top of page
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Meet the individuals who make the Mil-Tree Project happen! We are grateful for thier service to this organization and their contributions to changing lives.

Chery Montelle, Executive Director and Founder

Cheryl Montelle
Founder / Co-Executive Director

Cheryl Montelle has worn many hats. Starting as a professional dancer and an actress in her youth, she has run a Pilates fitness business, she is a writer and performs her own stories, and currently conceived and curates Live From Joshua Tree, an annual community-based spoken word fundraiser for Mil-Tree. Mil-Tree was formed out of her wish to have the community at large embrace returning veterans and their families. Mil-Tree was founded in 2012, inspired by Dr. Ed Tick and his book, “War and The Soul: Healing Our Nation's Veterans from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Danielle New .jpeg

Danielle Giudici Wallis 

Co-Executive Director

Danielle Giudici Wallis is an experienced arts administrator, educator, and visual artist based in Yucca Valley, California. She has served as Executive Director of Arts Connection, Creative Strategist for the Ontario Museum of History & Art, and Project Director for the Redlands Eco Arts Community Home with The Artlands Creative. Danielle has also worked as a consultant for the Garcia Center for the Arts and as a Cultural Arts Commissioner for the City of Redlands. She has developed multiple community-driven arts initiatives that integrate art, ecology, and civic engagement. 

Pat Wallis, Board President

Patrick Wallis

 Army Veteran
President / Chairman / Veteran Outreach

Pat Wallis, AICP, GISP, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP has led Esri’s indoor practice since 2011. He develops the methods and processes to create and use indoor location information to meet the needs of employees, visitors, students, and business operations worldwide. After graduating from Tulane University with a master’s degree in architecture, Pat began his career as an engineer officer in the US Army, serving in various roles before leaving the service with the rank of captain. More recently, Pat worked as a senior asset manager for the United States Coast Guard, overseeing a real estate portfolio of over 4,000 assets totaling more than 8.6 million square feet, with a value exceeding $3 billion.

Cheryl Bookout, Board Member

Julia Cheryl Bookout
Non-Profit Advisor

Julia C. Bookout is our expert in all things non profit. She is currently the ED & Co-Founder of The Chimaera Project, a nonprofit focusing on advocacy and action for female filmmakers. As an individual artist, Bookout is included in the California Women Artist Project archived at the University of Southern California and Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries, a project organized by Gloria Orenstein, Professor of Women in Literature and Art at USC. Bookout has co- produced two award-winning short films and is co-producing a feature-length documentary film with a 2023 release date.

Nadia_edited.jpg

Nadia Clark

Army Veteran/ First Responder 
Board Member /Marketing 

Nadia Clark is a U.S. Army veteran and former Police Sergeant who has dedicated her life to service. After being honorably discharged as a Captain in 2021, she transitioned into entrepreneurship, helping small businesses grow through merchant services. She now leads 2717 Consulting, offering payment solutions and business coaching. A proud desert native, Nadia uses her skills to uplift others, especially fellow veterans, by providing tools, mentorship, and community support. As a board member, she is committed to advancing the mission of supporting veterans through connection, empowerment, and shared purpose.

Sarah Forman, Board member

Sarah Forman
Board Member | Secretary

Sarah is a resident of Morongo Valley, but grew up in a military family and has lived across the country as well as abroad in Germany. Her Grandfather served in WWII, her father is a retired Army Colonel and her brother is a retired Army Warrant Officer and Flight Instructor. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA and is 24 year Starbucks partner. Sarah opened the Twentynine Palms Starbucks, a dedicated Military Family Store, in February 2020. Through partnership with Starbucks Armed Forces Network, Starbucks military family stores function as the hub within military communities. Partners at these stores represent their communities, with an emphasis on hiring partners that are veterans or military spouses. Each MFS is designed to recognize, honor and appreciate veterans, active members of the military and their families. These stores are designed with military-inspired art, feature unique merchandise and are a convening place for local military community.

​

Tracy Joshns.jpg

Tracy Johns

Marine Veteran 
Board Member | Grant Writer and Advisor

Tracy  is a carbon removal specialist and leads Meta's effort to procure high-quality carbon removal credits as part of Meta's Net Zero 2030 climate commitment.  She received her MS in climate policy and forest ecology from ASU's Center for Science, Policy and Outcomes.  She has worked at the intersection of climate policy, finance, and land use for over 15 years, and has specialized in natural and technological carbon removal over the past 4 years. 

IMG_2753.jpg

Crystal Wysong 
Board Member | Chair of Community Garden

Crystal was born and raised in Los Angeles. After living in different parts of the country, she returned to her beloved Southern California desert 13 years ago. She is a trained chef and educator and is the former Culinary Arts professor at Copper Mountain College. Because of her love of food and desire to teach people how to feed themselves and others in a healthy way, Crystal helped start the Mil-Tree Community Garden in Joshua Tree.

Barry.jpg

Barry Scanlan

Marine Veteran

Board Member | Veteran Outreach Coordinator

Barry Scanlan was stationed at 29 Palms in the early 1970s. Following his service, he received a graduate degree in education and was a school teacher, and eventually a Teacher on Special Assignment. In this role Scanlan coordinated school safety programs, trauma response teams for student and staff deaths or suicides, drug and alcohol counseling, support for vulnerable populations, and anti-bullying measures. Scanlan is from a family of veterans, with his father serving as a paratrooper in combat in WW2, and both his older brothers serving during the Vietnam War, one of which is suffering from Agent Orange at this time. Upon retirement, Scanlan and his wife moved to the Mojave Desert, a place he never forgot. He is an artist and has had shows in New York, Louisiana, Minneapolis, and other places around the country.

 

Board Officers

Jet Tucker, Finance Officer

Jet Tucker
Officer of Mil-Tree / Treasurer

Jet has a diverse work background in the public and private sector in both sales, marketing and accounting. Herprofessional experience found her working in agricultural, manufacturing, municipal and non-profit environments,with her experience running the gamut from small family businesses and multi-national food manufacturing companies to real estate sales and personal assistant. Jet has volunteered with Mil-Tree Veteran Project for several years, helping with bookkeeping, and has great empathy for all our veterans.

Advisory Board

Marie Bobin, Advisory

Marie Bobin

Marie Bobin is the Program Director for Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County and the Deputy Director of the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. After starting her career producing for the Finborough Theatre in London, she worked for the Getty Museum’s education and registrar departments before being appointed Director of Operations for the Jules Verne Film Festival. Marie was the founding producer of TEDx Culver City and the creative producer for the Skirball Cultural Center where she produced and programmed exhibition-related programs as well as film, music, and theater series. She received her BA in Theater Studies from Emerson College and her MM in International Arts Management from Southern Methodist University and HEC Montreal. Marie was on the board of Mil-Tree from 2018 to 2019 and is grateful to be able to continue supporting Mil-Tree as an advisory board member.

Miguel Rivera, Advisory

Miguel Rivera

Miguel Rivera Is a teacher, drummer and translator, and has sat on the Board of Directors for Soldier’s Heart. Director of Western Gate Roots and Wings Foundation, has been leading retreats and Ceremonies in the United States for over 30 years.

Scott Rusczy, Advisory

Scott Rusczyk

Scott has served in a variety of C-Level executive roles in organizations ranging from $5M to over $70M in annual revenue. Scott has also overseen a wide range of M&A transactions and projects ranging from $5M to $50M, building a reputation for efficiently driving transactions to their most rewarding conclusion. Scott earned his J.D from Brooklyn Law School and, although no longer practicing, his transactional, restructuring and business operations experience continue to be accretive in his solely owned consulting company, MMHF, Inc., located in Yucca Valley.  Scott is an avid golfer and student of military history.

Ed Tick, Advisory

Ed Tick Ph.D

Dr. Ed Tick was the founding director of Soldier’s Heart: Veterans’ Safe Return Programs. Honored for his groundbreaking work in the spiritual, holistic and community-based healing of veterans and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Dr. Tick has been a psychotherapist for 38 years, specializing in working with veterans since the 1970s, and wrote the award- winning book War And The Soul. Dr. Tick is an internationally recognized educator and expert on veterans, PTSD, and the psychology of military-related issues and has conducted trainings, retreats and workshops across the country and overseas. He has lectured and trained staff and worked with wounded warriors at West Point, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Fort Knox, Altus Air Force Base and other Dept. of Defense facilities. The Department of Defense now uses his pioneering work and he is the U.S. Army’s 2012 trainer for its annual Chaplain Sustainment Training in PTSD.

Renee Pickup, Advisory

Renee Pickup

Renee Pickup is a writer, editor, and Marine Corps veteran. Her short fiction has been featured in nine anthologies and several online publications. Her essays exploring our culture’s obsession with true crime have reached millions of readers, and she has worked as an editor at every level in both traditional and online publishing. Her novel, co-written with Andrez Bergen, Black Sails, Disco Infernowas published by Open Books in 2016. Renée runs the weekly Mil-Tree writers group and produces the Mojave Noir reading series.

Terry Taylor, Advisory

Terry Taylor Castillo

Terry Taylor-Castillo moved to Joshua Tree in 2014 and opened Taylor Junction art gallery and event space. She is currently the executive director of the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, a 501c3 organization for individuals and groups to create and experience new ways to approach spiritual living and personal well-bing. From 2009 -2013 she was the president of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 30 in Pomona and the District 18 community chair.

Mil-Tree

Ending veteran isolation by building stronger, more inclusive communities

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Email: info@mil-tree.org

Registered Charity: No. CCT0247216

EIN# 46-3595545

Get Monthly Updates!

Thanks for subscribing!

Bringing Military & Community Together, Mil-Tree ©2024   |  Mil-Tree is a 501(c)3, Nonprofit Organization, California Charitable Trust, No. CCT0247216

bottom of page