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Advancing The Line for Veterans & Families
Our Team | ATLVets — Leadership, Board & Staff
ATLVets Inc. · 501(c)(3) · EIN 92-0351235

The People
Advancing
the Line.

ATLVets operates under a three-tier governance structure — Executive Committee, Standing Committees, and Senior Advisory Board — built to move at the speed the mission requires. Here is everyone advancing the line.

Zack A. Knight — Founder & Chair, ATLVets
Founder & Chair — Executive Committee
Zack A. Knight, MBA
U.S. Army Combat Veteran · Bronze Star
Police Officer & SWAT Operator, Metro Atlanta
Serial Entrepreneur · Bestselling Author
Warrior Alliance Veteran of the Year 2024
DSL Candidate, Liberty University
The Founder's Story

14 Years in Uniform.
A Career-Ending Surgery.
A New Mission.

Zack Knight served as a police officer and SWAT operator in metro Atlanta before commissioning as an Army Infantry officer and deploying alongside Green Berets in Afghanistan. After 14 years of combined service, a career-ending surgery for nerve damage forced him out of uniform.

He was about to become another statistic. Instead, he discovered a new purpose in business and community — and devoted himself to building the system he needed and couldn't find. ATLVets is that system, built for every veteran who came after him.

Army Infantry Officer · Combat tour in Afghanistan alongside Special Forces
Police Officer & SWAT Operator · Metro Atlanta
Bronze Star Recipient
Medically retired — career-ending nerve damage surgery
Serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, keynote speaker
Host of The Tactical Leader — 500+ episodes
Warrior Alliance Veteran of the Year 2024
DSL Candidate, Liberty University
Learn More About Zack →
Tier 1 — Governance Authority

Executive Committee.

The governing body of ATLVets — fiduciary responsibility, strategic direction, and final decision authority. All seats held by active board members.

Zack A. Knight
Chair — Founder
Zack A. Knight, MBA

Army & Police Veteran. Bronze Star. 14 years of combined service. Vision, strategy, external relationships, and final decision authority. Lead spokesperson for the ATLVets Center of Excellence capital campaign.

Edgar Gonzalez
Vice Chair
Edgar Gonzalez

COO at EarTuff. U.S. Army National Guard (active), 14+ years. Operational execution across standing committees, board liaison for Workforce & Programs, and succession candidate for the Chair role.

Brandon Quinn
Treasurer
Brandon Quinn

Goldman Sachs. Duke MBA. Navy EOD Veteran. Financial oversight, budget approval, fiscal reporting, and maintenance of the financial controls and audit procedures that keep ATLVets operating at 89% program expense ratio.

Greg Wright
Development Chair
Greg Wright

CEO Bison Advisors. USMC Pilot (ret.) — flew Marine One as the Presidential Helicopter Pilot. Leads fundraising strategy, the ATLVets Center of Excellence capital campaign, major gift pipeline, and corporate partnership development.

Executive Committee · Active Recruit
Secretary

Minutes, records, governance filings, compliance documentation, and meeting administration. This seat ensures ATLVets' governance infrastructure stays audit-ready and legally compliant.

Express Interest →
Tier 1 — Board At Large

Board Members At Large.

Full voting members of the board. All committee chairs are active board members.

Jon Bates
Entrepreneurship Committee Chair
Jon Bates

Founder of Patriot Growth Capital. Bestselling Author. Keynote Speaker. Leads the Entrepreneurship Committee — veteran entrepreneurship, PGC alliance, business accelerator partnerships, and pitch programs. The architect of the ETA pipeline that places veterans as owner-operators.

Elizabeth Stephens
Women's Program Chair · Technology & Innovation Chair
Elizabeth Stephens

CTO at DBS Cyber. USMC Aviator (ret.) — Naval Academy graduate. Chairs both the Women's Program Committee and the Technology & Innovation Committee covering the ATLVets app, CRM, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure.

Crystal Schaberg
Corporate Partnerships Committee Chair
Crystal Schaberg

Account Executive, NBC/Nexstar Media Group. Chairs the Corporate Partnerships Committee — corporate sponsorship, media partnerships, Nexstar network leverage, and brand alignment for ATLVets across national markets.

Scott Law
Ministry Committee Chair
Scott Law

RSM. U.S. Navy Nuclear Engineer (ret.). Chairs the Ministry Committee — chaplaincy partnerships, faith-based veteran support, and pastoral care programs. Also serves as Program Lead for Resilience & Reflection, the ATLVets weekly spiritual resilience session.

Tommy Breedlove
Board Member At Large
Tommy Breedlove

Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author of "Legendary." Former Deloitte Shareholder. Brings elite donor cultivation events, national brand elevation, and major gift introductions through the Development Committee.

MG (ret.) Bill Gayler
Senior Advisory Board
MG (ret.) Bill Gayler

U.S. Army Major General (ret.). Senior Strategic Advisor at PeopleTec. Government Advisory Board Member at Archer Aviation. DOD network, Joint Staff relationships, government affairs engagement, and COE anchor cultivation.

Jamie Decker
Board Member At Large
Jamie Decker

Mortgage Loan Originator, Equity Prime Mortgage. Board at-large with committee assignment to be determined. Active participant in ATLVets events and community development.

Active Recruits
Open Seats

Marketing & Communications Chair and Government Affairs Chair seats are actively being recruited. Policy/Hill/VA background sought for Government Affairs.

Express Interest →
Tier 2 — Standing Committees

Standing Committees.

Each committee is chaired by an active board member and reports directly to the Executive Committee. Committee chairs provide written or verbal updates at every full board meeting.

Development
Fundraising & Partnerships
Chair: Greg Wright
Fundraising strategy, Center of Excellence capital campaign, major gifts, donor stewardship, and corporate partnerships.
Workforce & Programs
Veteran Programs
Chair: Edgar Gonzalez
Veteran programs, Senior Leader Track, VetOPS, Heroic Forge, and workforce integration across all ATLVets programming.
Entrepreneurship
Veteran Business Development
Chair: Jon Bates
Veteran entrepreneurship, Patriot Growth Capital alliance, business accelerator partnerships, and veteran pitch programs.
Women's Program
Beyond the Uniform
Chair: Elizabeth Stephens
Women veteran programming, cohort leadership, outreach, and recruitment strategy for Beyond the Uniform.
Technology & Innovation
Digital Infrastructure
Chair: Elizabeth Stephens
ATLVets app, CRM, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and data strategy across all organizational platforms.
Corporate Partnerships
Sponsor & Media Relations
Chair: Crystal Schaberg
Corporate sponsorship, media partnerships, NBC/Nexstar network, and brand alignment at the organizational level.
Ministry
Faith-Based Support
Chair: Scott Law
Chaplaincy partnerships, faith-based veteran support, pastoral care programs, and Resilience & Reflection oversight.
Marketing & Communications
Brand & Content
Chair: Active Recruit
Brand, social media, content strategy, and organizational communications. Committee chair seat actively being recruited.
Government Affairs
Policy & Advocacy
Chair: Active Recruit
Policy advocacy, VA relationships, federal/state funding, and Hill engagement. Policy/VA/VSO background sought.
The Five M's

Pillar Leaders.

The Five Pillars — Marketing, Mindset, Movement, Money Management, and Ministry — are the operational backbone of ATLVets programming. Each pillar is led by a subject matter expert.

Nate Sampson — Marketing Pillar
Marketing Pillar
Nate Sampson
Director of Media Relations · Social Pro Video
KC Sullivan — Mindset Pillar
Mindset Pillar
KC Sullivan
Confidence Curator · Image Consultant
Taylor Merritt — Movement Pillar
Movement Pillar
Taylor Merritt
Health & Wellness Coach · Business Owner
Money Management Pillar
Pillar Leader Needed

Financial wellness, wealth building, and money management for veteran families and entrepreneurs.

Express Interest →
Blair Thomas — Ministry Pillar
Ministry Pillar
Blair Thomas
Dallas, TX · Leadership Coach
Advisory & Clinical

Advisors & Clinical Support.

Senior Advisory Board provides strategic counsel and network activation. Clinical Advisory provides mental health and veteran wellness governance across ATLVets programming.

Tier 3 — Senior Advisory Board
MG (ret.) Bill Gayler
Senior Advisory Board
MG (ret.) Bill Gayler
U.S. Army Major General (ret.) · PeopleTec · Archer Aviation. DOD network, Joint Staff relationships, and government affairs access for the ATLVets COE capital campaign.
Senior Advisory — Active Recruit
Flag Officer Target
Retired General or Flag Officer — Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps. Military credibility, VSO relationships, and federal funding access.
Senior Advisory — Active Recruit
Fortune 500 Executive Target
C-Suite, Healthcare/Finance/Tech. Corporate partnership anchor, COE major gift ($100K+), and board development support.
Senior Advisory — Active Recruit
Policy Target
Congressional veteran caucus, VA leadership, or VSO executive. Government affairs acceleration and legislative relationships.
Strategic Consulting
AJ
Strategic Consultant
Aaron James
Strategic Consultant to ATLVets leadership and executive committee.
Brand Ambassadors

Ambassadors Advancing the Line.

ATLVets Brand Ambassadors represent the mission in their cities — hosting local events, growing membership, building corporate partnerships, and mentoring veterans.

Octavio Lorenzo — Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
Octavio Lorenzo
Heroic Forge Program Manager · Reach Fit Life · Certified Heroic Coach
Renea Jones-Hudson — Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
Renea Jones-Hudson
Beyond the Uniform Program Manager · Retired Army Captain · OWNIT™ Method
Emilee Tucker — Tampa
Tampa, FL
Emilee Tucker
Leadership Coach · International Speaker · M.S. Organizational Leadership
Blair Thomas — Dallas
Dallas, TX
Blair Thomas
Ministry Pillar Lead · Leadership Coach · Army Veteran · AI Strategist
Open Slot
City TBD — ATLVets is actively recruiting the next Brand Ambassador. Veteran leader with strong local network and commitment to the mission.

Advance the Line
With Us.

ATLVets is actively recruiting board members, committee chairs, and ambassadors. If you're a veteran leader, corporate executive, or community builder who wants to put your network behind the mission — reach out.

Stay tuned for more and let us know how we can assist you!

Are you ready to Advance The Line?