Chair

A Minnesota native with two sons (Remington and Caspian) and a talented bride (Lisa) from New Orleans, Dan Kuecker (Kee’ker) enjoys balancing life as an entrepreneur with that of a retired active-duty Army officer continuing to serve in other ways.  While his 20+ year military career includes over two years deployed to the Middle East; over a decade serving as an embedded attorney-advisor to special operations, intelligence, and conventional Army organizations; and multiple years as a top leader within a Patriot missile organization, Dan’s background also includes the ownership and sale of four successful Anytime Fitness franchises; ownership, chief financial officer, and general counsel of top-rated consulting firm Studio Grow; Co-CEO of defense contracting firm Cathan; and Head Coach of the Covenant Eagle middle school football team.

Vice Chair

Stanley Thomas is a veteran of the Navy, serving 4 years of active duty. Upon an honorable discharge, he served 11 years with a Navy & Marine unit in Washington, DC. The Military forced him to work closely with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and opinions. Experience is the best teacher and the Military provides that first and foremost. He is affiliated with The Veterans Committee of Central Virginia, whose mission is to educate the public about the historically segregated fighting units of the United States Military. Their victories on the battlefield and the struggles at home make these units unique. Stanley grew up in Washington D.C., but spent his summers in Cobham, VA with his grandmother. He relocated to Charlottesville decades later and loves it.

Co-Founder and Assistant Secretary

Gregory Saathoff MD is a co-founder of ParadeRest and Professor of Emergency Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the UVA School of Medicine. A forensic psychiatrist, he has served as a standing committee member of the National Academy of Sciences and since 1996 as psychiatric consultant to the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, University of Missouri and trained in residency at UVA. As a Major in the US Army Reserve Medical Corps, Dr. Saathoff was activated during the First Gulf War, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Dr. Saathoff’s father served in WWII and both grandfathers served in WWI.

Co-Founder and Treasurer

Elsie Thompson, an attorney, UVA Law Class of ‘75, is a co-founder of ParadeRest Virginia. She currently serves on the boards of Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Virginia, of which she was also a founding Board member, Piedmont Virginia Community College Foundation, Virginia Chamber Music Foundation and Foundation of the State Arboretum. She also serves on the advisory boards of United Way of Greater Charlottesville, Ron Brown Scholar Program, Fralin Museum of Art, Charlottesville Ballet, Oratorio Society, and Botanical Garden of the Piedmont. She served multiple terms on the board of The Paramount Theater of Charlottesville and the Governing Council of UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs. While attending UVA Law she co-coached the UVA women’s crew in its first two racing seasons, and for many years she volunteered in the Boys & Girls Clubs’ summer tennis program.

Secretary

Rich retired from the U.S. Army in 2013, after 20 years of service as both a Military Intelligence Officer and a Judge Advocate. He served in a wide variety of operational assignments around the world, including deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, and Haiti. Rich is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, and has also earned a J.D from the University of Virginia School of Law, an M.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia, and an LL.M. in Military Law. Rich currently practices law at Virginia Wills, Trusts & Estates, PLC in Charlottesville and resides with his wife Margaret. They have one son. Rich is involved in several local non-profits, and enjoys hiking, fitness activities, and traveling.

Board Member

Jeffrey Boecker is a retired attorney. During his career he practiced law in Washington, D.C., Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, before joining Marriott Corporation’s Law Department. His practice was in the areas of corporate civil litigation, construction claims and government contracts. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky (B.A.) and Harvard Law School (J.D.). During his years in Charlottesville he has served as a volunteer for several nonprofits, including the Shelter For Help In Emergency. As the proud son of a World War II veteran, he has served as a board member of various veteran organizations, including the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial. He has recorded numerous interviews with veterans for ParadeRest’s Nickel For Your Story history program. Those interviews are preserved in the United States Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History Project.

Board Member

Anita Jones is a retired University Professor of computer science. She did research and taught courses in software systems and computer security at both the University of Virginia and Carnegie Mellon University. She served as the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, responsible for the management of the science and technology program in the U.S. Department of Defense. She served on the National Science Board which governs the U.S. National Science Foundation and the governing Executive Committee for Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has worked in a number of capacities in the area of science and technology policy, addressing how the development of technology can aid in solving national and societal challenges.

Board Member

Andy grew up on a dairy farm in Western New York. He moved to San Antonio, Texas in 2004 while serving in the United States Air Force. Dr. Muck served in the United States Air Force with deployments in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and as a Critical Care Air Transport Physician in Operation Enduring Freedom. Andy moved to Charlottesville in 2023 and now works as an emergency medicine physician at the UVA Medical Center. Andy has served as a consultant with the World Health Organization, where he has been involved with emergency care training in Afghanistan and Moldova in support of Ukrainian provider education. He has developed courses to develop emergency care locally and internationally. He is married to his wife, Kelly, for almost a quarter of a century. He has 4 children, Anna Beth, Will, Sadie, and Hayes.

Board Member

Blair Ciesil is a Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she leads Talent Attraction and hiring for the global management consultancy. Over her nearly 20-year career at McKinsey, Blair is driven by her mission to expand the firm’s hiring of distinctive critical thinkers and servant leaders from all backgrounds – including being a champion to help grow the firm’s share of veteran and military hiring. A ‘dual citizen’ who grew up in both Washington DC and Chicago, Blair has an AB from Duke University and a JD/MBA from Northwestern University. She lives in Crozet with her husband, son, daughter and two poorly behaved yet loveable dogs. She also is very proud to be the daughter of a proud Marine, honorably discharged.