Meet the Board
President | CEO
About Ellsworth “Tony” Williams
As a retired Army combat veteran with 24 years of distinguished service, I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges and triumphs
of military life. My journey, from the frontlines to the field of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, is fueled by a relentless commitment to serve — a commitment inherited from my father, a fellow Army veteran.
Earning a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health
Counseling from Troy University, a CACREP accredited institution, equipped me
with the knowledge and skills to make a tangible difference in the lives of
veterans and their families.
The transition from military life to civilian existence can be daunting. Recognizing this, I founded Veterans Counseling Veterans (VCV), a
501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bridging the gap between veterans and mental health support. Our focus? Veteran suicide prevention, intervention, awareness, postvention, and providing essential support in cases of military sexual trauma
(MST).
At VCV, we believe in the power of shared experiences. That’s why our team comprises military veterans and spouses of veterans, all
professionals in the behavioral health field. We’re not just counselors and advocates; we are peers who understand the unique challenges of military life.
“We are all Family, and we Take Care of Our Own.”
This motto encapsulates our mission at VCV. We offer veterans the choice of behavioral health providers with military experience and create a collaborative space for professionals with shared backgrounds to network, share ideas, and advocate for each other.
As a Florida Veterans Hall of Fame inductee, I am honored for my contributions in mental health. Yet, the true reward is seeing fellow
veterans and their families find the support and understanding they need.
director of Military Affairs & Services
Dr. Luke McClees is the director of Military Affairs and Services at Saint Leo University. He is responsible for overseeing the success and quality of life for all military, veterans, and their families at Saint Leo University. He also advises the university on changing legislation, and policies that might impact university stakeholders.
Prior to being the director of Military Affairs and Services at Saint Leo University, he taught, presented, and published for nearly a decade for the College of Education and Veteran Studies Program at Eastern Kentucky University.
His work in the field of Veterans Studies helped the field grow and become recognized nationally. He has been involved in every space where academics and military veterans intersect and he is considered a Thought Leader in this area.
Prior to studying and working in academics, Dr. McClees served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps with the Third Battalion, Eighth Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. During his enlistment, Dr. McClees served in both mission-oriented and rotational deployments. This included a combat action deployment to help end the genocide during the Kosovo War. His mission deployments included: Operation Assured Response, Operation Quick Response, security operations in Guantanamo, Cuba, and Haiti, Operation Noble Anvil, Operation Shining Hope, and Operation Joint Guardian.
Brigadier General (R)
She started her career with the Army Reserves in 1975 and began pursuing two career lives that would parallel each other. As a civilian, she attended USF and received several degrees, including bachelor degrees in counseling and behavioral health, a master’s degree in nursing and a doctorate in higher education.
As a member of the military, she attended training all over the world, including a year at Army War College in Pennsylvania.
As both careers began to blossom, Nero found enjoyment in her civilian employment at the Pinellas County Health Department where she served as the Director of Minority Health. During her tenure, the department reviewed data on health disparities in the African-American community. She was also able to research and study the sickle cell disease and its prevalence in minority communities.
“Working there was very rewarding,” Nero said.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. Army she served in Desert Shield/Storm caring for wounded soldiers in Alabama, Tampa and Georgia.
Then in 2002 came the call that would make her a part of history. Her dedication to her military career and commitment to training earned her the rank of Brigadier General. She is the first African-American nurse in the Army Reserves to achieve this honor.
Doug Smalls, LTC (R)
LTC (Retired) Douglas E. Smalls is the Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Voice over Internet Protocol Services Implementation Lead, serving America’s finest military organizations and agencies at the Joint Enterprise Services Directorate, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Fort Meade, Maryland.
Mr. Smalls, a native New Yorker, enlisted in the United States Army in 1982 as a Finance Specialist, in the U.S. Army. He rosed to the rank of Sergeant and transitioned from enlisted to commissioned officer – known in the Army as a Maverick (Mustang).
Mr. Smalls served three-plus decades over thirty years in the United States Army, and prior to his retirement in 2015. His diverse assignment history includes, he served in various capacities in the field and in the Pentagon as a Military Police (MP) Officer: Platoon Leader, Installation Provost Marshal, Battalion Adjutant, multiple Company Commands, Deputy Provost Marshal, and Operations Officer. After graduating from the Materiel Acquisition Management Course, he transitioned from the MP Corps to the Acquisition Corps and served as a Combat Developer, Program Integrator for Navy Interoperability, Officer in Charge of Acquisition Operations, and Assistant Product Manager for, the Joint Interagency and Multinational Interoperability. He served as the Chief of Data Products sand a Department of the Army Systems Coordinator. He deployed to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism as a Communications Liaison Officer. His final assignments were the Deputy Program Manager of the Joint Planning and Execution Services; Deputy Program Manager, DoD Mobility Program; Deputy Chief of Operations, Enterprise Services; and the Enterprise Services Branch Chief, Defense Information Systems Agency Network.
He received numerous military awards and decorations for outstanding performance, mission accomplishment, and tireless service to his country and community. He is an honors graduate of John Jay College, and a Reserve Officers’ Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Distinguished Military Student Graduate of John Jay College’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), and an honors graduate, New York City, New York. Mr. Smalls earned two master’s degrees from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
He and his wife live in Virginia with their children
Tom Cruz, MSG (R)
U.S. Army Master Sergeant with over 25 years of experience in the military. Tom has been deployed 5 times over his career.
Tom is a suicide survivor. He attempted suicide while serving on active duty. He has dedicated his life to preventing other veterans from dying by suicide. He has been trained and several suicide prevention courses to include assistant suicide Trained the Trainor, SafeTalk, QPR to name a few.
He is considered by many as a Subject Matter Expert in suicide prevention.