Our Team

Todd L. Sherman

Todd is one of the three original founders of the Patriot Fund and acts as the visionary for the Fund. Patriotism runs deep with Todd and he actively shares his desire to give back to our Veterans in meaningful ways. Professionally, Todd is the Senior Partner of the SSG Executive Advisory Group at Raymond James, a boutique wealth advisory team focused on addressing the needs of successful families.

As a result of his work with clients, Todd identified an opportunity to match the philanthropic interests of the financially successful with the most-deserving and often underappreciated military Veterans and their families. He has and continues to be moved personally by the stories of valor, the pains of combat, and the heart-breaking loss often encountered as a result. Todd believes by striking on the patriotism of charitable families, he can, along with the Board, inspire them to give, share meaningful ways to give, and ultimately provide the due diligence identifying the best military Veteran organizations to support.

Joseph Caruso

Joseph Caruso joined The Patriot Fund from its early stages and is one of the three Co-Founders and is Vice President of the organization. His connection to the military and a deeper understanding of America developed from his dad’s passion who served in the Navy for 27 years and living first hand in the struggles of a military family led him to grow his patriotic sensitivity for the Veteran community and their families. Joe is fully committed and grateful for the opportunity to honor our military families and Veterans, knowing full well that these efforts can have lasting impacts and life changing solutions bringing comfort to our heroes’ lives.

“The Patriot Fund has never deviated from its Day One commitment to be a team of volunteers doing the right things for the right reasons for our American Heroes. We continue to build our model each day from scratch in order to engage more and more citizens in a personal way about how they too can join us as patriots to express their gratitude for the peace and way of life we all enjoy and all too often take from granted” – Joe Caruso.

Professionally, Joe is the Founder of The Omnifirst Group, a respected merchant banking and business strategy organization that is engaged in various businesses and investments ranging from Minor League Baseball to Healthcare IP to 5G Technology. Joe was also selected as the Outstanding Alumni 2012 for the Bisk School of Business at Florida Institute of Technology.

Robert Curley

Robert Curley became a Board Member of The Patriot Fund in 2017 and an Executive Committee Member in July of 2021. Rob is passionate about helping our Veterans and their families in and around the Delaware Valley Region and is proud to be part of The Patriot Fund organization to do just that for our fellow heroes. His commitment to helping the local community and love of America is proven in his actions made within The Patriot Fund and in his daily life.

“I joined The Patriot Fund because I deeply appreciate what our military has done over many decades to protect our freedom and our democracy,” says Rob. “The Patriot Fund provides a vehicle for me to thank our men and woman in uniform for their sacrifices.”

Rob appreciates how The Patriot Fund makes thoughtful and targeted donations to Veteran-serving organizations that make direct impacts to improve the lives of Veterans with PTSD. He is proud of the passion and energy that The Patriot Fund brings to raise funds to help Veteran organizations that aren’t as visible or as well known. He says, “It feels good to know our efforts and dollars really make an impact.” The organization’s board members and executive committee are like-minded leaders who share the common goal to give back to those who have fought for our liberty, and Rob is proud to be part of this mission.

Rob has always been extremely active in the community and currently serves on several other boards including: The Board for New Jersey Bankers Association, the Board of the Southern New Jersey Development Council, the Board of Special Olympics New Jersey, and various others.

Professionally, Rob is the Market President for TD Bank. He currently leads a team of 40 commercial and small business relationship managers throughout Southern and Coastal New Jersey. He oversees all corporate and charitable giving throughout that footprint.

Philadelphia Business Journal selected Rob as one of Metro Philadelphia’s “40 Under 40” up-and-coming leaders in 2007. Since then, Rob has been awarded several awards for his involvement in the community including the SJ Biz Magazine “Power 50”, Rutgers/LEAP Community Leadership Award and the March of Dimes Citizen of the Year Award just to name a few.

Major General (Ret) Steven Hashem

Major General (Ret) Steven J. Hashem is one of the founders of The Patriot Fund and is responsible for due diligence of our beneficiary organizations. Steve is passionate about Veterans, servicemen and women along with their families, and is involved in several endeavors that benefit the military. He and his family understand firsthand the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make to defend our freedoms and the American way of life.

As a West Point graduate and soldier for life, his guiding principle is, “Duty, Honor, Country.” General Hashem served for 41 years in the United States Army primarily in Special Operations assignments to include multiple deployments to overseas combat zones. He was a General Officer for 10 years and his two final duty assignments were at the United States Special Operations Command and the United States Central Command where he served on the staffs of Generals Doug Brown, David Petraeus, James Mattis, and Admiral Eric Olson.

Currently, Steve is the CEO and founder of Peak 74 International, a company that specializes in leadership development, tailored coaching, facilitated strategic planning and keynote addresses. He also worked for GE, Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin for 27 years in a variety of operations, management and executive positions.

Command Chief Master Sgt. US Air Force (Ret) Will Markham

William Markham, Command Chief Master Sergeant US Air Force (retired), joined The Patriot Fund as the Executive Director on December 1st, 2020. Will served for 30 years in the United States Air Force and has received numerous decorations and awards for his courageous duties. His inspiring past has led him to become the generous and noble man that he is today. As a retired Veteran, he continues to serve the military community through mentorship, charitable actions, and patriotic leadership.

The Patriot Fund’s core values and Will’s principles are one and the same. As a young boy when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up Will’s response was consistent in stating, “I just want to take care of people”. Will continues to live his life based around two mottos that have become the compass for his everyday actions. The first motto being “Freedom of maneuver,” and the second, “Always find the way to YES.” His passion to raise funds for veterans and their families for the last 20 years has increased every year with gaining support from the community.

Will resigned from SOWF (Special Operations Warrior Foundation) in April of 2019 to create a solution and a greater need for veterans in June 2019. Will along with a close team of legal and medical professionals started a 501(c)3 non-profit, Project OVAT (One Veteran @ A Time), which is a charitable organization that was established to help Veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military. Will has recently joined The Patriot Fund team as the Executive Director, as a former advisor to The Patriot Fund, his role and community involvement in fundraising without ever asking for money but relaying the story of veterans, their families, and his personal stories of supporting the philanthropic idea of giving back.

A constant professional since his retirement, he has been inducted into the 2018 USAF, Gathering of Eagles, and 2021 U.S. Special Operations Command, Commando Hall of Honor. Will continues to give back to our community through mentorship, leadership, and team building activities to our professional and private organizations. Will’s other interests outside of his philanthropic passions include biking, golfing, cooking, and spending quality time with his family and his fur babies Cooper and Stella.

Michael Francisco

Michael (Mike) Francisco joined The Patriot Fund and is the Lead Chair of the Annual Patriot Invitational. His patriotism is rooted in giving back to the individuals who sacrifice so much to protect our freedom. Mike believes philanthropy and patriotism go hand in hand. Often taken for granted, the service of our Veterans and their families should be celebrated as well as a priority.

Supporting our service men and woman through The Patriot Fund is a way for all of us to serve and lend a hand when needed the most! Professionally, Mike is Managing Partner of the SSG Executive Advisory Group at Raymond James, a boutique wealth advisory team focused on addressing the needs of successful families. His goal is to make a difference in people’s lives, and he applies his expertise in wealth management, financial planning, estate planning strategies, portfolio management, and business development to do just that.

Navy SEAL (Ret) Joe Crandall

Joe Crandall became a board member of The Patriot Fund in February of 2021 and has a passion for giving back to our military heroes and their families who expect nothing in return. In 1989, Joe joined the U.S. Navy as an Electronics Technician and ultimately earned a commission through the Naval Academy in 1996 with a degree in General Engineering. After graduating, Joe went to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School (BUD/S) training and was assigned to SEAL Team 5 where he served until 2003.

After retiring from the U.S. Navy, Joe began a career in sales with Pfizer, GetWellNetwork and GE until he joined Greencastle in 2012 as the Director of Client Engagement. In 2015, Joe was made Partner as the business continued to grow. On October 1st, 2019 he purchased the company from Greencastle’s founder and Managing Partner Celwyn Evans. Currently, Greencastle employs Veterans only and has 55 Veterans onboard. With his experience serving as a Navy SEAL and his accomplishments made at Greencastle, Joe’s patriotism and experience are well recognized and make a great asset to the Board of The Patriot Fund.

“I love The Patriot Fund for three reasons,” said Joe. “It is led by people that want to help Veterans without letting their egos get in the way, it helps Veteran Service Officers in the Greater Philadelphia area, and it is making a real impact on our Veterans and their families’ lives.” His main goal for being a board member is to elevate the organization by helping more Veterans get the assistance and benefits they need as well as growing The Patriot Fund’s community altogether.

Outside of his philanthropic interests and notable work experience, Joe spends time with his family and heads up to the mountains to enjoy the great outdoors.

Danny Bianco

Danny Bianco joined The Patriot Fund board of members in August 2019. “It is an honor to be part of the Patriot Fund and its mission to aid and support our service men, woman and their families after the sacrifices they make for our country is truly a humbling experience” – Danny Bianco. Danny believes that we all have a duty to give back to our fellow Veterans and their families. Being a board member at The Patriot Fund, Danny is determined to grow this organization and help as many Veterans as possible through The Patriot Fund’s philanthropic efforts.

His patriotism goes hand-in-hand with The Patriot Fund’s mission and is dedicated to helping our American heroes and their families live an easier life. In addition to joining The Patriot Fund as a board member, Danny’s dedication and drive can be acknowledged through his many accomplishments made at Laurel Creek Country Club that he has been a member of for over 24 years. To name a few highlights from Laurel Creek, he has served on various committees there, Co-chaired the Member-Guest Committee, Co-chaired the Grievance Committee, and has served as the Board of Trustees President for over two years to help guide the Club through challenging times.

Outside of his many achievements and positions at Laurel Creek, Danny founded Dynamic Physical Therapy, a leading Out-Patient Physical Therapy provider with 40 locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland until its sale to Pivot Health Solutions, where he now serves as the President of Sales, Marketing, and Market Development. Danny is also the Managing Partner of Dynamic Pediatric Therapies, a Pediatric Behavioral Disorder Company based in Chicago, IL.

In Danny’s spare time, he enjoys traveling, golfing, spending time with his wife Tracy and his four children Bridget, Megan, Danny, and Katie and attending his girls’ lacrosse and soccer games.

David Ingram

Dave Ingram became a board member of The Patriot Fund in February of 2021. He is passionate about remembering, honoring, and assisting those military Veterans who selflessly served this country and their families that supported them. Dave’s patriotism and passion for helping the Veteran community make him a great asset to The Patriot Fund. He is proud to serve our Veterans and their families in the Delaware Valley region and beyond.

With South Jersey being his hometown, he is ecstatic to be part of the help for his local Veteran community. Dave’s professional career is twenty-plus years strong and he currently works at Hartford Funds as the company’s Regional Vice President and Advisor Consultant. He has been a featured guest speaker numerous times discussing sales and marketing techniques across the country and in different continents as well as being featured on various episodes of the Human-centric Investing Podcast presented by Hartford Funds.

Outside of his professional career and philanthropic ties to The Patriot Fund, Dave is in the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame for his outstanding high school career and also played collegiately. He has an undergraduate degree in Marketing and received his MBA in Business Management from Rutgers University. Dave also enjoys spending time with his wife and his three sons as well as running and watching mixed martial arts in his spare time.

Tim Irons

Tim Irons attended Elon College in 1981 and disembarked shortly after and started the TC Irons Agency in 1983. TC Irons Agency is a licensed general commercial and personal retail insurance agency with two offices in Burlington County serving clients in approximately 35 states. In 1989, TC Irons merged with Haines and Haines and Tim became partners with Robert S. Haines. Sadly in 2017, Robert passed and Tim is solely at the helm.

Tim has always believed in supporting his community and has a love for Veterans and the military. His grandfather served in WWI and his father served in the Pacific Campaign in WWII and earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and was promoted to Captain by the age of 23. Tim’s strong core value of patriotism was bred in him. Tim’s partner, Robert Haines, was a Naval Academy graduate Class of 1957 and served as Lieutenant Commander for the United States Navy.

Tim has been a member of over 20 nonprofit boards during his tenure and currently sits on several boards. His hobbies include offshore fishing, hunting, and golfing.

Veteran/US Navy SEAL Kyle Kroberger

As a former Navy SEAL, Kyle Kroberger, served honorably for 8 years where he participated in hundreds of high-risk training evolutions and ‘Real World’ counterintelligence and security operations during the Bosnia and Kosovo campaign. He is an experienced operator who excelled at all levels of training, operations, and leadership development.

Kyle knows firsthand what our veterans sacrifice and is committed to supporting our veterans and their families through The Patriot Fund. Professionally, Kyle has become a top performer at Merrill Lynch, Pioneer Investments, and currently a Regional Director at Build Asset Management. He also is a member of Froglogic, a Navy SEAL Motivational, and Performance Training Company.

Sam Lepore

Sam Lepore became a board member of The Patriot Fund in April of 2020 and his passion for aiding the Veteran community and their families has been a key interest in his life. Sam hopes that he, along with the organization itself, can better assist our heroes who deserve the most from our local community. By being part of The Patriot Fund’s mission, he is confident that we can get our local Veterans back to a normal lifestyle post service by connecting them to other patriots who can help.

Sam Lepore’s name is synonymous with the Burlington and Camden County real estate market, where his well-established reputation and unmatched market knowledge have made him a front runner in South Jersey’s residential real estate industry. Sam and his team’s expansive network and proven marketing strategies have made them award-winning Realtors for many years running.

Sam loves giving back to the local community, especially our Veteran heroes and their families, and he is honored to be able to support our servicemen and women through The Patriot Fund’s efforts. Sam currently resides in Moorestown, NJ with his beautiful wife, Laura, and their two children, Farrah and Jax. Together, they enjoy summers at the shore and time spent cruising on their boat.

Former Infantry Officer and Captain Scott McQuery

Scott McQuery became a board member of The Patriot Fund in January of 2021 and is committed to supporting our military Veterans and their families. Scott graduated from West Point in 1997 as a commissioned infantry officer and, after completing his initial training including the Army Ranger course, he served with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. In 2002, Scott transitioned from the Army to earn his MBA in finance at the Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania.

Scott’s service to our country is something that makes being part of The Patriot Fund organization that much more rewarding for him as he can continue to help his Veteran community. Being able to serve the US and now aid in serving other Veterans and their families makes his journey come full circle and he’s truly grateful to be part of the board to make these efforts possible. Dedicating his early years to helping and serving others, The Patriot Fund encompasses everything he has worked for and continues to do. Since completing his MBA at Wharton in 2004, Scott has built a career as a mergers and acquisitions professional.

Early in his career, he was an investment banker with Citigroup and Lazard and he later transitioned to a career in corporate M&A with General Mills, AMETEK, Campbell Soup, and Diageo. Scott has closed dozens of transactions globally, totaling nearly $11B in enterprise value. Outside of his career and board service, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife, his two children, and SCUBA diving whenever he gets the chance.

Colonel (Ret) Michael S. Mikulski II

Colonel Michael Mikulski II joined The Patriot Fund in March of 2021 as a board member. Mike served 30 years in the Army Reserves including two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He later retired with numerous decorations including: Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, NATO Medal, and various others.

As a Veteran, being a board member of The Patriot Fund gives Mike the opportunity to provide valuable resources to people and organizations, working directly to meet the needs of our nation’s Veterans. His patriotic past has carried on into his preset day life and because of this, Mike finds himself eager to keep giving back to others on a daily basis. He is proud to be part of The Patriot Fund that is making life changing impacts on the Veteran community in the Delaware Valley Region and beyond and with his experience, Mike is an exceptional addition to the board.

As for Mike’s professional career, he works for Connor, Weber & Oberlies (CWO) and is currently the managing partner of the Firm’s New Jersey office. His practice centers primarily upon insurance defense, professional liability, general negligence and employment litigation. He also has extensive experience defending social service agencies, schools and non-profits in all aspects of litigation including sexual misconduct allegations, IEP/IHP litigation and general legal counseling.

In addition to practicing law, Mike is proud of his service to our country and the community. Mike has recently retired from the United States Army Reserves at the rank of Colonel. In the community, Mike is currently the Mayor of Southampton Township, NJ. In Mike’s spare time, he enjoys attending sporting events of all types.

Jeffrey O’Hara

Jeffrey O’Hara joined The Patriot Fund Board in 2019. Jeff’s patriotic passion stems from appreciating first-hand the service & sacrifices by his loved ones. His father served in the US Army as a Paratrooper – 82nd Airborne Division and his cousin, whom he & his wife raised, served two combat tours with the US Army in Iraq. He firmly believes that enjoying the privilege of citizenship in the United States creates a perpetual duty to serve those who have sacrificed so much serving us: “Words of thanks are not enough. We owe a life-long debt to all Veterans that have stepped up to protect our way of life. We should take time every day to find a way to give back to those who have given so much.”

Professionally, Jeffrey is a Partner with Connell Foley LLP. He has been designated by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney. His practice focuses primarily on the defense of large exposure, catastrophic loss casualty events. Having tried approaching 70 civil jury trials to verdict, he has been inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, The American Board of Trial Advocates, The Litigation Counsel of America, and The International Society of Barristers. He is also active as a member of the USLAW Network, The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, and The International Association of Defense Counsel.

Jeffrey is President and one of the Co-Founders of another non-profit organization called Project One Vet @ A Time Inc. (POVAT). Through this 501(c)(3) entity, he is part of a team of medical and legal professionals providing support at no cost to select Veterans pursuing claims for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. During his free time, Jeff enjoys spending quality time with his Wife Lisa, their two sons Patrick & Brendan, an also enjoys skiing, fishing and participating in endurance athletics activities.

Elaine Damm

Elaine Damm became a Board Member of The Patriot Fund on January 5^th, 2022. She has always been passionate about helping our Veteran community considering her son, Michael Connor Sweeney, and her father, Edward J. Damm, served in the US Navy.

“Being able to assist our Veterans in any way I can and provide them with the help and support they need is something that I am extremely proud of and it continuously motivates me to do more.”

Elaine feels that The Patriot Fund is an important fundraising vehicle for our Veterans and their families who desperately need the support – both financially and mentally – when they return from war. These brave individuals fight selflessly for our country and in turn, for each and every one of us as Americans. Because of this, Elaine is motivated to make a lasting impact on our Veteran community through the Board’s efforts.

Elaine Damm is the CEO of ACCU Staffing Services, Owner of 911 Staffing, and Partner of Corporate Planned Staffing. She is a results-driven leader with over 35 years of experience in the staffing and recruiting industry. ACCU Staffing Services is consistently ranked by NJ Biz and Philadelphia Business Journal as Top Women-Owned Business, Top Family-Owned Business, Top Staffing Firm, and Top Executives Search Firm, as well as being voted America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firm by Forbes Magazine in 2020.

Elaine is also an active member in the community, being a Trustee on the Virtua Health System Board, a Trustee for Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes, an Advisory Board Member of 1^st Colonial National Bank, Cherry Hill NJ, and received the title of 2018 Executive of the Year in South Jersey Biz.