President:

Michael Dowens is currently a township police officer, lifelong New Jersey resident, and a graduate of Albright College who earned a Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice. He is also a United States Navy veteran who served as a Search and Rescue Swimmer and Boatswain Mate in Liberia, Somalia, Haiti, and the Norther Arabian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since his discharge from military service, Mr. Dowens struggled with civilian life. He experienced firsthand the lack of funding available to returning servicemen and servicewomen who struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After receiving residential trauma treatment in 2016, he confronted his military experiences and was motivated to pay it forward. It was there he devised his first endeavor to raise awareness for a mental disease most, including him before this experience, know nothing about. Michael Dowens raised $30,000 for walking from the NJ Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial to the Washington DC Veterans Memorial in June 2016. From the recognition the cause received, Mr. Dowens put all his military-minded determination into creating a nonprofit organization to help other veterans. He is fulfilled knowing he is leaving a positive legacy, along with his devout following of the Miami Dolphins, behind for his young son, Greyson. Mr. Dowens has shown natural leadership abilities throughout all his personal and professional undertakings and successfully leading this organization is in the forefront of his heart because it is so personal to him.

Board of Trustees:

Robert Pietrafesa is a loving father and current Connecticut resident. He currently serves as a trustee for the Syracuse Community Health Center, Director of Eagan Family Trust, and a Trustee of the Montessori Learning Center, Syracuse, New York. Mr. Pietrafesa is an investor and executive with an exceptional record of creating value by driving organic and acquisition growth in companies. Among his diverse professional experiences, he is an asset to Unbroken Warriors because of his multi-year general management experience for companies ranging from start-up to over $100 Million in revenue, 1000 employees in four locations. Robert Pietrafesa has extensive CEO experience building powerful strategies, energizing high performance teams and executing superior results. He graduated Philadelphia University with a BA in Business Management and has held three CEO positions, including CEO of Arpeako for 19 years. Mr. Pietrafesa was compelled to dedicate time to Unbroken Warriors because of his extensive knowledge of PTSD and his compassion towards those afflicted with the detrimental side effects, such as substance abuse. Mr. Pietrafesa fits in his love for exotic cars and outdoors activities among the extensive work he does merging and integrating companies and their management teams. Unbroken Warriors is fortunate to have someone so knowledgeable on corporate structuring and minimizing overhead on the team raising money for our veterans in need of treatment.

Treasurer:

Native to Newton, Massachusettes, Bruce Kopelman left the area after graduating high school there. He attended and graduated from Northeastern University and then lived in New York and New Jersey. He and his wife Karen have three children, Douglas, Adam, and Samantha, and four grandchildren. Mr. Kopelman currently is employed with the Kopelman Group, a real estate investment corporation, which he founded in 1992. Mr. Kopelman has an array of business ownership experience and will bring his knowledge of budgeting and networking to the Unbroken Warriors. He ran Kopelman Industries, founded Made Here Inc., owned Rich-Par Dye Finishing Corporation, and founded Bal-Togs Inc. Bruce Kopelman has extensive experience overseeing the start-ups and creations of businesses and has a keen sense of money management. He has an unwavering sense of patriotism and immeasurable respect for those who have, and are currently, protecting our country. He hopes to pay forward all the blessings his life has had by helping veterans treat their PTSD.