LLC Lake T triathlons as well as volunteering in the past at Ironman Lake Placid.
Tracy has been behind the scenes helping ODO with our races and consulting since 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, cycling, golf, and hunting for treasures at flea markets with her better half Peter.
CHairman of the Board
Matt UDAL
Matthew is a founding partner and co-owner of Ameriprise Financial Services – Waypoint Wealth Solutions. He lives in West Hartford, CT with his wife Betsy and children, Victoria and George. Matthew also serves as Vice Chairman for the Greater Hartford Ridesharing Corporation board and is also a board member of Fitness Class Training.
Matt’s amazing ability to connect individuals and organizations with ODO’s mission to has proven to be a huge blessing to those we serve. His passions are weightlifting, travel and spending time with his family and friends.
Sam Barrett
Sam served in the US Army as a member of 2D Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, from 2005-2009, and deployed several times to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He later served with the Washington State National Guard until 2011. Upon leaving the Army, Sam founded the Seattle Stand Down in Seattle, Washington which became the city’s largest veteran directed resource fair- this organization continues to provide services to at-risk and homeless veterans today.
In 2012, Sam moved to the United Kingdom with his wife, Brianna, and lived there for 10 years. While in London, Sam earned his undergraduate and masters degrees and embarked on a new career in advertising, media and marketing, which he continues to do in the US having moved back to New England in 2021. Sam currently lives in Connecticut with his wife, Brianna, and their three children: Alice, Amelia, and Henry.
Advisory Board
Michael McCurdy
Mike recently retired from the US Navy after over 28 years as an aviation maintenance Officer. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, after multiple deployments and many moves to and from states throughout the country, he now lives in Glastonbury with his wife Lori (a US Navy Reservist) and their three children.
His hobbies include fitness, reading, and watching Steelers football and his kids’ athletic events. Mike’s fit with ODO comes from his love of the outdoors and his eagerness to spend time with fellow veterans.
Wilderness First Aid Certified (WFA)
Jesse Monaghan
Hike Leader / Veteran Outreach / Charitable Giving Committee
Served as an infantry mortarman in the U.S. Army’s 2d Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Jesse deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2012 and returned home, where he was stationed in the Pacific Northwest. He began hiking at a young age in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and fell in love with the outdoors. His passion for hiking led him to multiple summits on Mount Rainier and climbs throughout Washington and Oregon. Jesse currently works in the legal field and is settled in Connecticut where he lives with his amazing wife and two sons.
Wilderness First Aid Certified (WFA)
Nivi Carbonell
Health & Wellness Lead
Served proudly in the United States Marine Corps and is currently a CrossFit coach at Viking Athletics. Very happily married to Rachel Fain, and loving dog dad of two playful puppies, Chloe and Gus.
Nivi is an active competitive CrossFit athlete, competing in numerous competitions nationwide and culminating with an invitation to represent the United States at the IF3 Masters Worlds in 2022. Nivi’s hobbies include photography and videography, learning to golf, cooking and reading to gain a better perspective on the world around him.
Rachael Witkege
volunteer coordinator / program coordinator
Rachael, our enthusiastic volunteer coordinator, works at Pratt & Whitney as a Program Manager where she also leads the RTX/P&W employee military veteran and ally community space. Although she never served herself, she is a proud Navy brat and her family tree includes Coast Guard, Army, Air Force and Marine Corps representation as well!
A passionate community advocate, Rachael serves on the board for Manchester Public Library and is part of the committee overseeing the construction of the new library building in Downtown Manchester (coming Summer 2026.) In her spare time, she is a running and fitness enthusiast including both CrossFit and hiking and took up learning French a few years ago too! Rachael lives in Manchester with her husband, Tobias, and their three beloved furbabies: Charlie, Cuba, and Suave.
Business Development / Veteran Outreach
