National Veterans Harm Reduction Summit

Tim Jensen is the Grunt Style Foundation’s Chief Brand Officer.

William Wisner is a proud US Army veteran who also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Grunt Style Foundation.

Derek Blumke is the Grunt Style Foundation’s Veteran Impact Fellow, dedicated to addressing the overprescribing epidemic affecting veterans and service members—his work advocates for safer psychiatric medication practices for those who have served in the Armed Forces. In 2008, Derek co-founded Student Veterans of America while studying at the University of Michigan, where he served as President and Executive Director. Under his leadership, SVA was pivotal in passing the Post 9/11 GI Bill  through Congress. Derek has held several key roles, including founding director of the VA’s national mental health program, the VITAL Initiative, and chief operations officer for the VFW Department of Michigan. He also contributed as a writer and editor for Mad in America, focusing on veterans' mental health. Derek, a 12-year Air Force and Michigan Air National Guard veteran, deployed to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. He holds a degree from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from Alma College.

• Prescribing an Epidemic: A Veterans Story (Mad in America)

• Ambushed by Antidepressant Withdrawal: The Escape Story (Mad in America)

Diana Hazel Rodriguez, a military child and Army veteran (15R, AH64D Longbow Attack Helicopter Mechanic), embodies a deep-rooted connection to the veteran community. As a veteran herself, a spouse to a disabled veteran, and a mother of six, her experiences have fueled a decade-long commitment to veteran advocacy. Diana's passion for service extends far beyond her time in the Army; she is a tireless champion for transformation within the military community, striving to ensure that past missteps pave the way for a brighter future. With a recent BS in Applied Psychology, Diana is equipped with the knowledge and tools to uplift and empower fellow veterans, helping them heal, grow, and achieve their full potential. Her unwavering dedication serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path toward a stronger, more supportive community for those who have selflessly served our nation. 

• My Red October – An Army Veteran’s Crucible to Recovery (Mad in America)

Kim Witczak is a leading global drug safety advocate and speaker with over 25 years of professional experience in advertising and marketing communications. She became involved in pharmaceutical drug safety issues after the sudden death of her husband due to the undisclosed drug side effects of an antidepressant. Kim co-founded Woodymatters, a non-profit that advocates for a stronger FDA and drug safety system. She co-created and organized the international, multi-disciplinary conference Selling Sickness: People Before Profits conference in Washington, D.C. In 2016, she was appointed Consumer Representative on the FDA Psychopharmacologic Drug Advisory Committee and is on the Board of Directors of the National Physicians Alliance and MISSD (Medication Induced Suicide Prevention in Memory of Stewart Dolin). She is an active member of the DC-based Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition, ensuring the voice of non-conflicted patients and consumers is represented in healthcare / FDA-related legislative issues.

Brian Brumfield, Surviving Father of US Army Veteran Connor Brumfield

Connor Westley LeRoy Brumfield, the second of four children, born on August 3, 2000, took his own life on April 13, 2023, just 82 days after his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. Connor was an Eagle Scout, a licensed HAM radio operator, a professional welder, an Army Veteran, and a student. Connor was very funny, very smart, handsome, and was in the enviable position of being able to live out his dreams. Connor accomplished most everything that he set his mind to, as long as his body was able. He joined the Army as a 25C Radio Operator / Maintainer, but his job was made redundant by the Army as soon as he joined. It would be three long years of fighting for a better situation, effectively stuck in Oklahoma, before he was able to re-class to a 25U and join a deployment to Qatar and find enjoyment in getting to do his job, just before his service contract was up. Connor left the Army on January 22, 2023, now a full-time student at the Montana Technological University in Butte, Montana, studying for a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Welding Engineering. He was well on his way, an A-student, and it seemed like he was poised to make the most of his life, on his own terms. Connor taught himself photography and film developing. He combined that love with his love of the outdoors. At his memorial service, a former Boy Scout leader called Connor, “the most natural outdoorsman I ever met.” And that is absolutely true. Connor was at home in the outdoors and spent a lot of this free time hiking, climbing, camping and photographing the beauty of nature that surrounded him. We believe that Connor’s actions on April 13 were not his own, that his mind was altered by anti-depressants given to him by the VA in just 8 short days from prescription to death. No one in Connor’s life saw this coming, even his Army-buddy roommate was taken completely by surprise. Connor is sorely missed by family and friends, every single day.

Shannon McDaniel, Surviving Mother of USMC Veteran Hunter Whitley

Hunter Chase Whitley, age 23, of Tuscaloosa, passed away unexpectedly on November 13, 2022. Hunter was born on October 26, 1999 in Tuscaloosa. He graduated from Brookwood High School in 2018 and joined the United States Marines Corps shortly thereafter. In August 2022, he returned to Tuscaloosa to attend The University of Alabama to pursue his major in Computer Science. If you were ever around Hunter for even just a short period of time, you know that he made everything look great. His style was eclectic. He was amazingly attractive, and his personality was magnetic. Hunter was handsome, intelligent, and exciting. An avid music lover, he enjoyed music, art, and doing almost anything with his friends. Hunter's diverse nature along with his love and concern for everyone was evident in his actions. Hunter was known for his unforgettable blue eyes, smile, contagious laugh as well as his motivation and charisma.

Dr. Larry Miller, Surviving Father of US Navy Veteran Mark Miller

Mark K. Miller came into this world on August 6, 1971, and took his last breath on April 7, 2025. At age 21 he joined the Navy serving as Master of Arms on the nuclear aircraft carrier, the George Washington for 6 years. Right after 911 he rejoined the Navy to serve in a more significant way as a sniper in the Mobile Security Force (Special forces). After 15 years of exemplary service, he developed herniated discs in his back and was transferred to Kingsville Naval Station where he suffered from PTSD and depression. The Navy placed him on Prozac, a mind-altering drug, which triggered a suicide attempt. By a miracle of God, he was rescued from certain death. In 2021 he wrote a book, Suicide Stalks the Sniper about his near-death experience and lessons learned, as a way to help those who may be contemplating suicide and families of Veterans with depression and PTSD. 

On April 1, 2025, severe depression once again engulfed him and he went to the VA for help, wanting to be admitted for treatment. Instead of the care he deserved, after just 5 minutes of consultation, the provider gave him a bottle of mind-altering drugs. Mark texted to his family, “I just left my VA appointment at Audi Murphy – look how nice they are, they prescribed me Seroquel. Wow! How nice. Did not even listen to my story – just like a robot that hands out poison to every soldier. I should call KSAT 12 news and tell them that they are murdering our heroic men and women. They did not even listen to anything I said – just prescribed stuff. Unreal. It is a crime.”

Seven days later, at 12:30 pm he texted his family and said, “I love you very much and I always will.” A couple of minutes later at Audi Murphy VA hospital, he shot himself as a powerful message to the VA and the world about the terrible injustice he had received. Mark gave his life to speak to the thousands of veterans who have no voice and to the thousands who have been neglected by the VA system. His last wish, and the overarching wishes of his family are to initiate major changes at the VA mental health system-to stop handing out dangerous drugs to the veterans as a band aid on a deadly wound. Start treating them with the care and dignity that they deserve. Offer them alternative treatments of their choice outside of the VA system that they can use without having to pay out of their own pockets.

Chris Jachimiec is a retired US Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer with 20 years of service, including leadership roles during Operation Southern Watch and the war in Afghanistan. He currently dedicates his life to mental health and suicide prevention, working on national projects while serving on the Suicide Prevention Challenge teams for Nevada and Las Vegas and was featured in the Ad Council's "Service Never Stops" campaign for firearm safety. He competes in adaptive sports, winning multiple gold medals in the 2022 Department of Defense Warrior Games. Chris lives in Las Vegas with his family and enjoys martial arts, cycling, heavy metal music, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.

• That Others May Live: An Airman’s Mental Health and Medication Hurricane (Mad in America)

John Retzer, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Army National Guard, was appointed Deputy National Legislative Director for Health of the nearly 1 million-member DAV (Disabled American Veterans) in August 2024. As a member of the national legislative department at DAV’s Washington HQ, Retzer’s responsibilities include advancing legislation and policies critical to disabled veterans and their families. Retzer’s DAV career began in 2003 as a national service officer trainee in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was first promoted to assistant supervisor of the Fort Snelling National Service Office and then to supervisor, where he served until being appointed as Assistant National Service Director at DAV National Service and Legislative Headquarters in August 2017. He joined DAV’s legislative staff as assistant national legislative director in 2022. Retzer served in the U.S. Army from 1991 to 1995 and continued his service with the Army National Guard until his medical separation in 1999.

Ryan Galluci, Ryan Gallucci is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the VFW National Veterans Service, which ensures Veterans, Service Members and their families have access to their earned benefits through the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor. To achieve this, Ryan oversees the VFW’s network of more than 1,900 VA-accredited claims representatives located around the world, and on almost two dozen Military installations, to ensure they have the necessary training and resources to provide the best possible service to their Veteran clients. Prior to his appointment as director in March 2017, Ryan served as deputy director of NVS overseeing a variety of initiatives to include the expansion of VFW operations on Military installations and the modernization of the VFW’s constituent casework system. He previously served as VFW’s deputy legislative director, where he worked directly with Congress and federal agencies to craft and implement transition and education policies that benefited the Veterans’ community, such as in-state tuition protections for Veterans and the redesign of the Military Transition Assistance Program. Ryan served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve and was deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004 where he received the Bronze Star for meritorious service and the Combat Action Badge.