tom.groom@teeitupforthetroops.org

Tom Groom is CEO of HealthNexus and is a recognized expert and leader in healthcare information technology. Current work includes helping healthcare companies bring emerging technology to market to address the goals of Healthcare’s Triple Aim of Improving Population Health, Reducing Cost, and Improving the Patient Experience. With over twenty-five years experience in business development across a variety of healthcare, pharmacy and technology companies, Tom has helped move the industry forward through his subject matter expertise and reputation as an innovator.Tom’s background includes serving as Vice President for Business Development for HealthNexis, and McKesson but much of his ability to connect healthcare was the nine years he spent as the Senior Vice President of Business Development for RxHub LLC (now called Surescripts). His responsibilities included Business Development, Marketing and Communications, as well as Federal Affairs. Along with those responsibilities, Tom provided advisory and leadership roles to e-Prescribing initiatives throughout the country, such as SEMI (SouthEast Michigan Initiative) and ePrescribe Florida. Tom became a national public speaker for e-prescribing, accepting invitations to speak before some of the well-recognized industry organizations and events.

Tom joined the Board of Tee It Up For The Troops in 2015. Tom has a passion for leveraging his experiences and relationships in healthcare to support those that have served in the military.

tim@teeitupforthetroops.org

Tim Wegscheid joined the Tee It Up for the Troops organization in October 2013 after holding several executive positions within the private sector. Tim enjoyed management roles with several sports and entertainment properties, including the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild and the Target Center arena in Minneapolis. In addition, Tim spent eight years at the PGA TOUR’s golf property in Minnesota – the TPC Twin Cities.

Throughout each of those various positions, Tim gained valuable experience in marketing, management, and delivering operational excellence around many high-end events. During his tenure at the TPC, Tim also had a leadership role in helping to launch the national “Birdies for the Brave” initiative within the PGA TOUR’s family of TPC golf courses. It was during this effort that Tim was first able to combine his passion for golf with his passion for supporting our veterans and military families.

Outside of work, Tim enjoys volunteering for several organizations and events, including a youth golf event in his hometown that is named in honor of his father, an ARMY veteran. He also enjoys coaching several sports teams in his local community.

Tim and his wife, Dianne, live in Shorewood, Minnesota, and have three children: Nicole, Adam, and Haley.

terry@teeitupforthetroops.org

Terry Branham enlisted and served 26 years active duty in the US Army and retired as a Colonel and Master Army Aviator. He served in Vietnam as a Cobra Attack Helicopter Pilot and Platoon Leader, was awarded the Silver Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. Twenty years later during the Gulf War he was an Apache Helicopter Squadron Commander and Apache Pilot leading the first Squadron sized Apache attack into Iraq.As a Colonel, because of my extensive night operations experience, I was asked to lead the Department of State Air Wing for the U.S. Drug War in South America for over 2 ½ years. His unit of 13 Army Officers and 500 contract and host nation people with 60 Helicopters and 12 Thrush Spray Aircraft were operating out of a Florida base in Peru, Guatemala, Bolivia, Belize and Ecuador performing night assaults into the jungle to destroy cocaine labs, spray Cocaine and Heroin crops in the mountains, and to capture drug cartel aircraft transiting drugs from and thru these countries. Terry managed a budget of $31 million dollars supported his team that would capture over 1 Billion dollars in drugs each year.

Terry also served as a Field Artillery Battery Commander, a Field Artillery Battalion S-3, an Aviation Battalion S-3 in South Korea, a Cobra Attack Helicopter Company Commander, an Aviation Brigade Executive Officer, a Nuclear Weapons Security Instructor in Germany and Department of the Army Inspector General Nuclear Weapons Security and Surety Inspector for worldwide certifications.

Terry retired from the Army at the end of 1993 and from the civilian work force in 2010 due to complications from Agent Orange from Viet Nam that has caused Neuropathy and is rated at 50% disabled due to military service.

He and his wife Barb reside in Lakeville, MN and serve as a Marriage Mentor couple for Pre-Marriage Couples with Hosanna Lutheran Church and they have led an annual Military Couples Marriage Retreat at the Miracle Lodge in Stewartville for 7 years with the 8th year scheduled in April 2017.

They are active as Volunteers at the Armed Forces Service Center at the MSP Airport and average 12-20 hours per month in the military lounge/center serving active military and retirees and their dependents. Terry serves as the President of the 26-member Board of Directors.

As the Volunteer Coordinator for the Lakeville Yellow Ribbon Program., Terry organized a team of retired Veterans and civilians with a heart for the military and they build Disability Ramps for Veterans across the entire Metro Area and have built 75 ramps to date in the past 6 years. In addition, the team has done scores of projects for Military and Veteran families while deployed and projects unaffordable to these families such as painting, bathroom remodel for wheel chair access, etc.

joe.tessmer@teeitupforthetroops.org

Joe Tessmer is Senior Vice President and Head of Funding & Investments in U.S. Bank’s Corporate Treasury Division. Joe joined the bank in 2005, and currently manages various bank functions including USB’s investment portfolio, wholesale funding, deposit and investment product sales force, and balance sheet derivative hedging. Joe is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of Minnesota. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University’s School of Management. He resides in the Twin Cities with his wife and daughter.

Joe joined the board of Tee It Up for the Troops in 2017. He has a passion for the game of golf and is excited about the opportunity to use his knowledge and experience to help those who have served their country in the military.

jeff@teeitupforthetroops.org

Jeff Anderson has been involved with Tee It Up for the Troops from the beginning of the organization when it was still in the concept stage. While Jeff has not served in the military, his family has served in every war all the way back to the Civil War. Jeff’s day job is as a real estate agent with RE/MAX Results. Jeff is married to Diane and has two children. He has served on the board of Tee It Up for the Troops as the Vice-President, Secretary and President.

liz@teeitupforthetroops.org

Liz Dapp joined the Tee It Up for the Troops board of directors in May of 2018. A former military spouse and expeditionary forces federal employee, she has always had a passion for causes relating to our service members and their families. Liz spearheaded the efforts to bring the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s annual national convention to Minnesota and acted as the chairwoman and president of the Medal of Honor Convention Twin Cities, one of the most successful in CMOHS history. In advance of the convention, she partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes program to host the first ever Medal of Honor Hiring Fair and Employer Round-table, with 300 veterans and nearly 100 national and local employers in attendance. Building a 501(c)(3) from the ground up has given her a wide array of knowledge and skills, including: communications, public relations, event planning, event programming, entertainment, sponsorship, social media, partnerships, volunteer management, registration, security, transportation, travel, and print and graphic design. With an extensive depth and breadth of non-profit experience, Liz currently acts as an adviser and consultant to start-up and expanding non-profit organizations.

Through personal experience, Liz understands and appreciates the hardships service members and their families struggle with, not only through active duty and deployment, but also after transitioning to civilian life. She is extremely passionate about making life “easier” for these families, especially as they battle long-lasting and/or permanent effects of military service.

Liz is married to Tony, a 20-year Navy veteran who led three Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (Seabees) deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Liz and Tony currently reside in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and have two amazing daughters, Honor and Sailor. In Liz’s spare time she enjoys going to the cabin, working on construction projects, playing sports and participating in family game nights.

johnk@teeitupforthetroops.org

John Kline is retired from both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. House of Representatives. He served on active duty in the Marines from 1969 to 1994. A helicopter pilot, he is a veteran of operations in both Vietnam and Somalia. John flew helicopters, including “Marine One”, as a pilot in Marine Helicopter Squadron One, and he served as Marine Corps Aide to both Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. After retiring as a colonel from active duty in the Marines, John ran for Congress in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District and served in the House for 14 years. In Congress, he served on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce (a committee he chaired for 6 years), the Intelligence Committee and the Ethics Committee.

John lives in Burnsville, Minnesota with his wife, Vicky (a retired U.S. Army nurse). He is particularly proud of his two children (one of whom is a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army) and four grandchildren.

jeff.morgan@teeitupforthetroops.org

Jeffrey D. Morgan, FASAE, CAE, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA). He officially joined CMAA on October 1, 2014. Morgan is an association executive who has held various executive management positions in trade and professional associations for more than 25 years. Morgan thrives in an environment where the business or profession is changing. The association, in this changing environment, must be a proactive hub to provide information, community, research, and knowledge in this evolving environment to help members overcome this change to be successful.

Prior to joining CMAA, Morgan served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) from 2008-2014. Morgan has also held senior positions in two other associations focusing on global derivatives and property & casualty insurance.

A Pennsylvania native, Morgan holds a bachelor’s degree in Business with a focus on finance and technology from Susquehanna University and a master of science in nonprofit management. Morgan is a Certified Association Executive and a member and Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives.

When Jeff is not working he enjoys unplugging at their Maryland beach home, traveling with his wife, working on his golf game at his Annapolis area golf club or just disconnecting by working in his yard.

ron@teeitupforthetroops.org

Ronald J. Schutz is the Managing Partner of the New York office and a member of the Executive Board of the national law firm of Robins Kaplan L.L.P. , where he has been for since 1987. He served four years (1981 to 1985) in the United States Army JAG Corps stationed with the 7th Infantry Division. His son Erik is a 2007 West Point Graduate. Ron became involved with Tee It Up for the Troops, because he doesn’t think our country does enough to support its troops and he wanted to get more involved.Ron’s graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1981. He earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Marquette University in 1978. Ron is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. In 2008 the National Law Journal named him to its annual list of the Top 10 Winning Litigators in the United States.  Ron has received many awards and recognitions, including the following:

• Recipient of the Marquette University Opus College of Engineering Professional Achievement Award (2017)
• Listed in “Who’s Who Legal: Patents” (2017)
• Named a “Patent Star” Managing Intellectual Property (2016-2018)
• Named an “IP Star,” Managing Intellectual Property (2013-2015)
• Named a “Top Author” by JD Supra (2016)
• Named an “Intellectual Property Trailblazer & Pioneer,” The National Law Journal (2014)
• Listed as a “Recommended Individual for Litigation and Licensing (Minnesota),” and “Top National Plaintiff Patent Lawyer,” IAM 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners (2012-2017)
• Named a “Life Sciences Star,” LMG Life Sciences (2012-2014, 2016)
• Listed in IAM Strategy 300 – The World’s Leading IP Strategists (2012)
• Listed in IAM250 – World Leading IP Strategists (2011)
• Named a “Litigation Star,” Benchmark Litigation (2011-2017 editions)
• Named “Minneapolis Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year,” Best Lawyers (2010, 2011, and 2017 editions)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota for Litigation: Intellectual Property in Chambers USA (2008-2018)
• Listed in “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon (2010-2018)
• Named a “Minnesota Super Lawyer in Intellectual Property Litigation,” Super Lawyers (2003-2018),  “Top 10 Super Lawyers” (2009, 2012-2018), and “Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyers” (2006-2018)
• Listed in IAM250 – World Leading IP Strategists (2009)
• Recipient of the “Distinguished Alumni Award,” Minnesota Law Review (2009)
• Named a “Top 10 Winning Attorney,” by The National Law Journal (2008)
• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• Named to “3000 Leading Plaintiffs’ Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon (2007)
• According to Chambers USA’s profile “Ron Schutz’s trial experience has earned him a reputation as ‘one of the most successful IP lawyers in the country.’  Schutz, chair of the firm’s IP litigation department, has won a series of huge victories running to hundreds of millions of dollars.”
• Included in The Best Lawyers in America Eleventh Edition to the present
• Named by Minnesota Lawyer as one of its “Attorneys of the Year” (2004)

Ron is extensively involved in community and public affairs. He is a former Chair and current board member of the Center of the American Experiment. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities and a board member of the Guthrie Theater.  He is a member of the St. Thomas Law School Journal Board of Advisors. Ron is also a past president of the University of Minnesota Law School Alumni Association. He is also the most recent past Chair of the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection (appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty).  In 2010 Campaigns & Elections Magazine named Ron one of the 100 most influential people in Minnesota politics. Ron also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pawlenty for President (2011 to 2012).

Ron married his high school sweetheart, Janet, and they have three adult children. Matt, their oldest is a graduate of Georgetown University and lives in London where he owns a consulting company. Erik is their number two son and a graduate of West Point. He served year-long tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan as an Infantry Officer. He left the Army in July 2012 to attend Harvard Business School and is now the CEO of an HR outsourcing company. Erik lives in Wayzata with his wife Erin. Their youngest, Kristin, is a graduate of SMU. She works in London for her older brother Matt.

In his spare time (of which he has little), Ron enjoys outdoor adventure activities, including running marathons and triathlons and hunting.

jodi@teeitupforthetroops.org

Jodi Baer is the Director of Operations for Tee It Up for the Troops and is responsible for efficient and effective management of the team’s day-to-day activities. After graduating as a dental assistant and spending several years in the dental world, Jodi accepted a role with an insurance company that was just getting started in dental insurance. In her time spent with the insurance company, Jodi was selected to manage multiple teams involved with special projects including a company acquisition and the selection and implementation of a new claims processing system. Transitioning to the non-profit world has been a learning experience and one that Jodi is truly thankful for. As the Director of Operations, Jodi has used training received from programs like Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Six Sigma Project Management to proficiently manage the increase in the number of Tee It Up for the Troops events held across the United States from 19 to 55 in just four years.

Landing the job with Tee It Up for the Troops has been life changing for Jodi! The unwavering spirit and sacrifice of the men and women of the United States Military has been incredibly inspiring. Jodi will never forget the service and sacrifice of all the men and women who serve in our United States Military, our Veterans, and their families. They are her real American Heroes.