BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman of the Board
Brenden Healy
Brenden M. Healy is a founding member and current Chair of the Open Doors Outdoors Board of Directors. A resident of Colchester, Connecticut, Brenden is a tax director at Whittlesey in Hartford and previously served as an at-large member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants Board of Directors.
Brenden earned an associate degree in accounting from Middlesex Community College, a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Central Connecticut State University, and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Hartford. He brings extensive financial, tax, and organizational leadership experience to Open Doors Outdoors and has been committed to advancing its mission of helping Veterans, their families, and young people reconnect and heal through outdoor experiences since the organization’s founding.
Davey edwards
Founder / Executive Director
Proudly served in the United States Marine Corps, Davey Edwards is a loving father of 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
Brigadier General (BG) 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 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.
Tracy Robinson
Secretary
Tracy is the director of sales at Jessie Lord Bakey. 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.
Chad albano
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.
