Who We Are

President

  • Kirk “Cheef” Johnson

Profession

  • Active Lobbyist in Washington, D.C. for veterans
  • US Army, Retired 1978 to 1988

Professional Positions

  • Serves on the Disabled American Veterans Foundation POW/MIA committee
  • Serves on projects managing the California Central Coast Veteran’s Cemetery in Seaside and the General Gorley VA Clinic in Marina, both of which provide veteran services to 5 local districts
  • Serves our local Chapter 85, specifically ensuring care to veterans and other Veteran Service Organizations, where Cheef facilitates the purchase and dispatching of vans needed to transport veterans to their medical appointments
  • Serves on the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service
  • Serves as the VAVS Executive Board President
  • Serves as the Monterey Bay Veterans Relations Director and Secretary
  • Serves as a Central Coast VNA Hospice trainer
  • Serves on many other veteran service organizations, both locally and nationally

Board Membership

  • 2022 to Present

City of Residence

  • Marina

Vice President

  • Jean-Jacques (Jack) Murphy

Profession

  • Lieutenant Colonel, Retired US Army (21 years), Iraq and Afghanistan combat veteran
  • Management Analyst, Monterey County Military and Veterans Affairs Office

Professional Positions

  • Program Coordinator and Peer Mentor, Monterey County Veterans Treatment Court
  • Deputy Executive Director of the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey

Board Membership

  • 2019 to Present

City of Residence

  • Monterey

Secretary, President Emeritus

  • Dr. George Yellich, Director of Dental Specialties

Profession

  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, American Board Certified
  • US Navy, Commander, Retired, Dental Corps

Professional Positions

  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
  • Adjunct Professor – University of San Francisco, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Adjunct Professor – University of Michigan, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Active member of many professional associations, locally and nationally
  • Past President of the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Past President of the University of Michigan’s Chalmers J. Lyons
  • Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Past Examiner for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Special Acknowledgements

  • 2021 Recipient of the Monterey County “Veteran of the Year Award”
  • 2021 Recipient of the Monterey Bay Dental Society “Dentist of the Year Award”

Board Membership

  • 2018 to Present

City of Residence

  • Carmel

Treasurer

  • Dr. Joshua Sanchez

Profession

  • General Dentist: Private practice in Soquel, California “Seal Rock Dental Care”
  • Bachelor of Science in Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley
  • Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) Western University of Health Sciences
  • General Practice Residency: St. Luke’s Hospital, Utica, New York, Hospital Dentist

Professional Positions and Special Awards

  • Board Director for Santa Cruz County, Monterey Bay Dental Society
  • President: Western University, Academy of General Dentistry and Dental Research Group 2015 to 2019
  • Recipient: Pierre Fauchard Senior Award and induction into the Pierre Fauchard Academy
  • Research programs: Princeton University in 2010, Harvard Medical School in 2011, and UCLA’s pre-dental program in 2012.
  • Publication Award: Research on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) and bisphosphonates 2019
  • Research Scholarship: University of California, Berkeley, MARC Research Scholarship to study organisms that degrade petroleum derivatives

Board Membership

  • 2024 to Present

City of Residence

  • Hollister

Executive Director and Co-Founder

  • Patricia Yellich

Profession

  • Executive Director and Clinic Advisor for Dentistry4Vets

Professional Positions

  • Office Manager and Surgical Assistant, Oral Surgery Center
  • Dentisty4Vets – Business Development, Secretary, Financial Coordinator, and Clinic Administrator
  • Monterey Symphony, board member and past Vice-President
  • Publisher of children’s book “Penelope The People Pleaser”
  • Past Associate Vice-President of Cornish and Carey Real Estate, Palo Alto Commercial and residential Real Estate Sales and Development
  • Past Volunteer – Teacher and mentor “Cornerstone Project” in Los Gatos Elementary School District
  • Past Volunteer – Teacher of Catechism (Catholic Youth Education)
  • Saint Mary’s Parish, Los Gatos

Board Membership

  • 2018 to 2024

Chairs

  • Vice-President
  • Secretary
  • Chief Financial Officer

City of Residence

  • Carmel

Board Members

Board Member

  • Dr. John Eisinger

Profession

  • Local Orthodontist with multiple offices on Monterey County, having served the community for over 30 years

Professional Positions

  • Board Certified by the American Association of Orthodontists
  • Member of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, Monterey Bay Dental Society, and many other professional associations
  • Volunteer for Dentistry4Vets since 2018, providing orthodontic care to veterans

Board Membership

  • 2019 to Present

City of Residence

  • Carmel

Board Member

  • Dr. Andres Herrera

Profession

  • Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with offices in Salinas, Watsonville, and Santa Cruz.

Professional Positions

  • Assistant Professor of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois
  • Diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Diplomat of the American Association of Dental Anesthesiology
  • Founder and Director of a California based non-profit organization titled Algeria Foundation which provides corrective surgery to children with cleft lip and palate

Board Membership

  • 2024 to Present

City of Residence

  • Salinas

Board Member

  • Robert Kramer
  • US Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1971
  • Lieutenant Colonel, US Army, Retired (1971 – 1992)
  • Graduate Armed Forces Joint Staff College
  • MA, Military Sociology and MBA
  • Executive Business Programs: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, University of Michigan, and University of Chicago
  • Leadership Monterey Graduate

Profession

  • Founder and President of Visionary Strategic Consulting and The Prosperity Leadership Forum of Monterey and Salinas

Professional Positions

  • Airborne, Ranger, Special Forces – Infantry and Special Ops
  • Associate Professor: West Point Behavioral Science and Leadership
  • Adjunct Professor: MBA Program at Middlebury Institute, Monterey
  • Professor: Golden State University, Business

Special Expertise and Acknowledgements

  • Veteran of the Year Award, 2024
  • Leadership in the non-profit sector: Monterey Chamber of Commerce, International Language and Cultura Foundation, “Big Brother” ‘Big Sister” Monterey, Monterey Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Carmel Kiwanis, Carmel Valley Rotary, Meals on Wheels, Legal Services for Seniors, the First Tee, SBDC “Small Business Development Center”, United Way, and the Veteran Transition Center
  • Distinguished Board Member Award: Monterey Chamber of Commerce
  • Excellence Award: Monterey Chamber Service Business, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Board Membership

  • 2025 to Present

City of Residence

  • Salinas

Board Member

  • Margaret A. Echerd

Profession

  • Certified Public Accountant (Inactive).
  • MBA and BBA

Professional Positions

  • Exploramed Development, LLC: Consulting Chief Financial Officer
  • Vaxart, Inc., Russell 3000 Public Life Science Company: Positions included Chief Financial Officer, Vice-President, Corporate Controller & Principal Accounting Officer, and Corporate Controller
  • Other Positions: Autonomic Technologies, Inc., Quotient Technology, Inc. (NYSE: QUOT), and Extreme Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXTR)

Special Expertise and Acknowledgements

  • Leadership – development of diverse finance and administrative teams
  • Fundraising – $300M+
  • Investment Banking collaborations – Investor presentations at analyst conferences
  • Due diligence processes for acquisitions – $180M acquisition
  • Mergers and Acquisitions – domestic and international
  • Governance and Organizational Structures
  • Business Development – micro-cap to $850M+
  • Systems and Processes – US and international integrations

Board Membership

  • 2025 to Present

City of Residence

  • Pacific Grove
 
 

Board Member

  • Benjamin Ingold

Profession

  • Public Affairs Specialist and Webmaster, Presidio of Monterey

Special Expertise and Acknowledgements

  • Team leader charged with supporting five public affairs Airmen, managing four information platforms and delivering base commander’s message to 5,000 population audience in a clear, accurate and timely manner.
  • Public Affairs Coordinator, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team Airman Leadership School
  • BA in Business Management, University of Wisconsin

Board Membership

  • 2026 to Present

City of Residence

  • Monterey