Operations Staff

Krista Simpson Anderson Gold Star Fellow

Krista Simpson Anderson is proud to serve as the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation’s Gold Star Fellow. In this role she has the privilege of educating present and future generations on the impact the Global War on Terrorism has had on our community, our nation, and our Gold Star families.

Krista is herself a Gold Star family member. Her late husband, U.S. Army SSG Michael Harrison Simpson, passed away on May 1, 2013 from wounds sustained in an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan while serving with the Army 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). Their boys were one and three years old when Mike passed away and the support from the military community was nothing short of extraordinary.

To give back to the military community, Krista co-founded The Unquiet Professional, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting our nation’s grieving, wounded, and active-duty military families. Krista currently serves on advisory boards for Newrez Home Loans and USAA. She has also participated in working groups with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Army addressing casualty reform. Krista continues to consult on casualty cases to ensure families understand the resources that are available to them.

Due to Krista’s dedicated service to the military community, she was recognized as the 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Army Spouse of the Year, overall Military Spouse of the Year, and the 2019 Green Beret Foundation Keeper of the Brave. She has also earned the Department of the Army Superior Public Service Medal.

Krista’s family legacy of service has inspired her own commitment. Her father, John D’Orazio, served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, and her grandfather fought in World War II. Krista’s husband, Gus Anderson, is a retired Green Beret who served 22 years in the U.S. Army Special Forces. Michael's father, brothers, grandfathers and grandmother (as a WASP) have also worn the uniform and served in various conflicts.

A Massachusetts native, Krista earned her BA from Catholic University of America. She currently resides in Virginia with Gus and their two boys.

Jennifer R. Ballou Chief of Staff

Jennifer R. Ballou is originally from Mentor, Ohio. In June of 1994, three weeks after her high school graduation, she enlisted in the United States Army as a Dental Assistant. Jennifer served for almost 21 years, retiring in May 2015. She held numerous leadership positions throughout her Army career, culminating as the Senior Enlisted Advisor of the United States Army Resilience Directorate, Army G1, Pentagon. She also served as First Sergeant, 257th Dental Company (Area Support), 44th Medical Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It was during this assignment, while deployed to Afghanistan, that her husband, SSG Edwardo Loredo, was Killed in Action.

Some of Jennifer’s awards and decorations include the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award and the Legion of Merit. She is currently enrolled at Maryland University of Integrative Health, pursuing a Master’s Degree in Yoga Therapy. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and is an alumnus of the 2022 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program through the President George W. Bush Presidential Center.

Jennifer initially joined the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation as the Gold Star Fellow. She was previously the Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, she is a Certified Professional Life Coach, and a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, specializing in trauma-sensitive, therapeutic, and adaptive yoga.

Jennifer is the wife of Omari Ballou, Command Sergeant Major, US Army Retired, and is the proud mother of Alexis, Eddie, and Sophia.

David Bearden Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel

David Bearden is the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. With over 15 years of experience in executive leadership, and versed in sales, operations, and law, he elevates companies to their next stage of growth through expectant, uplifting leadership.

David served as a senior executive and corporate officer of a $6 billion, privately held energy business that he helped mature into the world’s largest producer of bioethanol. He concurrently helped launch and grow what became the bioethanol industry’s largest and most influential trade association, based in Washington, D.C.

David also served in management in an automotive group that set the industry standard for customer service and as a senior leader in a presidential administration. As the Chief Operating Officer of the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, he helped transform a $320 million bureau with a $2.5 billion investment portfolio of economic development grants and loans. David also served as the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Navy, overseeing the legal matters of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and the Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce. From 2005-2014, David proudly served as a U.S. Naval Reserve Officer.

A native Texan, David holds degrees in economics and law from The University of Texas at Austin, where he became a three-year letter winner on the Texas Longhorn football team as a walk-on. He also holds an Executive MBA degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Michael McMahan Senior Advisor and Counsel

Michael McMahan is a proven strategic planning, fundraising, and operations specialist with over 20 years experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. In addition to his role at the GWOTMF, Michael serves as President and CEO of the Southwestern Medical Foundation. Prior to joining GWOTMF, he served as Vice President of Corporate Planning & Development at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, overseeing all fundraising activities and events as well as integration of long-term revenue planning for Bush Institute and public programming workstreams. Previously, he had multiple operational roles at the Bush Center, including oversight of strategic planning and strategic partnerships across the Bush Center and Bush Institute.

Michael is a licensed member of the Texas Bar, and prior to joining the Bush Center, he was an energy law litigator. He served in the George W. Bush Administration at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Office of Policy and International Affairs. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (B.A., Economics) and Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law (J.D.).

Michael serves on the board of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance, the Mission & Outreach Committee for St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal church, and is a member of the 43 Club young professionals organization.

Michael is proud of his military family members, including his namesake and uncle, Major General Michael C. McMahan, United States Air Force (Retired), and grandfather, Captain Lewis C. McMahan, United States Army Air Corps. (Retired.)

Mary Catherine Morris Manager, Special Projects

Mary Catherine is a former member of the U.S. Government as a Student Trainee at the U.S. Department of State where she focused on issues related to paramilitary operations, the Middle East, weapons and counter-proliferation, and terrorism. She also has experience working on Capitol Hill assisting Congress members on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. A graduate of Liberty University, she holds a B.A. in International Relations with concentrations in Strategic Intelligence and Arabic and minors in Government, Intelligence, and Military History. Committed to increasing education surrounding national security issues, she helped found and was involved in several campus organizations relating to national security, foreign policy, humanitarian issues, and intelligence. As a student, she was a member of two student task forces responsible for analysis and briefings on a variety of issues for the Defense Intelligence Agency and Virginia State Police Joint Terrorism Task Force. She has published work in Liberty University's Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy focusing on the ideological conflict between Liberalism and Fundamentalism that has laid the foundation for the ideological and religious conflicts of the Global War on Terrorism.

Andrea Ryant Vice President, Operations

Andrea brings over 25 years of professional experience across the public, private and non-profit sectors to her role as Vice President of Operations at GWOTMF, where she oversees a variety of functions in strategic support of all activities surrounding fundraising, construction, groundbreaking, opening, and on-going programming.

With an extensive background in administration, process evaluation and implementation, system and data management, and other essential areas, Andrea has previously provided guidance and operational expertise to organizations such as Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, and BWF, among others.

A native Chicagoan and adopted Texan, Andrea resides in the Dallas area with her two dogs, Rosie and Wrigley.

Wyatt Smith Vice President, Development

Wyatt has over 20 years of development and fundraising experience in the political and nonprofit world, as well as the private sector. From his early career in politics, to his post at the George W. Bush Foundation, he has implemented and led fundraising efforts raising in excess of $1B. Wyatt currently serves on the North Texas Folds of Honor board and has worked with many military personnel and their families since 9/11 while working for a D.C. based military non-profit and through his work at the Bush Foundation.

Wyatt grew up in Phoenix and earned his B.A. in political science from ASU, and holds an MBA in finance, strategy, and management from SMU’s Cox Business School. He resides in Dallas with his wife and two kids.

David Wilezol Communications Strategist

David Wilezol is the founder and president of Seventh Floor Strategies, a Washington, D.C. writing and strategic communications firm specializing in national security, international business, defense, and other issues of international significance. His work on behalf of clients has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, Fox News, the Hill, and the Washington Times, among other outlets.

From 2017-2021, David served as Chief Speechwriter to the Secretary at the U.S. State Department. He also previously wrote for former Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus and former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett.

David is also currently a Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council. He graduated from American University (B.A., History) and The Catholic University of America (M.A., Latin; Graduate Certificate, Ancient Greek).

Lyn Schultes Franco Communications Strategist

Lyn Schultes Franco is a communications strategist with over 15 years of journalism, public relations and marketing experience. Lyn has worked at both global marketing agencies — including Ogilvy and FleishmanHillard — and small, start-up consultancies to develop award-winning public awareness and advocacy campaigns for mission-driven organizations. A writer at heart, Lyn began her career as a reporter at The Miami Herald and producer at ABC News and FOX News.

She comes from a military family — her father was a retired US Marine Corps officer and Vietnam Veteran — and is passionate about advocating for military families and Veteran caregivers. Throughout her career, she has managed over a dozen projects for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs aimed at raising awareness and driving utilization of VA healthcare and mental health services for Veterans and their families.

Lyn earned her Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism and International Relations from the University of Miami and her Masters of Science (MSc) in European Studies from the London School of Economics. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, a former Marine, and their daughter.