Our Team

Staff

• Janessa Goldbeck

  Chief Executive Officer

  Janessa Goldbeck is the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, a national nonprofit that advocates for veterans and military families to actively participate in our democracy. As a Marine Corps Combat Engineer Officer, she led missions overseas and supported service members as a Uniformed Victim Advocate. Janessa's activism includes challenging the Combat Exclusion policy, contributing to its repeal and allowing all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, to serve in all military roles. Before serving in the military, Janessa lead efforts to protect civilians in conflict zones as a human rights advocate. Janessa holds a B.S. from Northwestern University and a Masters in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco. She serves on numerous boards emphasizing security, equality, and community engagement.
  

Board of Directors

• Jon Soltz (USA)

  Chairman of the Board

  Jon Soltz is a leader of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans' community. He served twice in Iraq - in 2011 as a Major, helping train the Iraqi Army prior to the removal of U.S. Troops, and in 2003, as a Captain during Operation Iraqi Freedom, deploying logistics convoys with the 1st Armored Division. During 2005, Soltz was mobilized for 365 days at Fort Dix, New Jersey, training soldiers for combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. He also served his country with distinction in the Kosovo Campaign as a Tank Platoon Leader between June and December 2000. Soltz is a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College with a dual degree in Political Science and History. He has a Master's from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.   Soltz has become one of the most authoritative and visible figures on veterans' issues. He has been interviewed by national media outlets such as the Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, TIME, and Newsweek, among others. He has made numerous media appearances, including PBS, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, and ABC.
  
• Peter Kauffmann (USN)

  Treasurer

  Peter Kauffmann is the founder and principal of Bluejacket Strategies, a full-service strategic communications and public affairs firm in New York City. With more than two decades of experience in public affairs and public service, he has served in senior positions at the federal, state, and local levels of government.   At the height of the COVID pandemic in New York City, Kauffmann served as Senior Advisor to the Mayor, managing day-to-day operations at City Hall. He was Press Secretary for Senator Hillary Clinton; Deputy Press Secretary at the Democratic National Committee; lead communications advisor to Priorities USA; and Director of Communications for the Governor of New York.    Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Kauffmann joined the United States Navy and spent five years on active duty as an Intelligence Officer. He deployed twice aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, serving as collections manager for the strike group during tsunami relief operations in Indonesia. At the Joint Intelligence Center-Pacific, he was a geopolitical analyst with a focus on the Pacific Rim region.   Kauffmann makes frequent appearances on MSNBC, NY1, and CNN as a political pundit and national security expert, and his columns have been published in the New York Daily News, Politico, and the Albany Times Union. He is Treasurer of the VetVoice Foundation, a member of the NYC Veterans Advisory Board, a Truman National Security Project Fellow, and a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College.
  
• Major General Tammy Smith (USA, Retired)

  Tammy Smith is a retired Army Major General. At the conclusion of her 35-year career, she was the Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), responsible for developing innovative policy and providing oversight for the Army Quality of Life portfolio. She is an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran, serving in Afghanistan in 2010-2011 and served as the Deputy Commanding General, Eighth Army, Republic of Korea 2016-2017.    Smith is an advocate for LGBTQ+ workplace and societal equality, sharing her personal story of unexpected visibility as the US military’s first openly LGBT General/Flag officer and assisting organizations create inclusive workplace policy and cultures.
  
• Brigadier General Steve Anderson (USA, Retired)

  Steven M. Anderson is a highly experienced logistician, environmental advocate, project manager, business developer, and service-disabled military veteran. He is the Executive Director of Business Development for the All Native Group, the government contracting entity of the Ho-Chunk Corporation and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, with annual revenues of over $200M and the #1 Small Business contractor for the US State Department.    Anderson has over ten years of service in challenging leadership positions since 2000 in overseas operational environments or combat zones, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. He has traveled extensively throughout the world advocating innovative logistics, security, and environmental services and possesses extensive experience in the Iraq and Afghanistan combat zones delivering expeditionary construction, energy demand reduction, and supply chain distribution support.    Anderson retired in April 2010 after a 31-year career in the US Army that included logistics command and staff assignments in Korea, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Germany, Hawaii, and four tours in the Pentagon. His most notable military assignment was serving under General Petraeus as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics for the Multi-National Force in Iraq for 15 months (Aug 06 – Nov 07) and was the chief logistics architect of the Five Brigade Surge of 2007. From 2004 to 2006 he served as the senior logistics staff officer for US Forces in Korea. His final active duty assignment was Director of Army Logistics Operations & Readiness in the Pentagon.    Anderson is a 1978 graduate of the United States Military Academy and was awarded a Master of Science degree in Operations Research and Systems Analysis Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1987. A graduate of the US Army War College and the Marine Command and Staff College, his military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Bronze Star. In November 2013, he was elected into the US Army Ordnance Hall of Fame.
  
• Col. Teresa Townsend (USA, Retired)

  Col. (Ret.) Teresa Townsend was commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1985 through Tuskegee Institute’s (University) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program. Over her 30 year military career, she served in a myriad of command and staff positions in both the regular Army and U.S. Army Reserve.   Townsend’s awards and decorations include the Joint Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the GWOT Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and M Device, the Korea Defense Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. Townsend also holds a Master of Education-English from Alabama A&M University and earned master’s level certification in Educational Leadership at Troy University.   Although Townsend retired in 2015, she continues to serve our country as the Senior Army Instructor at Daleville High School JROTC. In 2016, she was inducted into the Tuskegee University ROTC Hall of Fame as a charter member.   Townsend volunteers extensively in her community and was recognized as Enterprise’s 2016 Woman of the Year. She is the president of the Daleville Education Association and was recently elected as the president of the JROTC Section of the Alabama Career and Technical Education and serves on the JROTC Program Advisory Committee for U.S. Army Cadet Command.
  
• Karen Meredith

  Karen Meredith was born into an Army family: She is an Army granddaughter, Army daughter, Army sister, and an Army Gold Star Mom. Meredith is active in the Gold Star and Veteran’s communities as an advocate for military families and veterans.
  
• Maia Hunt Estes

  Maia Hunt Estes co-chairs Invariant’s defense and appropriations practice, bringing more than two decades of deep local, state, and federal legislative and political expertise to Invariant’s clients. Hunt Estes bridges the gap between the public and private sectors to deliver solutions for their clients, navigating the evolving political landscape, from health care and defense to transportation and appropriations. She also helps clients build meaningful relationships with Democratic leadership and members of the Congressional Black Caucus.   Prior to Invariant, Hunt Estes served at the highest levels of leadership in local, state, and federal government. She not only served as chief of staff in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Maryland but also as the policy and legislative affairs director for DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Most recently, she served as chief of staff to Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD), where she was a trusted counselor and respected leader who facilitated and drove sensible policy solutions and forged bipartisan support.   Hunt Estes graduated from Spelman College and received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
  
• Michael Riordan (USMC)

  Michael “Mike” Riordan is the president & CEO of Premier Health, based in Dayton, Ohio. Joining the health system in 2022, he brings an array of experience with proven success in previous leadership positions.    Premier Health, with a mission to build healthier communities, is one of the largest health systems in Southwest Ohio and offers a wide range of healthcare services. The system offers five hospital locations, primary and specialty care, home health care, urgent care, and behavioral health services.   During Riordan’s career, he has served in CEO positions for nearly 20 years with prominent health systems across the nation, including Greenville Health System/Prisma Health in South Carolina and the University of Chicago Medical Center. He served as an Independent Director with Owens & Minor from December 2019 to January 2022.   Riordan earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts/English and a master’s degree in education/psychology from Columbia University in New York, as well as a master’s degree in health systems from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Additionally, he served three years as a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.   He has been an active leader on a number of professional and community boards, including the Health Sciences South Carolina, South Carolina Hospital Association, Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Urban League of the Upstate Board of Directors, and Furman University. He currently serves on the Vet Voice Foundation Board.   He and his wife, Susan, take great pride in their five grown children and one grandchild.
  
• Walter Cahill (USA)

  Walter Cahill enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1969. After basic training, he went to Advanced Infantry Training, and then to the N.C.O. Academy. In December 1969, he deployed to Vietnam and was wounded later that year. In 1974, Cahill was medically retired as a Sergeant E-5.   In 1987, he was elected Vice President Local 22 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.), and served in that role until 2003. In 2016, he was appointed as the I.A.T.S.E.’s first Political and Legislative Director. In 2004, he was elected as Vice President of the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO, where he currently serves.    Cahill retired from the I.A.T.S.E. in March of 2018. He currently lives in Bethany Beach, Delaware with his wife, Jeanne.
  
• Paul DiNino

  Paul DiNino is a leading strategic consultant to organizations, corporations, municipal and international government as well as several political campaigns.   As the Founder and President of DiNino Associates, DiNino brings decades of management experience as a senior advisor to a number of Senators, Congressmen, and Governors. Under President Clinton, DiNino served as National Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee.     His political counsel and trusted relationships with elected leaders across the country have resulted in several tangible achievements for his clients. These include several Fortune 100 corporations including Microsoft, General Dynamics, United Airlines, and Nike, as well as several national non-profit organizations in the areas of health care, tax, technology, telecommunications, and education. DiNino also federally represents the Republic of India and the Republic of Korea as well as the Cities of Dayton, OH and Des Moines, IA on Capitol Hill and the Administration. His representation and counsel deliver a deep understanding of policy, politics, and process to bring a consistent and persistent presence in front of decision-makers.     As an active voice and partner in the political process today, DiNino is an advisor and donor to dozens of federal and state campaigns. For the past several election cycles, he has been engaged with the funding, development, and deployment of third-party independent expenditure advocacy to support many Democratic candidates.   A native of Dayton, Ohio, DiNino graduated from Miami University and now resides in Chevy Chase, MD with his wife and three children.
  
• Jan Brandt

  Jan Brandt is among the best-known and most innovative marketers in the online space—a reputation earned as one of America Online’s key executive leaders during the company’s explosive growth during the 1990’s and early 2000’s.  Brandt is currently an angel investor who brings her business savvy and marketing expertise to the task of identifying and scaling exciting technology ventures. As Vice Chair and Chief Marketing Officer for America Online, Inc. from 1993-2002, Jan Brandt oversaw the companywide strategic focus on marketing for America Online, the world’s leading interactive service, and the rest of America Online, Inc.’s family of brands. Brandt was responsible for growing AOL’s worldwide membership from 250,000 from the time she joined the company in 1993 as an officer and Vice President of Marketing, to over 30 million by 2001, when subscriber revenue accounted for an annual revenue of over $5 Billion.  Known as the most innovative marketer in the Internet online world, Brandt was named President of Marketing in September 1997.   Brandt developed and implemented the “ubiquity strategy” which resulted in AOL becoming the mass market consumers’ choice for Internet online service, and her innovations included the first mass mailing of software disks, disk bundling on newspapers and magazines, and software giveaways at such diverse locations as banks, football games, amusement parks, on airplanes and in cereal boxes. When she retired from active management at AOL in 2003, she was named Vice Chair Emeritus and continued to advise the company. Brandt was named one of Fortune Magazine’s “Most Powerful Women in American Business,” in 1999 and 2000 and Direct Marketer of the Year by the Direct Marketing Association of America in 2000.  In 2008 she was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree at Boston University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Connecticut. Brandt served on the national board of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) for seven years. Brandt has been active in national and international philanthropy efforts and served on the Board of Directors for Women for Women International and the Washington Area Women’s Foundation.  She also served on the board of the New York Musical Festival.  She currently serves on the Board of the Wolftrap Foundation, a national park dedicated to the performing arts.
  
• Sergeant Major Christopher Thomas (USMC, Retired)

  Chris Thomas is the founder and owner of Elite 9 Veteran Talent Acquisition Services, LLC, a recruiting and management consulting firm located Upstate New York. He is a strategic and thoughtful senior executive leader with over 20 years of hands-on experience in the United States Marine Corps emphasizing innovation and creativity in solving complex problems.  He has proven superior success in developing and leading diverse talent acquisition teams that achieve outstanding results. Through human resource management concepts and innovative leadership methodologies he has delivered impactful results for managing large-scale organizations of several hundred personnel Chris is a combat veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), is the treasurer of the Marine Corps League Memorial Detachment 2 located in Hudson Falls, NY. Additionally, he holds a Master in Public Administration, is a Resilience-Team Building Leadership Professional Trainer, an adjunct instructor for the United States Marine Corps where he teaches professional leadership development and the graduate of numerous executive level leadership courses.