Mary Millsaps (Volunteer)
Creator and co-founder of operation angel wing/DIRECTOR/Compliance
Mary Millsaps is the creator and co-founder of Operation Angel Wing (OPAW). Her passion for helping those who are suffering through the devastating effects of traumatic stress is reflected directly within our organization’s mission statement. She continually pours her life’s work into pioneering innovative and incredibly effective ways to assist our Nation’s men and women of service and their families through the journey of trauma, “one victory at a time.”
Mary’s path through struggle and dedication to her community has led her to answer her calling by creating OPAW. As a teen and young woman, she endured an extreme and prolonged cycle of abuse. Despite her physical and emotional scars, she went on to complete a very successful career in Emergency Medicine that spanned more than twenty years. She advanced from Search and Rescue into pre-hospital and hospital emergency care, and ultimately retired as an Occupational Healthcare Administrator.
Continually building upon her passion for healing the mind, body, and spirit, Mary has earned her Masters in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Timeline Therapy. She is certified at the highest level in a host of board-certified therapies. She brings incredibly effective tools and techniques to our trauma work, many of which she has personally developed and continues to teach and mentor within the Public Safety Services and military communities.
A genuinely fantastic healer of trauma, Mary is also a devoted wife, mother, and keeper of her small farm in the foothills of western North Carolina.
Zeke Vanderpool (volunteer)
COFOUNDER OF OPERATION ANGEL WING, CEO, CERTIFIED ADMINISTRATOR OF THE RECONSOLIDATION OF TRAUMATIC MEMORIES (RTM) PROTOCOL
Zeke Vanderpool is one of the two original co-founders of Operation Angel Wing. In 2013, he retired from 23 years of military service in Army Special Operations, including combat tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. His desire to help his fellow service members and their families through the trauma of military combat service led him to partner with Mary Millsaps to form Operation Angel Wing, where he serves actively as a Trauma Specialist and Interventionist and continually works to improve the lives of our Service Members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families.
Zeke is also nearing retirement from a career in Federal Law Enforcement. His life experience as a Soldier, a Police Officer, a Federal Agent, a husband, a father, and a brother-in-arms to the many incredible people that he has served alongside allows him to connect deeply to our men and women of service and very effectively help them find their way through the darkness of trauma. By leading with his scars and his journey through the challenges of traumatic stress, Zeke can establish relevance and a deep connection with those who suffer. His exceptional ability as a Trauma Interventionist has proven to be very effective with those suffering from post-traumatic stress.
Zeke is a certified administrator of the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) protocol, an Associate Neuro Linguistic Practitioner, a Trauma Specialist, a certified Story Coach, and a Leadership Coach, and has played a crucial role in developing the specific approach and methodology that highlights Operation Angel Wing as one of the most influential organizations in the arena of trauma work.
Also a singer/songwriter and recording artist, Zeke’s music resonates deeply with many of our Nation’s heroes, has continually bridged the “gap of reluctance” and connected with those who previously avoided reaching for help. He is a student of human connection and the power of story and music and shares his life experience through his lyrics.
Zeke is deeply dedicated to leading our men and women of service (and their families) through the journey of trauma and helping them connect to the purpose and peace that waits on the other side.
Shawn Holland (Volunteer)
COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Shawn is a great friend and partner to Operation Angel Wing. His passion for bettering the lives of our Veterans, service members, and first responders is a blessing to his community and all who know him. We are thankful for his support and dedication and excited that he is a part of our mission!
Shawn has dedicated his entire adult life to the service of his Country and community. He is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the active Army Reserves, where he has served in leadership positions supporting natural disasters in his home state of North Carolina and other Civil Military Operations supporting units deployed worldwide. Before that, he earned his Army Ranger Tab, Air Assault Badge, and U.S. Army Jump Wings and spent ten years on active duty with multiple deployments to the Middle East.
His civilian career is just as impressive and service-connected. Shawn is the Vice President of Seegars Fence Company of Rocky Mount, NC. He passionately serves his community through the Disabled American Veterans Fence Initiative, installing fencing for disabled veterans with service dogs, free of charge to the Veteran. His impact is amazing, and he tirelessly supports suicide awareness and prevention training, working with Operation Angel Wing to provide training and assistance to First Responders and military organizations.
We celebrate Shawn and his incredible wife, Ashley, and their beautiful military family, and we are truly grateful to have them as part of our OPAW team!
Cory Sailor (Volunteer)
Trauma Recovery COACH, OPAW INTEGRATOR
Cory is a U.S. Army Veteran with over thirty-two years of commissioned service in the Army National Guard, where she retired as a Colonel. She specialized in Logistics, Organizational Change, Soldier Care, and Construction and Facility Management. After deploying to the middle east, her soldiers affectionately nicknamed her “War Mama”. Cory’s unstoppable commitment to taking care of her own has led her to continue her service after retirement from the military. She is an OPAW-certified Trauma Recovery Coach and also does an amazing job as our Integrator, streamlining our logistics and helping lead and train OPAW coaches.
Cory has truly lived a life of service. Born into a military family, she is the proud daughter of a U.S. Navy Veteran father, a retired Senior Chief who beat all the odds upon his commitment to military service. She is forever indebted to the U.S. Navy family as she was born a fighter, entering this world with a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate. The challenges that she overcame as a child, not to mention the drive it took to pursue her education and become a career Officer in the military, speak volumes about her character, passion, and determination to be a highly productive part of something bigger.
She followed her calling to serve while earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design at Memphis State University (now The University of Memphis) funded by an Army R.O.T.C. Leadership Excellence Scholarship. She graduated and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1992.
The therapeutic healing of art has also been a major influence in Cory’s life. She founded ITSO Fine Art (ITSO stands for “In The Service Of Others”), a 501c3 nonprofit division partner of Operation Angel Wing, where she commissions original hand-painted acrylic portraits of pets and service dogs with all proceeds dedicated to providing certified Service Dogs to Veterans and First Responders.
Cory has volunteered with Operation Angel Wing, on the front lines supporting our Veterans, First Responders and their families and communities since 2019 and we consider her an invaluable member of our team!
Slade Mcpherson (Volunteer)
Trauma Recovery COACH
Slade A. McPherson is a retired United States Army Colonel with thirty-six years of service in the Arkansas Army National Guard, twenty-nine of which were active duty. Slade served both as a Non-Commissioned Officer and a Commissioned Officer in the Infantry, leading our Nation’s soldiers in demanding assignments at home and abroad. His service included multiple deployments to the Middle East and Central America, where he witnessed first-hand the resilience of America’s Soldiers as well as the unseen wounds that many carry home.
Since retiring, Slade has continued his commitment to service as a civilian contractor supporting the training of National Guard staffs in Army doctrine, mission command, and staff processes. He remains dedicated to strengthening the readiness of those who stand watch over our communities and our nation. His lifelong focus has been on caring for Soldiers and their families—recognizing that operational success is inseparable from personal well-being.
Away from work, he finds renewal in the outdoors, enjoying camping, hiking, hunting, and tending his property in the Arkansas countryside, pursuits that reinforce the healing power of purpose, faith, and connection.
For these reasons and many more, OPAW is truly thankful to have Slade on board as a Trauma Recovery Coach. We also rely on his extensive experience in leadership and dedication to our mission to assist with training and supporting our growing team of coaches.
Quitney Felps (Volunteer)
SUPPORT COACH
Quitney Felps is no stranger to a life of service. As a full-time, Non-Commissioned Officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard, she dedicates her professional career to serving her Country and caring for her fellow soldiers. Nearly a decade of experience in Human Resources and prior experience as a Law Enforcement Dispatcher and Detention Officer has given Quitney a deep understanding of the challenges that accompany a life of service, both professionally and personally.
Quitney has also navigated her own story with trauma and adversity. After working with OPAW and finding her way to better understand what it takes to overcome these challenges, she decided to become a part of our team and help others do the same. Her instinctive ability to connect with others and help them through the fog of trauma and anxiety is truly amazing and we are so thankful to have her working with us!
Amy Vanderpool (Volunteer)
TRAUMA RECOVERY COACH, HOLISTIC WELLNESS COUNSELOR, RTM ADMINISTRATOR
Amy Vanderpool serves as a Trauma Recovery Coach, Holistic Wellness Counselor, and certified administrator of the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) protocol. She also has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and advanced training in Holistic Techniques and Remedies.
Amy is a true Veteran military wife. She and her husband, Zeke (co-founder of OPAW), have been married for 31 years. With Zeke’s 23 years of service in the Army National Guard (including deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq), and his civilian career in Law Enforcement, Amy has lived the challenges of the warrior wife. She kept their world together through it all, raising their four children independently during the long deployments and keeping the family stitched together through the hard times.
Amy also lost her younger brother to a tragic motorcycle accident in 2007 and has battled with her journey through grief and depression. Her ability to connect to those struggling and help them through the darkness comes from a place of understanding, strength, and relevance.
With a passion for herbal medicine and natural remedies, Amy and her daughter, Molly, founded their business (Tennessee Sassenachs) in 2022, dedicated to creating natural remedies for common maladies. She continues to educate herself and create natural and innovative answers to wellness challenges.
Always ready to jump in and do whatever needs to be done, our team is thankful for what Amy brings to the table: her compassion for those who are suffering, her experience and ability, and her devotion to the OPAW mission!
TODD MILLSAPS (Volunteer)
TRAUMA INTERVENTIONIST, NLP PRACTITIONER, LOGISTICS DIRECTOR, SUPPORT COACH
Todd Millsaps serves as a Trauma Interventionist and NLP Practitioner and is also OPAW’s Logistics Director. Todd grew up in Iredell County, NC. He and his father trained to show horses from the time he was old enough to hold a reign until the age of 17, when his father was tragically killed in a horse training accident.
Todd became a firefighter at eighteen and served as a First Responder for fourteen years.
His journey through the challenges faced by First Responders and the trauma of losing his father at a young age created a deep desire to help others through the devastating effects of traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression. This desire inspired Todd to study and become a Neuro Linguistics Programming (NLP) practitioner.
Todd’s love for travel and big rigs led him to establish his own trucking company, specializing in logistics and transportation. He brings those skills into play by annually managing OPAW’s support and logistics at multiple venues. His constant commitment to our logistical needs, his awe-inspiring ability to connect with people of all walks, and his genuine desire and capability to help others to better ground make Todd an invaluable member of our OPAW team!
He is also a father to four amazing children and stays busy with his wife, Mary (the creator and co-founder of OPAW), on their farm in western NC.
Robin Kyek (Volunteer)
TRAUMA SPECIALIST, PASTORAL COUNSELOR, TRAINED DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATH COACH, SUPPORT COACH
Robin Kyek works with Operation Angel Wing as a Trauma Specialist and Pastoral Counselor and is an invaluable team member! Her support and tireless dedication to the OPAW mission reflect her passion for helping people in every aspect of their lives.
We are always amazed at her energy and thankful for her ability to listen, connect with those struggling, and help lead them out of the darkness, fog, and chaos associated with surviving traumatic events.
Robin was raised in a military family, where her father served in the U.S. Army for twenty-six years. She is now the pastor of a church in a small, rural town in east Tennessee and lives nearby with her husband of twenty-two years and seven children (and eight rescue dogs!). Four of her children are also diagnosed with Autism and anxiety in varying degrees, and her compassion, dedication, and insight are evident in the amazing success and resilience of every one of them.
Robin does not judge people but instead possesses the beautiful gift of true listening and a genuine desire to help people understand their faith and connect to their God when they are ready, standing firmly on the belief that we are all God’s children. She appreciates the art of tattoos and self-expression and will be the first to tell you that there is no sinless creature on the planet. She has made her journey through trauma and losing loved ones and truly understands what it takes to navigate traumatic stress and grief.
Robin is a prayer warrior, an advocate for those who suffer, and a true leader within her family and community. We are blessed to have her in our Operation Angel Wing family!