Operations Staff

Jennifer R. Ballou Gold Star Fellow

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 currently serves as Gold Star Fellow for the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. 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.

Megan Fuentes Vice President of Communications

Megan Fuentes is a communications professional with a heart for service, having dedicated over a decade of her career working for or with nonprofit organizations.

Prior to joining the Foundation, she most recently served as the Executive Director of Account Services and Event Experience for Minerva Consulting. Previously, she was on the External Affairs team at the George W. Bush Presidential Center and Governor Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. She has also worked in the Capitol Hill offices of Congressman Michael McCaul and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Megan holds a degree in journalism and political science, graduating with honors from the University of North Texas. She is a member of the New Friends New Life Circle of Friends and resides in Richardson, Texas with her husband and young son.

Megan is proud to come from a family with a long history of military service, including Major Brock McNabb (United States Air Force), Major John Wheelihan (United States Air Force, deceased), Sergeant Warren Burnett (United States Army, KIA), Sergeant Regan McNabb (United States Army, retired), Hospital Corpsman Third Class Ryan McNabb (United States Navy, retired), Ensign Lancey O'Brien (United States Navy, deceased), Private Clifford Nicholson (United States Army, deceased), and Private Darryl Schock (United States Army, retired).

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 of 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).