In order for First Responders' Bridge to fulfill its mission, we have put together a team of committed professionals that represent excellence and integrity in their chosen field.
Leadership
Mick Yinger
Executive Director
Mick has more than 21 years of Law Enforcement experience working for both the Clinton Township (OH), Police Department and City of Columbus (OH) Division of Police.
While working for the City of Columbus, Division of Police, Mick worked in the Patrol Bureau, Narcotics Bureau, and spent the majority of his career as a covert Detective in the Strategic Response Bureau.
Mick served as an unarmed self-defense and boxing instructor for new cadets at the Columbus Police Training Academy.
Mick was a recipient of the Columbus City Council Officer of the Month, The Mayor’s Award of Excellence and 2 Mutual Aid awards.
After retiring from the City of Columbus, Division of Police, Mick served as Vice-President of Safeguard Risk Solutions from 2013 – 2017.
Mick attended Defiance College where he studied Criminal Justice.
Mick serves as Executive Director of First Responders' Bridge and oversees all day-to-day activities.
Mike Pavolino
Vice President
Michael Pavolino graduated from Urbana University (Urbana, OH) where he played football and baseball while obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education.
His military career spans from 1990 - current in the United States Army Reserves as a Military Policeman and as a Criminal Investigation Agent. He progressed through the ranks from Private First Class to Chief Warrant Officer 3. He has been deployed four times, been the Unit Commander during an OCONUS deployment, and was the PSO for the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff.
He began his civilian law enforcement career in 1992 - 2017 with the Westerville Police Department. He graduated from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy. He attended numerous other training courses emphasizing special weapons and tactics and investigations. Mike has worked or been involved with: uniform committee, awards committee, all three shifts, Westerville’s first school resource officer, bike patrol, physical fitness coordinator, honor guard, dive team, and he retired as a detective. In 1995-2017 he was selected as a member and then eventually into the leadership of the multi-agency SWAT team, Delaware Tactical Unit.
Mike has been presented several awards from the military, such as the bronze star and combat action badge; and from law enforcement, such as the Delaware County Sheriff award and gallantry star.
Mike is active socially with the Veterans of Foreign War, Moose Lodge International, AmVets and American Legion.
Maureen Kocot
Director of Development
Maureen Kocot is the Director of Development for First Responders' Bridge after serving as the Outreach and Media Relations Manager at Franklin County Sheriff's Office and the Outreach and Media Specialist at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Prior to that, Maureen was a member of the 10TV News staff since 1995, and is an Emmy, Associated Press, and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist.
Kocot's career at 10TV took her from the glamour of the red carpet at the Grammy Awards to the tragedy at Ground Zero. She grew up in Maryville, Ill., a small town not far from St. Louis. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism.
She was partnered with 10TV’s Angela An to produce Crime Tracker 10, a franchise that tracks crime patterns and trends, promotes safety, and aids law enforcement in capturing wanted criminals. As a crime reporter, Kocot provided extensive coverage of the Pike County massacre, the murders of CPD SWAT Officer Steve Smith, and Westerville Officers Tony Morelli and Eric Joering.
Board of Trustees
Business Leaders
Hugh Cathey, Board Chair
Chairman & CEO Chromocare
He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of ChromoCare, a leader in genetic testing for patients that focuses on medication compatibility for individuals having problems finding the appropriate drugs for medical conditions.
Hugh is also a 20-year board member of LifeCare Alliance, the largest provider of Meals on Wheels to Central Ohio seniors and the disabled.
Hugh lives in Dublin, OH, and is married with three children.
Becky Muncy-Brooks, General Counsel
Attorney, Painter & Associates
She joined Painter & Associates, LLC to represent juveniles in delinquency and traffic cases, to serve as a Guardian Ad Litem, and to represent clients involved in Abuse, Neglect and Dependency cases. Additionally, she handles Victim of Crime Compensation, wills and trusts, estate planning, divorces, and child custody cases.
A very active member of the Central Ohio law enforcement community, Becky holds a JD, Capital University Law School and a BA-Communication, Cleveland State University. She is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary and the Franklin County Drug Court Board.
Brian Pierson
Vice President of Community Health & Wellbeing, Mount Carmel
John Householder
President, Kokosing Construction Company
John is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a BS in Construction Management. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s AMP 190. John lives in Delaware, Ohio and is married with two children.
Jeff Stonerock, Treasurer
Partner, Clarus Partners
Jeff previously worked at Honda for 17 years providing tax planning, incentives and audit defense in the Federal income, State income, sales tax, property tax and various miscellaneous taxes in both the US and Canada. Prior to this experience, Jeff has worked in the tax groups of various companies.
Jeff has saved more than a billion dollars in taxes through his unique and creative solutions in incentives, planning and refund claims at these various companies over the past 20 years.
Gary Callicoat
President, Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern
Gary opened the first Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern (sister company of CMR) in the Columbus suburb of Dublin, Ohio in 2002.
Since then, The Bucket has grown from a single restaurant to 23 locations in six states—and counting.
“Reflecting a long record of giving back to the hospitality industry, Callicoat serves on the board of the Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) and is equally committed to supporting charitable causes of the communities in which he does business. He is on also on the board of the ORA’s Education Foundation. Callicoat encourages and leads his team to give back in many ways with numerous activities throughout the year including raising funds and basic supplies for underprivileged school children, coat drives in the winter, and providing Thanksgiving meals to the Salvation Army, not to mention, partnering with organizations like Canines for Companions and Toys for Tots.
According to Gary, “Serving great food and giving back. That’s what the Bucket Life is all about.”
Jason Profitt
Vice President of Technology, The Piada Group
Jason graduated from The Ohio State University in 2007 with a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science & Engineering, with a minor in Business.
Stan Partlow
Vice President and Chief Security Officer, AEP (retired)
Prior to joining AEP, Stan served the Law Enforcement community for over 25 years. Stan served the Columbus Division of Police for over 21 years and retired as the Commander of the Detective Bureau. Prior to that Stan served in numerous roles in Patrol, Narcotics, Professional Standards and Training during his tenure as an Officer, Sergeant and Lieutenant.
Stan served as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1984-1988 where he was responsible for conducting a variety of criminal investigations. In his law enforcement career, Stan has supervised dignitary protection details, and has been a member of the protection staff of two Columbus Mayors. He has been a SWAT team member for the Charlotte Division FBI Team, and a member of the Columbus Division of Police Underwater Search and Recovery Team. Stan also served as a Hostage Negotiator for the Columbus Division of Police.
Stan is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Leadership College. Stan holds the designation of Certified Law Enforcement Executive from the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. Stan completed the FBI Domestic Security Executive Academy. Stan earned the Certified Protection Professional certification from ASIS, a worldwide security organization. Stan completed the AEP/OSU Leadership Program and the Executive Level Targeted Development program.
Stan holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Capital University School of Law (1995), a Master of Science degree in Administration from Central Michigan University (1990), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bowling Green State University (1980).
Stan is a member of the Board of Trustees of Franklin University and he serves on the Board of Directors of The Center for Family Safety and Healing. Stan is a founder of the Columbus Police Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors for the Bridge an organization dedicated to mental healing for first responders.
Doug Vance
Owner & Vice President, Vance Outdoors Inc.
He currently serves as a board member for the River Radio Ministries (parent company of 104.9 The River, 89.3 The River, 90.9 The River and LoveCbus). In addition, Doug serves as a board member for the Clinton-Grandview Heights Joint Economic Development Zone.
Doug is a graduate of the Miami University with a BS in Accounting. He lives in Galena, Ohio and is married with three children.
Dan Floyd
President/CEO, Signature Control Systems LLC (retired)
Dan is a lifelong resident of Columbus, graduated from Eastmoor High School and attended The Ohio State University. Today, Dan spends much of his time with his large family that includes three children and nine grandchildren.
Amy Coppola
Director of Program Management, International Towers, LLC
Prior to this, she spent more than two decades working in the infrastructure space that first responders and their communities rely on. Her previous experience includes leading engineers, system technologists, and project managers for Motorola as the Federal Systems Integration Director. She has also managed projects with some smaller, entrepreneurial companies.
Her commitment to first responders is also reflected in her non-profit, Call To Purpose, which gives back to people, including first responders, who were impacted by the pandemic and who may have gotten off track. The organization offers coaching and provides inspiration to people and families to help them find hope, prosperity, and a positive outlook on life. She is excited to bring her skills to the First Responders' Bridge.
Kathy Cocuzzi
Mayor, Westerville (former)
Michael Heyeck
Chairman, Westerville City Council
Michael Heyeck has over 40 years of experience in the electric power industry. He retired in 2013 as Senior Vice President - Transmission for American Electric Power serving 37 years at AEP, and founded The Grid Group, LLC. He serves and has served on numerous industry boards and community boards. At the US DOE, Heyeck has served four US presidential administrations as advisor and has Chaired the US DOE Electricity Advisory Committee.
He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering, holds a Master’s in Business Administration, and is graduate of The Executive Program at Darden (UVA). Heyeck is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio.
Sam Queeno, CPP
Director of Digital Identity and Physical Security, American Electric Power
Sam’s purpose in life is striving to make the world a safer place to live, work and play®
Sam is the Director of Digital Identity and Physical Security for American Electric Power. He is responsible for leading Physical Security and Identity Registration for the corporation, which includes the protection of people, information, and assets. Since joining the company in 2008, Sam has served as a Region Security Coordinator, Security Operations Center Manager and Critical Infrastructure Security Manager. Prior to joining AEP, he served as a National Account Manager for The Wackenhut Corporation, Security Project Manager for Bank of America, and Security Manager for DeGraff Memorial Hospital. Sam has over 25 years of experience in the Security industry with expertise in Utility, Financial, Health Care, Security Operations Center, and Contract Guard Service. Sam is the creator of “Best Friend Friday” a framework to drive change and improve relationships at work and beyond.
Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is a Certified Protection Professional, board certified in security management from ASIS, the largest international security organization. Sam is an NRA certified Firearm Safety, Pistol and Personal Protection instructor, Stop the Bleed instructor and an Emergency Medical Responder. Sam currently serves as chairman of the Edison Electric Institute Security Committee and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the First Responders’ Bridge.
Clinicians
Dr. Mike Wagner
Clinical Psychologist
He has provided services for the past 25 years, in private practice, corrections, inpatient care, and community mental health.
Dr. John (Jack) Malinky
Clinical Psychologist
Research interests include Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity decision making, malingering in civil and criminal cases, and risk assessment for firefighters. Areas of practice include in-house consultation for the Bureau of Disability Determination for 20 years, providing psychological evaluation for Social Security Disability for employers and attorneys, psychological evaluations for the Industrial Commission of Ohio, psychological evaluations for Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, psychological evaluations for private attorneys, Fitness for Duty evaluations for employers and attorneys, court ordered NGRI evaluations due to Battered Women’s Syndrome, evaluation of mitigating circumstances for the first capital punishment case in the Southeast District Federal Court, and providing EMDR treatment to first responders. He also did court ordered evaluation of NGRI through Netcare and in private practice and court ordered evaluations for competency to stand trial through Netcare and in private practice.
Dr. Malinky has practiced psychology for over 30 years. He was a staff psychologist at Columbus Area Community Mental Health Center, United Behavioral Health and Harding Hospital providing him a knowledge base in both private and insurance driven care settings. Dr. Malinky is currently in private practice.
Dr. Barbara Jones Warren
Professor and Director of Psychiatric Mental Health, The Ohio State University
Having published numerous articles and book chapters on practice, theoretical, and research issues regarding mood disorders and healthcare disparities, she is considered a national expert and consultant in areas of culture, diversity and inclusion within mental health organizations and systems. Dr. Warren is a National Institutes of Mental Health Racial/Ethnic Minority Fellow and Postdoctoral Fellow, a Fellow in the National Academies of Practice, and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.
Dr. Warren is active in the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) where she served as its National President. Dr. Warren pioneered the Executive Nurse position for the Ohio Department of Mental Health. In this position, she developed policy regarding mental healthcare in the context of recovery and culturally and linguistically appropriate strategies for use within acute and primary care settings. In 2016, she received both the ANA Board of Directors Hildegard Peplau and the APNA Psychiatric Nurse of the Year.
Dr. Warren also has a private practice in which she provides psychotherapeutic, evidence-based interventions for individuals, couples and families.
Lisa Callander
Director EAP, City of Columbus
Lisa has extensive experience in working with first responders, and in the area of critical incident stress response. She serves as a member of the Mid-Ohio and CFD CISM teams and is the Mental Health Advisor for the CPD Peer Assistance Team (PAT).
First Responders
Greg Bodker
Asst. Chief, Columbus Police
As a Sergeant, Asst. Chief Bodker supervised the officers of 2 precinct-C company, in the North Linden community. While serving as a sergeant, Chief Bodker also had the privilege of being selected as a hostage negotiator for the Columbus Division of Police. He also served on the Hostage Negotiation Team and was a member of the Midwest Crisis Negotiators until his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant in 2010.
Chief Bodker served as a Division Lieutenant in the Patrol, Detective and the Professional Standards Bureaus. As a lieutenant, he served as the Incident Commander for special events such as Ohio State Football games, Presidential visits, and protests throughout the City of Columbus. It was also during his time as a lieutenant, that he, along with a core team of law enforcement and mental health professionals formed the Peer Assistance Team.
In 2015, Asst. Chief Bodker was promoted to the rank of commander. He was assigned to lead the Professional Standards Bureau and was honored to represent the Columbus Division of Police in 2017 as it was awarded “Accreditation with Excellence” by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA). In 2016, Chief Bodker was proud to join with Deputy Chief Michael Woods and Commander Mark Lang to lead nearly 200 Columbus Police Officers to Cleveland, Ohio, to address safety concerns, during the Republican National Convention. In 2017, Asst. Chief Bodker was appointed by the Chief of Police to head the Internal Affairs Bureau.
Asst. Chief Bodker grew up and attended high school in Atlanta, Georgia. After high school, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is a graduate of the United States Postal Inspector Training Academy, the 64th session of the Police Executive Leadership College, the Force Science Institute, and the 275th session of the FBI-National Academy. Chief Bodker has received the designation as a Certified Law Enforcement Executive by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.
Asst. Chief Bodker and his wife Karen are proud to be the parents of three daughters Bailey, Grace, and Morgan.
Ron McMillin
Assistant Chief, Westerville Police Dept. (retired), Chaplain, The Bridge
Ron retired after 34 years law enforcement experience as the Assistant Chief with the Westerville Division of Police where he served since 2000. His law enforcement career began as a U.S. Army Military Police officer and continued as a police officer in Illinois for nearly 9 years, prior to his appointment with Westerville. He has been fortunate to have served in a wide variety of specialized positions over the course of his career to include; honor guard member, field training officer, bomb technician, SWAT member and team leader, and supervisory roles in all three bureaus at Westerville PD.
Ron is active in his church and is involved in a youth mentoring program. He received Law Enforcement Chaplain Training through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Critical Incident Stress Management training through the ICISF. He has a unique appreciation for those who willingly put themselves in harms way to protect and serve others and is humbled by the opportunity to serve them.
Ron also serves as Chaplain for First Responders' Bridge.
Tom Ullom
Retired Westerville Firefighter, member of Critical Incident Stress Management(CISM) team
Tom was inducted into Westerville South High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2011. He received Westerville Sertoma’s Service to Mankind Award for significant and meritorious service in 2009, Westerville Sunrise Rotary’s Service Above Self award and The American Legion’s Firefighter Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Public Service in 2011. Tom was the City of Westerville’s 2009 Employee of the Year. Additionally, Tom was recognized as Sunny 95/CME Federal Credit Union/ThisWeek’s Hometown Hero in 2014. He is a member of the Central Ohio Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM), a member of the Heritage Christian Church’s Safety & Security Team and was a co-facilitator of their 13 week Grief Share Program. Tom was called to New York City by The History Channel to be interviewed for the episode, 9-11: “15 September’s Later,” in 2016.
In retirement Tom loves playing Pickleball.
Mike DeFrancisco
Arson Investigator, Columbus Fire Dept. (retired)
He has an Associate’s Degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University and currently sits on the boards of the Ohio chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Ohio Arson School, and the National Association of Computer Voice Stress Analysts in addition to First Responders' Bridge.
Anthony "AJ" Johnson
Officer, Columbus Police Dept.
Rhonda Grizzell
Deputy Chief of Police, Reynsoldsburg Division of Police
In October 2020, she assumed the role of Deputy Chief of Police for Chief Curtis Baker with the Reynoldsburg Division of Police. DC Grizzell has focused on growing RPD’s community service by collaborating with Starfish Assignment Licking County and joining the organization as a board member. Additionally, she has recently joined with several other Columbus suburbs to form the new Metro Peer Team to bring additional mental health resources to suburban agencies. DC Grizzell is excited to continue supporting first responders by joining the board of the First Responders' Bridge.