Jerry Ambrose Veterans Council Board of Directors
Our Directors are comprised of Military Veterans and Civilians who have dedicated themselves to helping our Homeless and At-Risk Veterans.
2024 Board of Directors:
- Executive Director/President – Dorn “Pat” Farrell
- Vice President – Joseph DeBaca
- Treasurer – Sarah Pleth
- Executive Secretary – Shirley Chrimes
- Director – Programs – Casey Farrell
- Director – Membership – Bonelle Wilson
- Director – Spiritual Services – Chris Molnar
- Director – Veterans Events – Amber Koehler
- Director – Donor Appreciation- Kim Casey
- Director – Facilities – Reed Buckley
- Director – Recovery – James Hultenschmittcook
- Director – Homelessness – Richard Mickle
Dorn “Pat” Farrell – Executive Director/President:
A US Navy Veteran, Pat has spearheaded the first ever and ongoing At-risk Veterans Stand Downs for the past four years. Pat has been the major fund raiser for these Stand Downs collecting over $750,000 in cash donations, In-kind donations and volunteer donations. Pat is also a member of the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, the American Legion and Elks.
Joseph DeBaca- Vice President:
Sarah Pleth – Treasurer:
Shirley Chrimes – Secretary:
Shirley “Nani” Chrimes married 54 years to a U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran, she has been a JAVC member since 2014. Nani is an active member of Kingman Elks Lodge 468 securing grants for the betterment of military Veterans. She retired from State of Arizona’s DES in Voc Rehab and DDD Residential Network. She is a relentless volunteer looking for others to give back to those who have sacrificed for all of us.
Casey Farrell – Director of Programs:
Kim Casey – Director – Donor Financial Management
Kim comes to us with a sound background in Mohave County legal administration, civil engineering, transitional housing for the working homeless, State of Arizona project management, commercial construction project management, commercial airline facilities management.
Amber Koehler – Director of Events
Amber Koehler is the Events Director who puts together resource fairs, fundraisers, and other events for Veterans by using her creative prowess and working with the public. Amber believes her bubbly personality helps her to connect with the people of her community. Amber served in the United States Air Force as a Vehicle Operator, she spent most of her career stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV. Currently, she is utilizing her associate degrees in both Art and Visual Communications to help further the goals of JAVC. Thus, helping her to continuously improve her creative abilities. When she is not working on events or fundraisers, Amber enjoys spending time with her family, and friends. She also uses her knowledge in other volunteer positions such as the Photography and Fine Arts Project Leader in her mother’s 4H Club.
Chris Molnar – Director of Spiritual Services
Stephen Christopher Molnar “Chris” is a veteran of the U.S. Army first with enlisted service as a Russian linguist in Europe. After obtaining a B.A. in History, his first Theology Degree from his denomination’s Seminary in St. Louis, MO and later a second Theology Degree from The Divinity School, Yale University, New Haven, CT, he was commissioned as a U.S. Army Chaplain. He has received hundreds of hours of continuing education in counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, critical incident stress interventions, among other areas. He has served with the Army Reserve, the California Army National Guard, and the active Army in many assignments in the U.S. and overseas in peace and war. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with twenty years of service and receives a pension. He was injured in the Gulf War for which he has a VA disability and makes use of VA Health services. He most recently served before retirement as Senior Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in San Luis
Obispo, CA. Chris and his wife Cathy, a professional musician, moved to Kingman in 2015. Chris volunteers as a Mentor at the Kingman Veterans Treatment Court, and at the Mohave County Library Kingman Branch. Chris has two grown children not living at home.
Bonelle Wilson – Director – Membership
Bonelle was born and raised in Syracuse, Kansas. She served in the army as a medic from 1966 to 1969. She was stationed at Ft McClellan Alabama for basic training, Fort Sam Houston, TX for AIT and permit party at Fort, Bragg, North Carolina, which is now called Fort freedom. She worked at Womack Army Hospital on the civilian ward with an executive suite for the prisoners of war when they returned to the states after being in Germany. In civilian life, she was a human resources Director for 30 years at different companies. She retired from three companies. She moved to Arizona 2006 started working at the Mohave County Public Defender’s office in Kingman that year and retired in 2011. After that, she worked for a two private attorneys, and then in 2018 went to work for Mohave County Attorney Victim Services as a Volunteer notice advocate. After a year was hired part time at Victim Services. Her last day of work was January 11, 2024.