The Thank You Foundation

Mission

The Thank You Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of the men and women who have served and of those who are currently serving in the United States military as a way of expressing our gratitude and appreciation for their service to our country.

Purpose

To implement and administer high-quality programs and services that are designed to carry out our mission of appreciation and achieve the following goals:

Increase the sense of pride, honor, and accomplishment our military men and women feel, and that should come with service to our nation. Educate the public about the sacrifices our military personnel make while carrying out their duties of service. Provide Soldiers and Veterans with times of enjoyment, relaxation, recreation, and help when they are in need. Attempt to repay the service members for all that they have done for our country.

About

"The Thank You Foundation is non-political. We understand that not every citizen supports every action our armed services are ordered to take. However, we can all celebrate the individuals who choose to serve, despite the hardships to themselves and their families. Each one of us has a different reason or motivation for feeling this appreciation, but sometimes we don't do it for fear of not being able to express this feeling well. When it comes to honoring those who have served, we believe that a simple "Thank You" is worth a thousand words.

"There are many organizations supporting the men and women who serve in our armed forces, from those providing services to disabled veterans to those mailing gift packages to troops stationed overseas. The work of The Thank You Foundation does not compete with these organizations.

"The Thank You Foundation is based on the powerful impact that a simple, one-on-one expression of appreciation can have on both the giver and recipient. Our goal is to help you say "Thank You" to anyone you meet who has protected our country and helped spread democracy by wearing the uniform of our armed services. This includes those serving today and those who served over 60 years ago - those who served in active war or peacekeeping operations and those who served by being trained and ready to go when called."

Board of Directors

John Guinn - Founder & PresidentTerry Johnson - Vice PresidentRick Smith - Secretary & TreasurerMatt KonklerJon Hilbert

Honorary Board Members

Daniel Smith

Advisory Board

Laurie Stayton-Smith - Event Committee ChairpersonSteve Marks - Colonel US Army ReserveLisa Alexander - The Wonder Group

John Guinn - Founder & PresidentJohn is a Veteran of the US Army and comes from a military family. John's Grandfather William was a World War II Veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart. John's father Vernon (David) served during the Viet Nam era. John has several uncles and cousins who have also served but the primary inspiration for the Thank You Foundation came from his mom Juanita.

Juanita Guinn worked endlessly for the Am Vets Organization and served as President of the Ladies Auxiliary of Post 24 in Dayton Ohio. Juanita believed that we needed to always show our gratitude for Soldiers and Veterans and that we needed to do that more than twice a year. Junaita died of cancer in March 2002. The Thank You Foundation is a fitting tribute to the work she did.

Terry Johnson - Vice PresidentNative Californian who moved to the Greater Cincinnati area in 1991, is the husband of Suzanne and father to their daughter Meredith. Professionally, Terry is the consummate "utility player" Executive with an entrepreneurial bend, having had careers in the livestock industry, technology consulting, sports marketing, non-profit foundation management and most recently as a divisional vice president with a leadership and sales training organization. Terry has extensive experience in the areas of sales and marketing, advertising, operations, IT and client relationship management with companies including the LMA, Data Processing Sciences, Whittman-Hart, Maximum Impact Group and The Duncan Group. He was the President and co-founder of Playlikethepros, a charity and events management company providing turnkey services primarily to professional athletes and existing nonprofits. He is an active member at Florence Baptist Church and has served his community as a board member of various local economic development organizations.

Terry graduated with a BS in Animal Science from California Polytechnic State University

Rick Smith - Secretary & TreasurerRick Smith has had careers in both the public and private arenas. After graduating from Princeton University, he volunteered for the North Carolina Democratic Party and a Congressional campaign, then served as a Congressional aide in Washington, D.C. In 2006, Mr. Smith waged his own strong, but unsuccessful, campaign for the Ohio State Senate.

In the 22 years between his public service efforts, Mr. Smith earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and moved to Cincinnati. He has held a variety of positions in both large and small companies, including the marketing research firm The BASES Group, Cincinnati Bell Telephone, a small scientific instrument maker Intracellular Imaging Inc., and the internet consulting firm Whittman-Hart. Mr. Smith is currently starting his own independent internet strategy and measurement consulting practice.

Matt KonklerMathew J. Konkler is a 1995 graduate (with honors) of Oakland City University, where he served as Student Body President and representative to the board of trustees. Konkler earned a Masters degree in business from ORU in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In 2001 Konkler was appointed to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he has served as an aide to the honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld and is currently serving the honorable Robert Gates. He has traveled to more than 100 countries in support of the U.S. armed services, including numerous visits to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prior to his appointment to the Defense Department in 2001, Konkler was employed at the corporate headquarters of the U.S. Airways group in Arlington, Virginia and in the Office of the Mayor, Washington, DC. Konkler has served as a state delegate and worked on various campaign committees in his home state of Indiana. Konkler is a board member at the Children's House of Olde Town Montessori School, a member of the American Diabetes Association and has received numerous civic honors.

Matt and his wife, Leslie, have two children.

Jon HilbertJon Hilbert is the founder of Heroes Speakers Network which was started in 2004 to help companies with their speaking and appearance needs. HSN has become a prominent company for securing not only active and former professional athletes from the NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA Golfers, NASCAR and MLB but comedians and other entertainers from "Pop", Rock and Country Music. After consulting and working with many speakers, athletes and coaches, Heroes Speakers Network was started to help companies in the area of events, endorsements and sponsorships with athletes, coaches and former players.

Born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, Jon went to the University of Louisville on a football scholarship. After short stints around the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears, he was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys for the 2001 season, where he tied for the team lead in scoring. After a year in Dallas, Jon signed with the Carolina Panthers. In 2003 he went to the NFL Europe and played on the World Bowl Championship team, the Frankfurt Galaxy.

Currently, Jon and his wife Angela and son Carson reside in Louisville.

External links

* [http://www.thethankyoufoundation.org The Thank You Foundation website]