Brian Michel, JD, is the Director of Prevention Services for Mental Health America of Wisconsin (MHA). He administers statewide suicide prevention programming, including support for Prevent Suicide Wisconsin coalitions, coordination of Zero Suicide and Maternal Child Health learning communities focused on suicide prevention, and expansion of suicide prevention efforts to the veteran community throughout Wisconsin. Brian also serves as the Program Director for the R&R House, a Department of Health Services-funded Peer Run Respite for Veterans. Brian is Co-Chair of the Legislative and Policy Committee of the Wisconsin Council on Mental Health and member of the Criminal Justice Committee, a member of the Milwaukee Suicide Death Review Commission, and a priority team leader within the Veteran’s Affairs/SAMHSA Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, which aims to implement the National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide by improving care transitions and promoting connectedness. Brian is a native of Milwaukee, WI and received his law degree from Notre Dame Law School in 2012. He previously served as a prosecutor in Milwaukee County and as a staff attorney with Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, one of the nation’s longest operating non-profit law firms, providing representation in eviction defense, administrative appeals, and municipal court issues for low-income individuals. Brian is the grandson of a US Navy veteran who provided mental health care during WWII to service members in Japan and Walter Reed Medical Center. Brian is a mental health consumer and trauma survivor.

Dr. Stephen Hargarten is the Principal Investigator of Remembering the Lost. He is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean for Global Health at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is also the founding director of the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Hargarten is an internationally-recognized expert in injury and violence prevention, and his research focuses on gun violence as a global public health issue.

Sara Kohlbeck is the Director of the Division of Suicide Prevention at the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In her role, Sara works with collaborators around the State of Wisconsin to research, develop, implement, and evaluate strategies for suicide prevention. Her work currently focuses on suicide prevention among veterans as well as farmers and marginalized populations, including Black and Latinx individuals living in urban areas. Sara is also a PhD Candidate in the Institute for Health and Equity at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Her dissertation research is focused on better understanding farmer suicide through qualitative methods, including photovoice. Sara received her Master’s in Public Health from the Zilber School of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She is the granddaughter of post-World War II veterans and the niece of a Marine veteran, who is now at rest. Sara also has living experience of mental illness and is a consumer of mental health services.

Heidi Gremmer is the Research Program Coordinator at the Comprehensive Injury Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In her role, Heidi works with study teams to coordinate the functioning of research projects, including Remembering the Lost. Heidi is the glue that holds everything together!

Mark Flower –A United States Army Veteran a Staff Sargent in his 17 yr career held 3 MOS’s including 11B Infantry, 19E Armor and 91B Medic a Vet in recovery and a Advocate for change, Is currently a community engagement consultant at the Medical Collage of WI. also at the Milwaukee VA, a  Co-founder of Dryhootch of America and very involved with Milwaukee area veterans, working at the Captain John D Mason Peer Support Program at the Medical Collage of Wisconsin also helping with the new state wide Veterans Peer Respite. He also is involved with the Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D) (VA), advocating for Veterans engagement  as a partner in Research, also a  member  Expert Technical Forum Center Information Dissemination and Education Resources (CIDER) (VA), and working with the  Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Veteran Suicide Prevention (VA). in the community he is constantly advocating for the wellbeing of our Veterans and folks in general.