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Originally from Massachusetts, Representative Joe Casello and his wife Josephine reside in Boynton Beach. A lifelong public servant, he served as a Boynton Beach City Commissioner from 2013 through 2018 for District 4. He was appointed as the Vice-Mayor and then elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. Representative Joesph A. Casello United States Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Originally from Massachusetts, Representative Joe Casello and his wife Josephine reside in Boynton Beach. A lifelong public servant, he served as a Boynton Beach City Commissioner from 2013 through 2018 for District 4. He was appointed as the Vice-Mayor and then elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. Born in Worcester, Rep. Casello attended public schools in his community. He graduated from Worcester Industrial Technical Institute in 1972 and Quinsigamond Community College in 2002, where he earned an Associate in Science. The son of a Navy World War II veteran, Rep. Casello honorably served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force in the early 1970s. Assigned to the 212th ANG Unit, he was responsible for installing radio transmission sites throughout the country. In 1974, he was appointed to the Worcester Fire Department and promoted to Lieutenant in 1984. Within the Fire Department, he served in many capacities, including arson investigator, working closely with the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Rep. Casello is a business owner and licensed electrical contractor. He operated Casello Electrical Services, specializing in residential and commercial electrical design and installation. His civic engagement includes time spent on the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County League of Cities, as President of the Knollwood Homeowners Association, and as a member of the Palm Beach Sober Home Task Force as well as the Municipal Retirees Association. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for JFK Hospital and has volunteered with Feeding South Florida during the pandemic. Drawing on his past experiences as a firefighter and service in the Air Force, Joe has been a strong and vocal champion for first responders, police, and firefighters, as well as military veterans. He has sponsored legislation strengthening medical benefits for firefighters who contract cancer in the line of duty. He also worked with his colleagues to pass a joint resolution allowing the surviving spouses of deceased, disabled veterans to continue claiming the same tax credits to which their families were entitled before death. Rep. Casello is married and has one daughter. << Back to Veteran Legislators

Representative Mike Giallombardo is a husband, father, combat veteran, and businessman dedicated to serving his community. His military roots run deep. His father, Robert, was stationed in South Korea with the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division when he met a Korean woman named Sun. When his deployment ended, Sun decided to leave South Korea and move to the United States with Robert. Their son, Mike Giallombardo, was born in 1982. Representative Mike Giallombardo Florida Army National Guard, Currently Serving Warrant Officer Representative Mike Giallombardo is a husband, father, combat veteran, and businessman dedicated to serving his community. His military roots run deep. His father, Robert, was stationed in South Korea with the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division when he met a Korean woman named Sun. When his deployment ended, Sun decided to leave South Korea and move to the United States with Robert. Their son, Mike Giallombardo, was born in 1982. Rep. Giallombardo grew up in Cape Coral, where he attended Pelican Elementary, Gulf Middle School, and attended both Mariner and North Ft. Myers High Schools. At an early age, he developed a love for playing football and was a standout player throughout high school, which ultimately led to college scholarships. He earned an Associates in Science degree from Georgia Military College, a Bachelors in Criminal Justice from Florida Atlantic University, and a Master’s Degree in International Relations with a concentration in Conflict Resolution from American Military University. After college, the Representative enlisted in the United States Army and was deployed to Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his deployment, he served with the 4th Infantry Division and supported special operation missions. Mike played a significant role as a liaison to the Iraqi military and other coalition forces supporting Iraq’s counterinsurgency effort. Highly decorated from operations, he was awarded numerous medals, including the Army Commendation and Army Achievement Medals for his operational roles in Iraq, leading to the capture of various targets. Rep. Giallombardo currently serves as a Warrant Officer in the Florida National Guard, where he serves as a State Emergency Response Team liaison for Florida. He was activated for multiple hurricanes working with multiple counties to ensure that the citizens receive support from the Florida National Guard. When not on active duty, he owns and operates businesses that specialize in cybersecurity, technology development, commercialization of new technology, and education. He specializes in assisting law enforcement, assisting veteran-owned companies, and helping veterans transition to civilian life. The Representative is a member of the Military Officers Association in Cape Coral, Veterans of Foreign Wars in Cape Coral, Southwest Florida Military Museum, ESGR, South Florida Defense Alliance, and serves as a mentor to more than a dozen women and veteran-owned businesses. Reflecting on his service Rep. Giallombardo said, “Serving in this nation has been the honor of my lifetime, whether with the Army in Iraq or with the National Guard testing for potential COVID patients in the U.S. I’m looking forward to building on this record of service in the Florida House!” He and his wife Wendi have been married for 11 years. They have a son Luca (7), daughter Presley (4), and help raise their niece Ivey (8). << Back to Veteran Legislators

Representative Michelle Salzman is a Wounded Warrior and full-time community volunteer who began her philanthropy journey while attending the University of Western Florida over a decade ago Representative Michelle Salzman United States Army Vetera n Specialist Representative Michelle Salzman is a Wounded Warrior and full-time community volunteer who began her philanthropy journey while attending the University of Western Florida over a decade ago. She served in the U.S. Army for five years and transitioned into the civilian community by completing a degree in Computer Analytics and a degree in Business Administration. She served on the March of Dimes Committee for two years and moved on to help her fellow veterans as a volunteer with the V.A.’s local Vocational Rehabilitation office. She was elected to the Florida House of Representatives after defeating the incumbent representative on her first run for office. Her parents settled into her family home in Pensacola when she was in elementary school. In 1995, she graduated from High School and joined the U.S. Army at age seventeen. She entered basic training as the youngest in her class and then attended advanced individual training. After graduation, she left for Hanau, Germany, joining a unit already preparing for deployment. Four weeks later, she shared a former SCUD missile barracks in Kaposvar, Hungary, with the other soldiers in her battalion. U.S. Army supply clerk, Pvt. Michelle Hisle (her maiden name) spent her first journey away from home in a six-person advance party rolling into Tuzla Valley, Bosnia. The trip by convoy to Tuzla took two days. Pvt. Hisle drove the whole way, intrigued by the war’s impact on the region. She was tasked with helping set up a forward operating base (FOB), Comanche Base, for other American soldiers serving as part of the NATO Force. For three weeks, she shared a four-person tent with five other soldiers at a site that lacked latrines and only getting an occasional cold shower. Her duties included stringing concertina wire around the camp’s perimeter and distributing the contents of crates five times her size. The FOB was in a combat zone, so she could not safely leave the flight line because of snipers in the surrounding area and landmines that saturated the area. She was awarded numerous commendations for developing and implementing inventory control systems that saved the 1st Armored Division millions of dollars. Commendations included: an ARCOM (Army Commendation Medal), several AAMs (Army Achievement Medal), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, among others. After serving her country, Rep. Salzman came back to Pensacola, where she used her leadership experiences and her Army College Fund to gain education and excel as a leader for her business and a leader in service to the Pensacola community. She has served on boards for various local PTAs, county-level PTA President, as well as the State of Florida PTA Board of Directors. She has been a full-time volunteer for several years now and received many awards and recognitions for her community service. The Representative has followed her heart and passion for helping those who cannot help themselves. This passion led her to focus on children, families in poverty, and her fellow wounded veterans. When she is not serving her community, she manages her photography business, Salz Studio, serving the gulf coast community for over ten years. << Back to Veteran Legislators

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The Florida Veterans Foundation 10th Anniversary Gala with Bobby Bowden. 10th Anniversary Gala with Bobby Bowden Load More >> Back to Galleries

Representative Holcomb is originally from Maryland where he attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County earning a BA in Economics, later continuing his education at American Military University with a MA in Intelligence Studies. After moving to Florida in 2002, Rep. Holcomb and his wife, Stacey have two daughters and have resided in Hernando County for over twenty years. Representative Jeff Holcomb United States Navy Reserve, 2006-Present Lieutenant Representative Holcomb is originally from Maryland where he attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County earning a BA in Economics, later continuing his education at American Military University with a MA in Intelligence Studies. After moving to Florida in 2002, Rep. Holcomb and his wife, Stacey have two daughters and have resided in Hernando County for over twenty years. Rep. Holcomb, in addition to being a realtor, serves as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy Reserve since 2006. In 2016 LT Holcomb was called to active duty to fight ISIS in support Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria and Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan. He served on the Master Air Attack Plan team in the Combat Plans Division of the Air Operations Center in Southwest Asia. During his service, he earned a Navy Commendation Medal and a Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal. Prior to his election into the Florida House of Representatives, Rep. Holcomb was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in November 2014 and was re-elected in 2018. In 2019, he served as Chairman of the Commission, and he also served as Chairman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee from 2018-2020. Rep. Holcomb has many years of community involvement that includes his work with the Hernando County Veterans Council, Hernando County Education Foundation, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Medical Examiner Board, Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority, along with his support and participation in sixteen different local charities, and his efforts for the improvement of twelve County Parks. << Back to Veteran Legislators

Meet the Florida Veterans' Foundation's Military Legislators of 2023 to 2024. Meet the Military Veteran Legislators 2025 – 2026 Florida Legislature Series The FVF is proud to honor the military veterans serving in the 2025 Florida Legislature by kicking off the “Meet the Military Veteran Legislators 2025-2026 Florida Legislature Series.” We welcome the members of the 2024-2026 Legislature who have served, or are currently serving, in the United State Military. We are especially gratified that six members are currently serving in uniform as Reservists or members of the Florida National Guard. We encourage you to share this background so that Floridians know the military heritage that exists in the Legislature and how some legislators are serving their country in two ways, by being a legislator and a service member. Bryan Av ila Florida Army National Guard, Currently Serving First Lieutenant READ BIO Danny Alvarez BIO COMING SOON READ BIO Dean Black United States Air Force 125th Fighter Wing, Florida Air National Guard READ BIO Danny Burgess Florida Army National Guard Currently Serving Major READ BIO John Snyder United States Marine Corps Corporal READ BIO Keith Truenow United States Air Force Airman READ BIO Wyman Duggan United States Marine Corps Commissioned Office r READ BIO Lisa Dunkley United States Army Veteran READ BIO Mike Giallombardo Florida Army National Guard, Currently Serving Warrant Officer READ BIO John Albert BIO COMING SOON READ BIO Jeff Holcomb United States Navy Reserve, 2006-Present Lieutenant READ BIO Bill Conerly BIO COMING SOON READ BIO Thomas Patterson "Pat" Maney United States Army Brigadier General READ BIO Fiona McFarland United States Navy Reserve Lieutenant, Drilling Reservist READ BIO Yvette Bennarroch BIO COMING SOON READ BIO Tom Keen United States Navy Naval Flight Officer READ BIO Michelle Salzman United States Army Specialist READ BIO David Smith United States Marine Corps (Retired) Colonel READ BIO

OUR TEAM OUR TEAM FLORIDA VETERANS FOUNDATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS LEADERSHIP TEAM Dr. Pia S. Woodley, USN Ret. Chair Raymond Miller, USMC Ret. Chief Operating Officer Don Lanman, USA Vice Chair, District Director 7 Brooke Dennison Director of Outreach & Strategic Initiatives Beatrice Love-Moore, USN Secretary, District Director 1W Paul Kimbel, USA Lead Dental Program Director, Veterans Dental Program Adam Hooker Treasurer DISTRICT DIRECTORS Beatrice Love-Moore, USN District 1 West Vacant District 3 Joan Colosimo District 6 Shirley Combass District 1 East Dr. Damon Friedman District 4 Don Lanman, USA District 7 Huey Fourquet District 2 Robert Doyle, USA, USMC District 5 Angel Figueroa, USA District 8 MEMBERS-AT-LARGE Rear Admiral Rick Grant, USN Bruce Grant Bob Asztalos, USN Sen. Danny Burgess, USA Kristen Knapp Colonel Ben Findley, USAF Sen. Tom Wright Terry McCaffery - CHAIRS Chair Time of Service Branch of Service Dr. Pia Woodley, DBA 2025- Present U.S. Navy Dr. Dennis Baker, PhD 2021-2024 U.S. Navy Mr. Bob Asztalos 2019-2020 U.S. Navy Mr. Mike Mason 2017-2019 U.S. Marine Corps Mr. Washington Sanchez 2013-2016 U.S. Army Mr. John Hayes* 2010-2013 U.S. Marine Corps *Deceased

To serve, support, and advocate for Florida veterans to improve their quality of Life! The Florida Veterans Foundation serves as the statewide lead organization for Florida veterans and their families by providing direct services and partnering with state and local governments, veteran service organizations, and educational institutions to improve their physical, financial, mental, emotional, and social well-being. About The Florida Veterans Foundatio n Misson Statement To serve, support, and advocate for Florida veterans to improve their quality of Life! The Florida Veterans Foundation serves as the statewide lead organization for Florida veterans and their families by providing direct services and partnering with state and local governments, veteran service organizations, and educational institutions to improve their physical, financial, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Supports the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs’ mission of advocacy; and, advocates for Florida veterans through local and statewide outreach to educate the public and governmental entities, increasing awareness on veteran-related issues. CODE OF ETHICS BYLAWS TEAMWORK The Florida Veterans Foundation team is one of the hardest working veteran advocate teams in the state of Florida. We are composed of a volunteer Chairman and Board of Directors. The majority of the Foundation Directors are retired, military disabled veterans who donate over 40 hours per week of their time to assist and help guide Florida’s veterans through a myriad of issues veterans face today. Whether it’s access to healthcare, education, jobs, VA benefits or the like, our Directors are here to help. Several Directors are trained Veteran Service Officers who know the extent, the meaning and the application of laws that have been passed by Congress in the interests of veterans and their dependents. Our Directors know the rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Veterans Affairs to clarify and implement those laws. Chief Operating Officer – Raymond Miller USMC Veteran MEET THE TEAM FINANCIALS The Florida Veterans Foundation was founded in 2008 by the Florida Legislature and is supported by individual and corporate donations, grants, fundraisers and direct public support to help us faithfully execute our mission of providing emergency and support services and programs for Veterans and their families across the state of Florida. VIEW REPORTS Latest News Florida Veterans Foundation Launches “Heroes to Washington Grant” with Statewide Honor Flight Support Initiative Public Service Announcement: Dental Program for Florida Veterans Florida Veterans Foundation Continues Statewide Veterans Dental Program in 2026 Public Service Announcement: Florida Veterans Foundation Launches Dental Program with First Grant Award to Wounded Veterans Relief Fund Dental Grant Program Public Service Announcement April 17th, 2025: Florida Veterans Foundation to Launch Statewide Veterans Dental Program to Address Gap in Veterans’ Dental Services FLORIDA VETERANS FOUNDATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Email: fvf@fdva.fl.gov Phone: 850-782-4305

Military personnel records can include DD 214s/Separation Documents, service personnel records found within the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), and Medical Records. Military personnel records can be used for proving military service or as a valuable tool in genealogical research. ​ Please note: that NPRC holds historical Military Personnel Records of nearly 100 million veterans. The vast majority of these records are paper-based and not available online. Florida Veteran Resources Get My Military Records/DD214 Use this service if you want to request: DD 214/Separation Documents Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) Replacement Medals Medical Records Burial and Emergency Requests Military personnel records can include DD 214s/Separation Documents, service personnel records found within the Official Military Pe rsonnel File (OMPF) , and Medical Records . Military personnel records can be used for proving military service or as a valuable tool in genealogical research. Please note: that NPRC holds historical Military Personnel Records of nearly 100 million veterans. The vast majority of these records are paper-based and not available online. MilConnect: VA Benef it and Record Management Porta l DoD affiliates including: Active Military, Reserves, National Guard, Veterans and beneficiaries can manage their benefits and records through milConnect, a convenient self-service portal. Integrated applications provide secure access to many of their personal and personnel records held in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). The milConnect FAQ provides the most up-to-date policies, procedures, and resources for making the most of their entitlements and benefits. FLHSMV Veterans who have reported using this website said they have received requested documents within hours of submitting the request! T he Military Caregiver Resource Direc tory Includes the most commonly referenced resources, organizations, agencies, and programs that provide support to the caregivers of wounded, ill, or injured Service members. The concept of the Caregiver Resource Directory is to connect communities with caregivers, building public awareness and support for caregivers. The resources, organizations, agencies, and programs included in the Caregiver Resource Directory have been reviewed and vetted in accordance with the National Resource Directory’s participation policy, which can be found at www.nrd.gov . No product endorsements or preferential treatment is given to any organization, agency, or program that is listed in the Caregiver Resource Directory. This Caregiver Resource Directory is a dynamic directory that will be refined on a regular basis. We encourage you to access the digital version of the Caregiver Resource Directory at https://nrd.gov/misc/crdDownload C ounty Veteran Service Officers Use this link to find a local Veteran Service Officer near you. Florida Veterans Benefits Guide Use this link to read the latest edition of the Florida Veterans Benefits Guide. VA Survivo rs and Burial Benefits Kit Use this link for VA survivors and burial benefits kit. Get There – Florida’s Workforce Education Initiative Connecting Veterans with College Education Benefits L o c ating Veterans for VA Benefits Getting Veterans Signed Up for Benefits For additional resources visit: https://floridavets.org/resources/ Get My Military Records/DD214 Enter milConnect Portal Military Caregiver Directory County Veteran Service Officers Florida Veterans Benefit Guide VA Survivors and Burial Benefits Kit Get There- Florida's Workforce Education Initiative Locating Veterans for VA Benefits