Helping Our Military build their Families.
Meet Our Team
MFBC was co-founded by Ellen Gustafson and Katy Bell Hendrickson, two Military Spouses who personally know of the need to support military members in building their families.
Founder
Ellen Gustafson is a multi-time social entrepreneur, author, activist, and, most importantly, Mom and Military Spouse. She has done extensive work toward food system change (Authoring “We the Eaters: If We Can Change Dinner, We Can Change the World”, Co-Founding Food Tank: the food think tank, giving 4 four TEDx Talks on food system change, advising food businesses, and was the Co-Founder of FEED, an early give-back fashion brand that has helped provide over 100 million school meals to children around the world). She is also the Co-Founder of We the Veterans, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that harnesses the strength of veterans and military families to support the pillars of American democracy. She is the Mom of three miracle toddlers and lives with them and her husband in Virginia Beach, VA.
Founder
Katy Bell Hendrickson is a Military Spouse to a retired career Naval Special Warfare officer and mother of five children. She and her husband have experience with adoption, assisted reproduction and third party reproduction. Katy was the Reserve Flag Spouse Advisor for the Command Spouse Leadership School at NLEC in Naval Station Newport, Flag Spouse Advisor for CORE San Diego, and an Advisor to Naval Services FamilyLine in Washington DC. Katy has been active in the Warrior and Family Support Group at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado as a Senior Peer Mentor and has led multiple workshops on Family Building covering the topics of ART and Adoption. In her spare time, she is an architect by education and training - having spent the last decade working mainly in residential design and historic preservation. She is a former Board of Director for the Coronado Historical Association, Chairperson for the Heritage Committee, Chairwoman for the Coronado Historical Home Tour 2017-2019 and the recipient of the Cobb McCarty Preservation Award. Katy is currently on the Women's Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts and lives in Washington DC with her husband, youngest son, and twin daughters.
Director, Clinical Operations
Kendall Adler RN, BSN, MBA, is a former Navy nurse turned consultant, Mom, and Military Spouse. She has provided strategic guidance to healthcare executives in academic medical centers, health systems, community hospitals and health plans. Her contributions have helped to develop evidence-based care process models for DoD service members and beneficiaries, leveraging epidemiologic research to improve care delivery and operations for the U.S. Navy, transitioning to value based care delivery models, and engaging frontline medical staff. Kendall lives in Virginia Beach, VA with her husband and three young children.
Social Media Manager
Nancy McDaniel is a fellow mother, military spouse, and the face behind our social media content. After many years as a successful medical recruiter, she decided to stay at home mom after her son was born and is currently going through fertility treatments to expand their family. In her spare time she enjoys embroidery design and is also passionate about fitness and mental health. Nancy lived in San Diego for nine years and now resides in Virginia Beach, VA.
Chairwomen of the Board
Alicia Washkevich is a Navy veteran and proud member of the US Naval Academy Class of 2003 (AUGHT THREE). During her time on active duty, she deployed several times as a Surface Warfare Officer on the USS Oak Hill ("Pirate Gator") and then a METOC Officer/Military Hydrographer with Fleet Survey Team (FST). Always mission-driven, she transitioned to the non-profit sector following her military career and now serves as an operations executive. She is currently the COO of New Politics and was previously the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Sierra Club. Along with lending her time to MFBC, you can find her coaching the DC Aquatic Club (DC's only LGBTQ adult swim team) or hosting the players of Catholic University Women's Rugby for another pasta dinner (her husband is the "forwards" coach, and thus she is also the default "team mom"). Alicia's most challenging, meaningful, and rewarding role is "Mommy" to 2 sassy and strong girls. The many trials and tribulations of family building are near and dear to her heart - and she's here to help her fellow veterans and military members build the families they want!
Marissa Lorenzetti, Board Member
Renee May, Board Member
Advisor - Naval Special Warfare Community
Kelly Fortmann is a professor, librarian, volunteer, activist, Military Spouse to a retired career Naval Special Warfare Officer and mother to four wonderful children. She and her husband experienced an extensive journey in starting and growing their family. With all their triumphs and frustrations behind them, Kelly is dedicated to making the process of understanding and choosing options simple, affordable, and based on the goals and needs of military families. Though she wears many hats, it is her work supporting the next generation of military families that she is most passionate about.