Board Members
President, CEO, and Founder
Michael R. Carmichael
Michael R. Carmichael, CW4 Special Forces (Retired), retired after 26 years on active duty.
He was born in Helena, Montana, in November 1971. He joined the Montana National Guard at 17, with signed consent from his parents and high school. In 1990 Michael attended Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. He studied Engineering until ground operations began supporting Operation Desert Storm in 1991 when his love for his country led him to volunteer for active service.
Michael was stationed in Mannheim, Germany, with a follow-on combat deployment in support of Operation Desert Storm. After the war, he spent three years serving in Germany.
In 1994, Michael attended Special Forces Selection and Assessment. That began a long and successful 22-year career in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
Chief Carmichael was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky with the 5th Special Forces Group (A) from May 1998 through December 2015, when he retired.
This assignment included 10 Combat Deployments from September 2001 through August 2014. They included: the initial invasion of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; pre-war tactical insertion into Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; seven additional combat deployments while serving in support of OIF; and Interagency support of the Syrian people during the beginning of the Syrian Government’s brutal attacks on its own people.
In addition to these Combat Deployments, he was deployed dozens of times in support of American objectives and interests throughout 13 countries in the Middle East and Asia.
Michael became a Warrant Officer in 2004. He served in various leadership positions with increasing responsibilities until he retired. Michael retired from the 5th Special Forces Group (A) in December 2015. Michael retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Four after serving as the Strategic Plans Officer for the Group.
Michael continued to support his fellow Veterans as a Co-Founder and National Secretary of another Veteran Centered Non-Profit. Michael is dedicated to making Check A Vet a National leader in Veteran suicide prevention.
Vice President
The Honorable Christopher C. Miller recently served as the Acting Secretary of Defense of the United States.
He currently is a founder of Boundary Channel Partners Inc., a strategic advisory company. Chris is one of his generation’s most seasoned national security professionals. He possesses extensive cross-cultural and multigenerational experience operating from the ground-level with foreign governments and leading U.S. and allied military and security forces, to the highest corridors of power domestically and internationally. He has extensive Intelligence Community experience as well.
Prior to his appointment as Acting Secretary of Defense, the Senate unanimously confirmed Chris on August 6, 2020 as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center where he was responsible for defending the Nation from terrorist attacks. Chris became a political appointee in January 2020 to lead the Department of Defense’s (DoD) counterterrorism (CT) and irregular warfare efforts. He also served temporarily as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations. His tasks were defeating Al Qaida, recovering American hostages and transforming the DoD to compete against rising powers through irregular and non-traditional means. Chris served as the Special Assistant to the President of The United States and Senior Director for Counterterrorism and Transnational Threats at the White House’s National Security Council. As the government’s senior most policymaking official in those fields, Chris developed and implemented strategy and policy and provided counsel to the National Security Advisor, Vice-President, and President. In 1987 Chris became an Army officer through R.O.T.C and served 27 years in the Infantry and Special Forces (Green Berets). As a Green Beret, he planned and participated in the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, in addition to numerous other deployments worldwide.
After retiring from the Army in 2014, he provided advice to senior government officials as a contractor and civil servant and drove change in the fields of Special Operations, Political Warfare and Intelligence.
Raised in Iowa City, Iowa, Chris received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the George Washington University. He earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from the Naval War College and is a graduate of Army War College.
Chris remains committed to transforming antiquated thinking and processes to ensure a strong national defense and secure Republic, and advocating for our Service People, Veterans and their families.
Christopher C. Miller
Board Member
Faye Johnson Grund, PhD, PMHNP
Faye J. Grund was born in Richlands, Virginia in December 1956. She grew up in Christiansburg, Virginia. Faye graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with baccalaureate degrees in Nursing and Biology and a Master’s degree in Nursing.
Faye worked in administrative positions in hospitals in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina before taking a pause in her professional career to raise four children. She entered academics working as faculty at North Central State College and MedCentral College of Nursing.
While working, she completed her Post-Master’s Certificate as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at the University of Akron. She became Dean and President of MedCentral College of Nursing in 2007 and then Dean of the Ashland University College of Nursing and Health Sciences in 2010. She completed a PhD in Nursing at Duquesne University in 2013.
Throughout her tenure, she obtained national grants from several organizations including the Health Resources and Service Administration for $1.6 million to increase the number of baccalaureate nursing graduates. She was committed to maintaining practice expertise and remained employed part time at Catalyst Life Services, the community mental health center, as a Nurse Practitioner. Faye determined to return to practice in 2019, due to her commitment and passion for patient care, and joined OhioHealth Mansfield as an inpatient Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner after retiring from the position of Dean.
Faye’s commitment to mental health and well being includes serving on the National Alliance of Mental Illness Richland County Board of Trustees since 2005 where she assists in teaching local police and first responders Crisis Intervention Team training yearly to help those struggling with mental illness in the community. She has written the chapter on suicide and non-suicidal behavior for the last four editions of a national nursing textbook, Varcarolis’ Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach. Personal experience with suicide in her life has heightened her commitment to help others find the hope they need to live and the purpose for their lives.
She looks forward to service for Check A Vet as a board member.
Treasurer
Jennifer Van Waes
Jennifer Van Waes is a retired educator, turned entrepreneur & business owner. Jennifer began her career in education as an academic coordinator for the Upward Bound Program at Murray State. From there, she served as the director for several grant programs and as a math consultant for the West Kentucky Educational Cooperative, working with schools in the region to prepare students for college and improve math instruction. In 2019, after 30 years in education, Jennifer retired from that career and joined the family business (PECO Sign Co), where she helped lead the business through the tough times of the pandemic. Jennifer is currently the treasurer for Punch Out Parkinson's West KY and Check A Vet, and served as President and in other leadership roles with Murray Tiger Band Boosters from 2017-2020. Leadership has always been a passion for Jennifer, enjoying her work the most when she has opportunities to lead staff members and stakeholders to achieve professional and personal goals. Jennifer has two bachelor's degrees - Math (Lambuth College) and Secondary Education (Southeast Missouri State) and a master's in education (Murray State University).
Secretary
Dave Wilson
Dave Wilson, is a former Captain in the US Army. Dave commanded a Front-line Armor Unit in the 82nd Airborne Division during deployment to the Persian Gulf region. He was also served for four years as Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Post and District levels, providing a conduit for financial, labor, emotional, social, and emotional support for Veterans in the area. Dave is an accomplished Entrepreneur and Senior global IT/Project Manager with extensive expertise in IT, architecture, solution delivery, sales, planning, research, public speaking, finance, and business operations. Dave is a results-driven professional with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and broad experience dealing with all levels of organizational management. He has a proven history of improving performance and cultivating productivity in sensitive, fast-paced environments and highly competitive industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and the U.S. Military.