Board of Directors

Mr. Green is a U.S. Navy retired veteran (E-6,) with 26 years of service, USNR-R (two tours in Vietnam). He was recalled to active duty during Operation Desert Storm as Headquarters Command Duty Officer, Far East (Japan/Korea/Philippines).

Mr. Green is a retired Aerospace Center Manager from Northrop Grumman Corporation. Mr. Green holds a BSEE and MBA in International Marketing from California State Universities. He is a member of the LA Council of Black Professional Engineers, Sigma Pi Phi (Delta Xi) Boule’, Black MBA Association, Navy Fleet Reserve (Retired), American Legion, VFW, and VVA. He is a math & science teacher for the Chino Valley Unified School District. He is a trustee at his church. Mr. Green is also former Treasurer, Marketing & Financial officer for the California State Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission.

He was elected to the United States Veterans Initiative Board in December 2006.

Kenneth L. Fields served from 1968 to 1971 as a Regular Army officer in the U.S. Army. After separation from active duty for Law School, Judge Fields was commissioned as a Reserve Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and retired from the Reserve Force as a Colonel on 2003. His military education includes the Armor Officer Basic and Advance Courses, Ranger School and Command & General Staff College.

Mr. Fields is a retired Judge of the Superior Court of Arizona. Judge Fields, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in political science in 1968 from the University of Kentucky. Upon his return from Vietnam in 1971, he attended the College of Law at the University of Kentucky where he obtained his J.D. in December 1973. He was appointed to the bench in February 1989.

As a Lieutenant in the 1st Marine Division near Da Nang, Vietnam, Steve Peck learned a few things about war. “ You face enemy fire, you engage the enemy. If you don’t go where the trouble is, you can’t solve the problem.”

As the CEO of U.S. VETS, Peck is still taking the fight to the front lines. “Our job as I see it,” he says, “is to engage the enemy at home in the U.S.—the enemy of homelessness, disillusionment, and disappointment—to let these men and women know that there is a path forward and that we support them and are tremendously grateful for their contribution to this country and the sacrifices they have made.”

Peck’s involvement with veterans’ issues began more than 20 years ago, when as a filmmaker, he worked on a documentary about a group of homeless veterans living on the beach in Venice, Calif. Back then, there were few services for veterans outside of the VA, and almost none for homeless vets. Since its establishment in 1992, U.S. VETS has grown to include 11 facilities in six states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 2,000 veterans each day; in one year they will help 3,000 veterans find housing and more than 1,000 veterans obtain full-time employment.

That kind of help was not available for returning Vietnam vets. Without strong support from family, friends or government, many vets drifted into homelessness and addiction, like Jim, one of the vets Peck met on Venice beach more than 20 years ago. Jim had serious PTSD from combat in Vietnam, so he had a hot temper and got into a lot of bar fights. He hit the wrong guy once and the guy pulled a gun and shot him, paralyzing him from the waist down. He also had a Silver Star, given to him by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was living in his car when Peck got to know him. “His wheelchair was parked outside the car door and his Silver Star was in the glove compartment. I became a social worker to save guys like him,” Peck says.

After earning his degree in social work from USC, Peck referred the first veteran to Westside Residence Hall, the first site developed by Cantwell Anderson in the early 90s. He has not stopped since. In 1996 he joined U.S. VETS full time as Director of Community Development. In August of 2010 he was named President and CEO.

Peck points out that, “U.S. VETS is not ‘three hots and a cot.’ The people we work with have to want to change. It’s a challenge. If we are working harder than they are, then we’re doing something wrong.”

U.S. VETS strives to empower each veteran to take responsibility for his or her success, guiding them towards independence in the community, developing their workforce skills, and supporting recovering veterans by maintaining a drug and alcohol free environment.

Peck says he will always understand the hardship of feeling isolated. “When you are fighting for your country, you are part of something much larger than yourself. That’s very meaningful on a much higher level. A lot of guys have trouble recapturing that experience in their civilian lives.”

Peck received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and his Master’s degree in Social Work from USC in 1997.

Herbert A. Lampert is a partner in the accounting firm of Lampert & Eskridge. In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant for over 30 years, he is a principal in several southern California and Washington based businesses. Mr. Lampert serves as board and committee member to Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind and Vintage Hollywood.

Mr. Holliday is a retired partner from the Los Angeles’ office Litigation Department of the global law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he served as Co-Chair of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group.

Mr. Holliday received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and his law degree from the University of Southern California, where he served as Executive Editor of the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

He joined the Board of Directors of the United States Veterans Initiative in March 2009.

Jospeh Czyzyk was born in Poland, the son of Holocaust survivors; he traveled Europe as a toddler and grew up in Canada. His parents moved to the U.S. when he was 16 years old and he became a U.S. citizen.

Mr. Czyzyk has visited nearly 100 nations and has established business operations in more than 45 countries during his career, which started in the airline industry. He joined Mercury Air Group, Inc. in 1984 and established the company’s cargo division. Later, as Chairman of the Board, he privatized the company in 2006, after nearly three decades on the American Stock Exchange.

Civic activism is a cornerstone of Mr. Czyzyk’s career. Prior to joining the Board of Directors at U.S.VETS, he served as Chairman of the Board of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce—the oldest and most prestigious business association in the City of Angels.

He is a past president of the City of Los Angeles Board of Taxicab Commissioners, having served on the Commission since its inception in 1998 until his retirement in 2008. Mr. Czyzyk has the distinction of having served as a City Commissioner under the last three consecutive Mayors of Los Angeles.

He also serves as Treasurer of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) and sits on the Board of Visitors, Graduate School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University.

Mr. Czyzyk is a decorated U.S. Veteran, having volunteered for two tours of duty (1966-1969) with U.S. Navy Mobile Construction Battalions (Seabees), in the U.S. and the Republic of Vietnam. He is a proud Board Member of the CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation, helping to carry on the Seabees’ “can do” tradition.

Mr. Czyzyk is a graduate of California State University at Los Angeles. He and his wife, Faye, are Los Angeles residents and are the parents of four adult children and have one grandson.

Michael Dolphin served in the U.S. Army. Mr. Dolphin is Chief of the Los Angeles City Job Services Division of the California Employment Development Programs in Los Angeles. He is an executive member of EDD’s senior management team and recommends policy and procedure that affect job services on a state level.

Mr. Dolphin serves as a board and committee member to the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Boards, a board member of the Dunbar Economic Development Corporation and is co-chair of the Marriott Bridges Foundation Business Advisory Council.

Mr. Dolphin was elected to the United States Veterans Initiative Board in December 2006.

As Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Princess Cruises, Mona Ehrenreich leads the Legal and Risk Management departments and advises on all legal aspects of Princess’ operations. She is also responsible for all union negotiations and relationships and participates in legislative and government affairs.

Ehrenreich joined Princess in 1993 as Assistant General Counsel, was appointed Vice President of Legal Affairs in 1996, General Counsel in 2001, and then appointed to her current position in 2006.

Prior to joining Princess, Ehrenreich practiced law with the international law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in its Century City, California office.

She is licensed to practice in California and Arizona and is a member of the Attorney Settlement Panel for the Central District of California. She also sits on the Board of Visitors of the UCLA Political Science Department.

Ehrenreich received her B.A. degree in history and political science from UCLA in 1983 and her law degree from the McGeorge School of Law in 1986, from which she graduated with the Order of the Coif.

A native of Los Angeles, Ehrenreich resides there with her husband, Bob, and their two children.

Linda Miles-Celistan is a U.S. Navy veteran with four years of active duty and six years with the Naval Reserve.

Ms. Miles Celistan is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arise & Shine Haven for Homeless Women and Children in Los Angeles. After serving with AmeriCorps, she was a Women Veteran’s Outreach Coordinator with the United States Veterans Initiative and helped develop its ADVANCE Women’s Program. Ms. Miles-Celistan has a B.A. in Business Management from the University of La Verne and a certification as Drug and Alcohol Counselor from UCLA.

She was elected to the Veterans Initiative Board in December 2006.

Robert J. Price joined the U. S. Navy at age 17 and credits his four years of service as teaching him discipline and respect for others and being one of the best things that has ever happened to him.

He is a principal in the Roma Group, which helps other companies by creating business plans, arranging financing, making new business loans, and developing marketing studies.

He joined the United States Veterans Initiative Board of Directors in December 2006.

Adam Siegler serves as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve, holding the rank of Major. In 2008, he was mobilized for a 12-month tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he deployed with the 11th Military Police Brigade to Baghdad, Iraq. He served as the detention operations attorney for a forward operating base, for which he received the Bronze Star. In 2005, he was mobilized by U.S. Central Command to serve in Egypt.

Major Siegler received the “Army Core Values Award” in 2001 from the Command Chaplains of both the 63rd Regional Readiness Command and the 311th Corps Support Command for pro bono legal services to Soldiers.

Mr. Siegler is an attorney whose practice focuses primarily on business litigation, construction, real estate finance and entertainment litigation matters. He holds a double B.A. degree in History and Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles, and he graduated magna cum laude from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He sits on the Entertainment Law Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and also serves as a judge pro tem and arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He was awarded the Wiley M. Manuel Award for pro bono legal services.

In December 2006, he was elected to the Board of the United States Veterans Initiative.

John Stanford Jr. received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, Medical Service Corps, from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Tuskegee University where he was a Distinguished Military Student and Distinguished Military Graduate. He served 18 months in the Republic of Vietnam as a Battalion Surgeon Assistant.

Mr. Stanford was with NASA from 1984 to 2007, holding various positions including research scientist, advanced technology expert and integration lead engineer. Mr. Stanford holds a B.S. in Biology from Tuskegee University, an M.S. in Environmental Management from University of Houston/Clear Lake, a Master of Public Health in Occupational Health/Aerospace medicine from the University of Texas Science Center- Houston. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Christian Counseling at Atlantic Coast Theological Seminary.

Mr. Stanford is the President of Panjo Investments and owner of various other investments. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; NASA Alumni League; University of Texas Ex-Students Association; University of Houston/Clear Lake Alumni Association; the 100 Club; the Tuskegee National Alumni Association; the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.; and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Stanford is also a Distinguished Life Presidential Associate – Tuskegee University. Mr Stanford was elected to the U.S.VETS Board of Directors in September of 2011.

Matt Thompson joined the US Army on his 17th birthday and subsequently served four combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the elite Army Rangers and 101st Airborne Division. His civilian experience includes employment with McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, and his current role as COO of TroopSwap, the military’s marketplace.

Matt received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute, where he graduated with the school’s top honor for leadership as the Cadet First Captain. Matt joined the board after graduating from Harvard Business School with his MBA.