Mag Staff

OutServe Leadership:

Co-director: Josh Seefried (J.D. Smith) (josh@outserve.org)
Co-director: Ty Walrod (ty@outserve.org)
VP Global Development: Tom Nibbio (tom@outserve.org)
DC Operations/Spokesperson: Jonathan Hopkins (jon@outserve.org)
Service Academies/Spokesperson: Katie Miller (katiemiller@outserve.org)
Media Operations: Sue Fulton (sue.fulton@outserve.org)

Magazine Staff:

Executive Editor, Editorial Board Member: Jonathan Mills (mills@outserve.org) on Twitter @jonifyme

Jonathan Mills, an active-duty Radio Frequency Transmissions technician, enlisted in the United States Air Force in September, 2004, and after completing Satellite, Wideband, & Telemetry Systems school at Fort Gordon, GA, was assigned to the 603rd Air Control Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy in 2005. Here, he earned Senior Airman Below-the-Zone and was twice selected as the 603rd Air Control Squadron Airman of the Quarter, and then again by the 31st Operations Group. During his tour at the 603rd Air Control Squadron, Mills was also deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where his efforts helped earn his squadron the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award. He was then assigned to the 606th Air Control Squadron in Spangdahlem, Germany in 2008, and most recently to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., where he resides currently. Mills has earned two Air Force Commendation Medals, and has recently been selected for promotion to Technical Sergeant. He attended American Military University where he earned his B.A. in Business Administration, International Relations, and is currently a student of the University of Maryland’s Master of Business Administration program. During Mills’ off-duty time, he writes for and manages OutServe Magazine general operations, authors a politics/religion/philosophy blog at JonifyMe.com, and is a judge for the U.S. Army’s eCYBERMISSION Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics competition for junior high and high school students across the country.

Managing Editor, Editorial Board Member: Edward A. Sweeney (sweeney@outserve.org) on Twitter @esweendog85

Edward A. Sweeney, an active-duty Intelligence Officer, commissioned in the United States Air Force in May, 2007, after graduating Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a B.A. in both Political Science and English. Sweeney was also awarded the prestigious “21st Century Leadership Award” from his Alma Mater for his selection as Wing Commander of his cadet class in ROTC, his help in reestablishing his fraternity Theta Chi on campus, and his overall academic achievement. After commissioning, Sweeney attended Air and Space Basic Course at Maxwell AFB, Alabama and then proceeded to graduate from Intel School at Goodfellow AFB, Texas in July 2008. He was then assigned to Germany, where he worked as a Collection Manager and forward deployed to Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operational Duty Officer. Sweeney is still currently stationed in Germany where he works as an executive officer. His professional achievements include Company Grade Officer of the Quarter, the Air Force Achievement Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. Sweeney is currently working on his Masters in Political Military Intelligence at American Military University, which he will complete in the Fall. During Sweeney’s off-duty time, he manages all editorial content for OutServe Magazine, tutors at a local High School, and continues to train for his first marathon this Fall.

Operations & Art Director, Editorial Board Member: Angelina Leger (angelina@outserve.org) on Twitter @angelinaleger

Angelina Leger is an award-winning multimedia artist with over 10 years of experience as a project leader, working both for herself and other agencies on the state and national level. Her background includes 3D animation, motion graphics, graphic design, strategic visioning, communications, marketing, advertising, disaster preparedness, art direction, web design, video production and editing. Graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2005 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, 3D Animation, Leger was honored with Best of Class Abstract & Experimental Animation, Red Stick International Animation Festival Award; Gold ADDY® Elements of Advertising in Animation, Acadiana Advertising Federation; and Kepler Award, Special Judges Choice Award, Animation of Typography, Acadiana Advertising Federation, for her undergraduate senior thesis in experimental abstract animation. Angelina has also collaborated with teams that have produced other work honored by Millennium Awards, MarCom Awards Service Industry Advertising Awards, Summit Marketing Achievement Awards, Southern Public Relations Federation Lantern Awards, Davey Award, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Award, and Planetizen Top 10 Web Sites Award. Recently, she served as graphics lead for FEMA ESF #14 Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Leger currently resides in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Editorial Board Member: Dr. Nathaniel Frank

Dr. Nathaniel Frank, a member of the adjunct faculty at NYU, is author of the critically-acclaimed Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, which won the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Award for non-fiction, and was a Lambda finalist. Known for breaking the story of the Army firing of gay Arabic linguists, he is an internationally recognized authority on the subject of gays in the military and was an expert witness in two successful Constitutional challenges to “don’t ask, don’t tell” in federal courts. For over a decade, he has been a consulting research and communications strategist for LGBT organizations, including the University of California’s Palm Center and the Movement Advancement Project. Dr. Frank’s publications on gays in the military and other topics have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The New Republic, New York Magazine, Slate, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Newsday, Philadelphia Inquirer, Lingua Franca and others. He has been interviewed on numerous television and radio programs, including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show,” CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” “Good Morning America,” the “CBS Evening News,” NPR’s “Fresh Air,” as well as Logo, NPR, the BBC, the Associated Press, National Review and more. Dr. Frank has spoken at West Point Military Academy, National Press Club, Center for American Progress, University of Pennsylvania, University of Nebraska, McCormick Freedom Museum, Boston College, and the Smithsonian. His research and opinions have been cited on the Congressional floor, in syndicated columns, in the blogosphere, and in college syllabi. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Frank attended Northwestern University and then earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in History at Brown University. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Editorial Board Member, Associate Editor, and Blog Editor: David Small (dsmall@outserve.org)

The fifth generation in his family to serve in the military, Small is an Air Force reservist Major. As a public affairs officer, he is the mobilization augmentee to the Secretary of the Air Force’s National Media Outreach Director in New York City. Despite growing up with the U.S. Marine Corps, he chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill through Air Force ROTC, from which he obtained his commission. During his service, he was on two Air Expeditionary Force deployments to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility. He transitioned to the reserve in 2007. Small holds a Master of Arts in information management from Webster University (2001) and a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication from UNC (1997). He is also a graduate of Air Command and Staff College, the Defense Information School and a distinguished graduate from the Basic Communication Officer Training Course. Born in Racine, Wisc., but calling Jacksonville, N.C., home, Small enjoys travel, photography and activities with his schnauzer, Rhubarb Pie. He is a member of OutServe, ROA, the Air Force Association, Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association, and UNC General Alumni Association.

Associate Editor: Neal Simpson (nealsimpson@outserve.org)

Neal Simpson is a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a rifle company commander in the 1st Marine Division. He was commissioned in 2003 upon graduation from Texas A&M University, joining the infantry because of a desire to lead Marines in dangerous and stressful situations. Recently ‘out’, he is coming to terms with his sexuality and his new role both in the military and in the world. A father of twins, his most important goal is to set a good example for his children by living a true and genuine life while trying to make the world a better place.

Associate Editor: Liza Swart mailto:liza@outserve.org

After four years in the United States Navy, Liza Swart recently saw a transition from aviation to public affairs, and couldn’t be happier. Graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Huntington College in 2004, she served two years as editor-in-chief of the national award winning Huntingtonian and editor of the campus literary journal, Ictus. After several years in the private sector, she commissioned from Navy OCS on August 29, 2008, eventually earning her wings of gold as a Naval Flight Officer. Most recently, Liza earned a Navy Achievement Medal for her public affairs work, and is currently attending the Defense Information School. Growing up in Michigan, she now claims Seattle as home. When not at work, Liza is passionate about scuba diving, traveling, live performance and the internet. She has been a semi-professional singer since the age of fifteen.

 
Head of Distribution: William Britton (distribution@outserve.org)
Marketing Director: Jonathan Gilmore (advertise@outserve.org)
Social Media Director: Caleb Sutton (csutton@outserve.org)
Contributor: Jamar Green (green@outserve.org)
Contributor: Karl Johnson (karl@outserve.org)
Contributor: Kody Parsons (sgt@outserve.org)
Contributor: Katie Miller (katiemiller@outserve.org)