OUR LEADERSHIP

Toby Calvo, President and Board Member

Toby Calvo is a former Naval Aviator, Naval Officer, and Veteran of Desert Storm with 21 years of experience in the federal marketplace. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and the founder and President of L1 Enterprises, a distributor of medical equipment and supplies to the healthcare facilities of the Federal Government. Toby represents the top manufacturers in the healthcare industry and is also a volunteer instructor at the SBA’s National Center for Veteran Institute for Procurement, assisting Veterans to develop and grow their businesses.

Chuck Fowler, Vice President

Charles Fowler is a highly successful entrepreneur and businessman who has owned several successful businesses in a number of industries for the past 25 years. He graduated from North Georgia Military College with a B.S. in Leadership Psychology and has served in the US Army Reserves for over 38 years with multiple deployments over 3 continents. Charles is the Chairman of The American Legion National Veterans Small Business Task Force, Vice-President of the Service-Disabled Veteran - Medical Products Group, and President of the Board of Directors for the Firearms & Ammunition Import/Export Roundtable Trade Group. He is a paid up for life member of the American Legion and enjoys hunting and antique collecting as hobbies.

Troy Mizell, Secretary/Treasurer and Board Member

Troy Mizell is a highly experienced business entrepreneur and was a founding member/Treasurer of the National Veterans Small Business Coalition (NVSBC). He has achieved over $2 billion in sales with AvKARE, and is devoted to training and business development of veteran and service-disabled veteran entrepreneurs. An honorary Kentucky Colonel, paid-for-life member of the American Legion, and member of the Coalition for Government Procurement (CGP), Troy served in the US Army (Infantry) for nine years and studied mechanical engineering and manufacturing technologies at Northeastern Iowa. He and his family reside in Franklin, Tennessee.

John St. Leger, Board Member

John St. Leger is a U.S. Air Force Survival Instructor/SERE Specialist, former Petrochemical industry worker, and the founder/owner of Marathon Medical Corporation, a distributor of medical, dental, and laboratory products. Born in San Antonio, TX, raised in Devine, TX, and graduated Devine High School in 1970, he served in the U.S. Air Force from October 8, 1971, to October 7, 1975 and later worked as a military advisor to the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force Survival School from April 1982 until March 1986. John opened an International Export/Import company, worked for U.S. Supply Corp., and was profiled in the national monthly medical distribution publication Repertoire for his Veterans Hiring First program in July 2015.

Ken Shoemake, Board Member

Ken Shoemake is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento, and a veteran of the 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army. He is the Founder and CEO of Stay Safe Solutions, Inc., a successful company recognized with the 2013 John K. Lopez Award for Entrepreneurship and the 2010 California Veteran Employer of the Year award.

Ken’s career in law enforcement culminated in retirement, and he has been named a Top 30 Fastest Growing Company by the Sacramento Business Journal for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023). He also served as the Former President of the California Disabled Veteran Business Alliance.

With 58 years of marriage as of 8/7/2024, Ken and Carol (his wife) have raised three successful children and are proud grandparents to eight grandchildren.

Looking towards retirement from his business in the next five years, Ken embarked on a new endeavor by starting a prison ministry in 2023, continuing his commitment to serving and making a positive impact in his community.

Hartnel Lambert, Board Member

Hartnel Lambert, a seasoned entrepreneur, is the visionary behind Medicco Plus—a company specializing in the distribution of medical, dental, and hospital equipment. His academic journey led him to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and later pursued an MBA in Entrepreneurship. In addition to his academic achievements, Hartnel is a proud graduate of Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). With a commitment to community and service, he eagerly anticipates contributing to the Board of Directors of the Service-Disabled Veteran Medical Products Group.

Brian Kaunas, Board Member

Brian Kaunas is the founder of ProAlliance, Corp, a distributor of dental, medical, and laboratory products, and a former Supply Chain Executive in Fortune 100 companies. He served in the US Navy’s submarine force in the Nuclear Power field and is an Assistant Scoutmaster with his local Scout Troop. Brian has advocated for Veterans through Veterans Path to Hope, was a Board Member for the Illinois Chapter of Elite SDVOB, and helped launch the State of Illinois’ Veteran Business Program. Married to his college sweetheart for 24 years, he is a proud father of three and proud pet parent of two dogs, a bunny, and a Quarter Horse named Leo.

Scott Denniston, Executive Director and Board Member

Scott Denniston is a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Executive Director of the Service-Disabled Veteran Medical Products Group (SDV-MPG) and President/CEO of the Scott Group of Virginia, LLC. He previously held various management positions with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Department of Veterans Affairs and is a nationally recognized advocate for veteran entrepreneurs, appointed to the Congressional Commission on Service Members and Veterans Transition Assistance and receiving numerous awards for his work. He holds a B.A. degree in Economics from Waynesburg College and a M.S. degree in Government from Southern Illinois University.