Jim Welch
Founder & President
Jimmy Welch is the Founding member of Veterans R&R. After working with a group of Veterans in Lake and McHenry counties who were seeking alternative treatments for PTSD, Jimmy realized a need was not being met. He envisioned an organization dedicated to providing Veterans with educational and outreach programs that will help to enhance veterans’ productivity and quality of life.
A Veteran himself, Jimmy started his military career in 1993, serving in the United States Marine Corps as a heavy machine gunner in the infantry with 1st Battalion 4th Marines. He deployed with the 13th and 15th Marine Expeditionary Units Special Operations Capable, a Marine Air Ground Task Force based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. By the time Jimmy was 21, he had been to 29 countries, and even celebrated his 21st birthday in Somalia.
After an honorable discharge as a Sergeant E-5 in 1997, Jimmy earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University through the Montgomery GI Bill and the Illinois Veteran Grant. Over the last two decades , Jimmy has held various roles in technology business development servicing the fortune 500 and Federal Government.
Jimmy’s vision for Veterans R&R is first to form a community so that the 50% of Veterans who do not actively seek help have a place to go where help finds them. Reducing the rates of suicide and homelessness among Veterans is the larger goal.
Bruce Johnson
Vice President
Bruce N. Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer for Nicasa Behavioral Health Services, a nationally recognized leader in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Mr. Johnson retired from Law Enforcement after more than 20 years of service, the past ten of which were as the Chief of Police for the Round Lake Park Police Department. He was previously employed by the Schaumburg Police Department
and the Morton Grove Police Department where he served in many capacities and assignments.
His academic credentials include a Master of Science Degree and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Social Justice from Lewis University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Certificate in Non-Profit Management and Allstate Foundation Greater Good Nonprofit Leadership Program. Additionally, he has completed an extensive number of courses and seminars conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, Pennsylvania State University, Southern Police Institute, University of Louisville, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Josephson Institute of Ethics, Norfolk Constabulary and New Scotland Yard, England, Garda Siochana College, Templemore, Ireland and many others.
He has instructed for Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs and the University of Illinois Center for Public Safety and Justice teaching Procedural Justice and Community Policing throughout the United States as well as an Adjunct Faculty Professor at William Rainey Harper College teaching courses in Leadership and Ethics for Law Enforcement, Community Policing, Forensics and Investigations and he is a Subject Matter Expert for CNA Strategic Policing Innovations and Justice Reinvestment Initiatives.
Mr. Johnson is a Co-Founder of the Lake County Opioid Initiative, Past Chair of the Lake County Underage Drinking and Drug Prevention Task Force, serves on the Lake County Criminal Justice Community Council, Illinois Substance Use Disorder Advisory Council, and William Rainey Harper College and College of Lake County Human Services Advisory Committees. He initiated the Shop With A Cop Program in Lake County and is a life-member of the International and Illinois Associations of Chiefs of Police, served on the Executive Board of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, and is a Past-President of the Lake County Chiefs of Police Association. Mr. Johnson is Vice Chairman of the Lake County Crime Stoppers Board of Directors, and he is the founder of the very successful Mano a Mano Family Resource Center where he also served as Board President. Mr. Johnson retired as a Chief Warrant Officer after more than 28 years of service in the United States Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve. Meritoriously promoted after boot camp while serving as a squad leader he reported to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat
Center located in Twentynine Palms, California.
After completing MOS training courses he reported to Marine Air Control Group-48, Marine Wing Communications Squadron-48 and spent one half of his Marine Corps career enlisted, promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant E-7 serving in many capacities and assignments to include Acting First Sergeant, Technical Control Chief, and Systems Control Chief. He was selected for both Master Sergeant E-8 and Warrant Officer WO-1 simultaneously. After
completing the Warrant Officer Basic Course in Quantico, Virginia he was commissioned as a CWO2 (Chief Warrant Officer) in 1998. He was subsequently promoted to CWO3 and served as a Platoon Commander with Marine Air Control Group-48, Marine Wing Communications Squadron-48 and also as the Mobilization Training Unit Officer in Charge for the 9th Marine Corps Recruiting District, Western Recruiting Region, Marine Corps Recruiting Command before deploying to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011 with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force for 2 tours. He served as a Rule of Law Advisor to the National Directorate of Security, the national intelligence and security service of Afghanistan, and was the single point of contact for all provincial insurgent detention operations as well as investigations into allegations of detainee mishandling and abuse. CWO3 Johnson worked with British and Afghan justice system partners to develop lessons learned on Afghan evidentiary procedures leading to more successful investigations and the recovery and transfer of weapons, narcotics, explosives, and IED items resulting in the prosecutions, and convictions of many insurgents responsible for the attempted or actual killing and wounding of U.S. forces. Many investigations also included coordination with the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan and the seizure and destruction of mass quantities of opium, heroin, and hash. He also tracked prisoners to ensure they were not released prematurely back to the battlefield, a common practice. Additionally, he assembled and led a joint ISAF/Afghan investigation surrounding an insurgent’s attempted escape from a detention facility located in a highly kinetic and tense district which resulted in the deaths of a British Police Mentor, 2 Marines, and 3 Afghans. Responsible parties were imprisoned and as a result, U.S. and Afghan trust was restored. He was awarded the Bronze Star, Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Navy Marine Corps Meritorious Unit Commendation, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, as well as numerous Certificates of Commendation, and Letters of Appreciation.
Pete Langerock
Secretary
Maria Weisbrook
Treasurer
A longtime advocate for Veteran causes and wife of a Marine Veteran, Maria was thrilled to join the Veterans R&R team as Treasurer. She brings with her years of experience in accounting including 20 years as the CFO for an Arlington Heights construction company. She currently holds the position as the Executive Director of the Wauconda Area Chamber of Commerce where she is well respected for bringing business and community together.
Maria and her husband Scott have been married for over 20 years and have two daughters (from Maria’s first marriage) Sarah and Hannah. They also have a rescue pup, Lucy.
Maria’s passion for raising suicide awareness stems from the loss of her first husband to suicide. Being a part of Veterans R&R and their outreach in suicide awareness really hits home and she’s honored to serve with the organization.
Patti Gruber
Program Director, Operation Wild Horse
Patti grew up the granddaughter of two WWII veterans. One a Marine who was captured on Wake Island and spent years as a POW in Japan. The other a Navy machinist who served on the USS Hancock. Without a firsthand understand of the struggles her grandfathers both endured during wartime service, Patti grew up knowing there were emotional scars from their time in service. As an adult she learned about PTSD and started to draw the lines to connect her experiences, those in her family and her grandfathers back to their experiences during WWII.
In January of 2015, Patti approached Veterans R&R about creating a veteran program with horses. Patti is most well know for her success in the Dressage arena with her Mustang Stallion Padre’. He is the first and only wild horse to qualify, compete & win at Dressage at Devon, the most prestigious Dressage show in the United States. Since 2010, their success has been chronicled online throughout the world, in magazines including Dressage Today and Practical Horseman, in two books and on a Breyer model horse made in Padre’s likeness. She is an accomplished horsewoman of 35 years and is committed to improving the lives of our veterans & military families through their connection, growth and learning experiences with horses.
Megan Townsend
Assistant Program Director