Fundraising Board
Brett Wilson
Chairman
Steve Hepperly
Member
Allyson Wilson
Member
Dustin Buck
Member
Brian Klein
Member
Grant Selection Board
Rob Gerdes
Member
Mary Ingham
Member
Steve Klemmas
Member
Adam Nerlien
Member
I am President of Families of the Fallen, Inc. and one of the original founding members. I love to serve people and knew I wanted to serve my country. As a junior at Twin River Valley High School I enlisted in the United States Army Reserves and served as a Military Policeman from February 1995 until September 2003. After the September 11th Terrorist Attacks on the United States I did a one year deployment with the 4249th Port Security Company in support of Operation Nobel Eagle at Sunny Point North Carolina. Prior to my deployment I attended Waldorf College where I played football for the Warriors. In September of 2000 I made one of the best decisions to date and I married the love of my life, Amy! We have three wonderful children together, Kennedy, Allison, and Peyton. I started my law enforcement career in 2001 with the Forest City Police Department. I worked for the Forest City Police Department from 2001 until 2009 when I left to work for my current employer, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. I became a K9 handler in 2005 and have handled Police K9’s ever since. I was accredited a Master Trainer for Dogs for Law Enforcement (DLE) in 2015. In early 2016 my wife and I started our family business Tree Town Consultants LLC (AKA Tree Town Kennels LLC). Our business is hired to manage security forces at the Country Thunder Iowa Music Festival and also trains Police K9’s for local law enforcement agencies.
As Vice-President of Families of the Fallen, I was one of the original founding members of the organization and serve on the Executive Committee. I have great respect for the humble men and women who put themselves on the line each and every day for the sake people they don’t even know, and a mutual admiration for the family members who live that life alongside them. It brings me much joy to be able to give back to others, and that is what drives my work with FOTF.
Outside of FOTF I am the wife of a Police Officer and Army Veteran, and the mother of three children. I enjoy watching sports and love everything outdoors (except for snakes!) I am employed by Mercy One Hospital in Mason City as a registered nurse in the Critical Care Unit. I have given back to my community throughout the years teaching CPR and “Stop the Bleed” classes, volunteering to serve on the YMCA board, St. James Church Faith Formation Commission, and have served as a Faith Formation catechist for the past five years.
Outside of FOTF I am the wife of a Police Officer and Army Veteran, and the mother of three children. I enjoy watching sports and love everything outdoors (except for snakes!) I am employed by Mercy One Hospital in Mason City as a registered nurse in the Critical Care Unit. I have given back to my community throughout the years teaching CPR and “Stop the Bleed” classes, volunteering to serve on the YMCA board, St. James Church Faith Formation Commission, and have served as a Faith Formation catechist for the past five years.
Melissa Snitzer is the Secretary for Families of the Fallen. Melissa has been a 9-1-1 dispatcher for 12 years, first working for the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and has been with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office for the last 10 years. She has been married to Bobby (the advertising guy) for more than 15 years. She is the mom to Devon and stepmom to Tristan. About a year after her and Bobby were married, Melissa experienced her first deployment as a military wife and a mom. She was pregnant with Devon when Bobby was called up to go to Iraq. The second deployment came 2 years after Bobby came home from the first. Melissa’s best friend was Sergeant Nate Field who was in Bobby’s Army unit and was deployed with Bobby to Iraq in 2005-2006. Nate was actually the person who introduced Melissa and Bobby to each other.
Melissa is currently working on her bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she will start working on getting her master’s degree as soon as she graduates later this year. Melissa’s goal is to get her license in counseling to counsel first responders and their families.
Melissa’s job as secretary is to keep track of meeting dates, creating meeting agendas, making sense of her notes taken from the meetings and creating the meeting minutes, making sure every one is aware of when and where the meetings are held every month, and sending out the meeting minutes to the members of Families of the Fallen.
Melissa is currently working on her bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she will start working on getting her master’s degree as soon as she graduates later this year. Melissa’s goal is to get her license in counseling to counsel first responders and their families.
Melissa’s job as secretary is to keep track of meeting dates, creating meeting agendas, making sense of her notes taken from the meetings and creating the meeting minutes, making sure every one is aware of when and where the meetings are held every month, and sending out the meeting minutes to the members of Families of the Fallen.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Bobby Snitzer is the head of Advertising for Families of the Fallen. Bobby is a Lieutenant with the Forest City Police Department, he has been with the department for 19 years. He was in the Army Reserves for 13 years with the 415th MP company out of Pocahontas, IA (previously the 4249th MP company), and has done multiple deployments from state side to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was in the same unit as Sergeant Nate Field who fell in Iraq while they were both deployed there from 2005-2006. He left the Army Reserves as a Staff Sergeant. He has been married to Melissa (the secretary) for over 15 years and says, “It was the smartest thing I ever did.” Bobby has 2 children, Tristan and Devon. Tristan is headed off to college next year but not before going through Army basic training and AIT this summer to become a Technical Engineer. Devon is currently in middle school and helps out with Families of the Fallen as much as she can.
Bobby’s job as head of advertising is to make sure that events we plan are advertised on the radio and local television. Him along with Tristan designed the logo for Families of the Fallen. He also sets up the ordering of almost everything that has our logo on it.
Bobby’s job as head of advertising is to make sure that events we plan are advertised on the radio and local television. Him along with Tristan designed the logo for Families of the Fallen. He also sets up the ordering of almost everything that has our logo on it.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.