Who We Are

William E. Garner (Will)
Colonel U.S. Army (Retired)

Will Garner grew up in New Port Richey Florida and is a graduate of the University of North Georgia. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1983. He spent 26 years on active duty specializing in strategic planning and logistics operations at various duty assignments including Fort Stewart Georgia — Germany — Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland — The Pentagon — Fort Bragg North Carolina — Korea — Kuwait — and Fort McPherson Georgia. Furthermore, he retired in 2009 at the rank of Colonel.

After retiring, he worked for a Department of Defense contractor during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan for two years. He served as the Executive Director of Midwest Food Bank in Peachtree City for nine years followed by three years as the Director of Support services at Christian City. He is now the Senior Manager of Facility Operations at The Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville.

He and his wife Jenny have been married for 41 years and have been residents of Peachtree City for 20 years. They have two adult sons; Franklin is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army in Washington D.C.; Andrew is a Director of Finance with T K Elevator in Dallas Texas.

Josh was elected in 2016 to the Georgia House of Representatives to serve the citizens of Fayette and Coweta Counties. He currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee, Vice-Chair of the Creative Arts & Entertainment Committee, and as a member of the Appropriations, Economic Development and Tourism, Human Relations and Aging, and the Industry and Labor Committees.

He is the owner of Southeast Properties, Inc., a commercial asset management and brokerage firm serving the South Metro area. Upon graduation from the University of Georgia, Josh received a commission in the United States Army and served on active duty as a Military Intelligence Officer.

After leaving active duty in 2001, Josh transitioned to the United States Army Reserves, where he has completed three overseas tours in support of the global war on terror, including a deployment to Iraq. He currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Josh is active in his community and serves on the board of The Eden Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues in our veteran community. He is a past president of the Crossroads Christian School parent board, former chairman of the Fayette County Republican Party, and former member of the Georgia Real Estate Commission.

Josh and his wife Michelle have four children and are members of New Hope Baptist Church, where Josh serves as a deacon.

Leslie R. Robinson is a psychotherapist and the inventor of the games Warrior Spirit Mission Homefront, Warrior Spirit For Couples and many others.

A former adjunct professor in literature and writing at the College of New Rochelle, Leslie graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Masters Degree in Creative Writing.

In 2009, Leslie founded Trance4mation Games, a company formed as the overall company for her Keep It Real brand, Warrior Spirit Mission Homefront and RECHARGE Beyond the Bars Re-Entry games. Leslie’s Warrior Spirit Mission Homefront is an evidence-based reintegration communication game designed for soldiers and other military personnel and their families and friends. It has been heralded by hundreds of veterans across all branches of the military as a valuable and indispensable forum that allows for open communication and reintegration, specifically when soldiers return home after tours of duty away from their families.

For two years, Leslie was a Department of Defense Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Speaker, presenting to Service Members and their families nationwide. She was honored for her work by the President of Nasdaq, by ringing the closing bell at Nasdaq Marketsite on December 30, 2014. Leslie has developed and facilitated workshops on leadership development, diversity and inclusion, professional development, veteran reintegration and service learning on college campuses nationwide. Her areas of expertise are: Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership Development, Team Building, Veteran Reintegration, Empowerment, Professional Development, Resiliency and Mental Health. She hosted a national Diversity Webinar attended by over 300 colleges in November 2013, and a Keep It Real Webinar attended by over 200 participants in July 2014. She has appeared on Al Jazeera America, on the Security Brief on Reelz T.V (and on numerous national radio broadcasts.

Bruce Resnak served successfully in the Army for 30 years, retiring at the rank of Colonel.

He attended Clarion State College, graduating in 1979. He was then commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. He earned his Master’s Degrees from Central Michigan University and the Army War College. He received his Doctorate in Business Administration from Argosy University in 2013.

While in the military, he held numerous command and staff positions. He was deployed during Desert Shield/Storm as a company Commander of a petroleum unit, as well as during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Group/Installation Commander overseeing the development and support structures of Saddam Hussein’s Victory Palace complex. He served as the G4 (Director of Logistics) for the entire Army Reserve on two separate occasions.

After retiring, he began volunteering in the local community delivering Meals on Wheels for 4 years. Simultaneously, he volunteered in the physical fitness and has been teaching AARP Driver Safety classes for 10 years. He was part of a pilot program teaching Smart Technology (SMARTEK) in vehicles to senior citizens. Additionally, for the last 11 years he has worked with the AARP Tax Aide program.

He started volunteering with The Eden Project several years ago, and has steadily increased his involvement.

Nathan served 7 years as an officer in the Georgia Army National Guard. During his service, Nathan was assigned a staff level position and was responsible for personnel administration, training, and deployment readiness. He is a graduate of Mercer University where he studied accounting and attended on a ROTC scholarship. While serving, Nathan completed his Master of Accountancy at Kennesaw State University.

Nathan’s family is no stranger to military service. His father served in the Air Force as a F-15E pilot, and his brother currently serves as an active-duty doctor in the Army. Service to country and others were a family ethos, and the same holds true today. Nathan and his firm regularly volunteer to financially educate and consult veteran groups.

Nathan is an experienced financial advisor, licensed CPA, former small business owner, and proud father. Nathan is actively involved in the community and is a member of the American Legion. He lives in Peachtree City with his wife, Laura, and their two children, Evan and Harper. Nathan’s family attends One Church in Fayetteville.

Mike Lentz is a retired U.S. Army officer who attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He graduated from Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems. He was commissioned in the Infantry as a Second Lieutenant.

Mike held various command and staff positions throughout his military career which included Airborne and Air Assault units. He has two combat tours; one during Operation Just Cause in the Republic of Panama and the second during Operations Desert Shield/Storm. His last assignment was at the Pentagon, where he worked as an IT Project Manager for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

After retirement, Mike became a certified Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp (JROTC) instructor and worked as a Senior Army Instructor at various High Schools for 9 years. He was the first Senior Army Instructor for a new military style High School, Summerlin Academy, in Bartow Florida, which continues today.

After his time as a Senior Army Instructor, he began working in the IT field again, where he was an IT Analyst for a global law firm and logistics company for 8 years.

After his third and final career, Mike and his family moved to Cresswind in Peachtree City, Georgia, where he lives with his wife Karen, son Michael and dog Tucker. He has volunteered his IT talents to the community and is a board member of the Cresswind PTC Veterans Club. Mike began working with The Eden Project a year ago and volunteers as a board member and assists with planning and executing various events.

Colin Martin is External Affairs Lead for AT&T in west Georgia. Prior to joining AT&T, he was President & CEO of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce in Fayetteville, GA. Colin received a commission in the US Army Field Artillery through ROTC at the University of Georgia. He served in the Georgia Army National Guard and the US Army Reserves. He is married to Dr. Beth Martin and lives in Columbus, GA.

Shauna was born in Burbank, California. Growing up, Shauna was an athlete and played competitive soccer for nearly 20 years, skateboarding since the age of 3 and on her down time you could find her playing football or basketball with the boys.

After graduating high school in 2001, Shauna moved to San Diego where she joined a world traveling soccer team and played the pro teams in their off season for experience. During that time, she sustained a traumatic brain injury and decided to travel to China to study Qi-Gong for alternative healing. After 30 days of studying and healing, she came back %100 healed. Inspired by eastern medicine, she began studying massage therapy and began a massage practice (LMT). After several years she decided to transition into western medicine and became an EMT. She first worked on an ambulance then as an Emergency Room Tech which eventually led her to become a set medic for a TV show in 2008. It was at that time she discovered the world of stunts. One thing led to the next and in 2009 she returned to LA to begin her career as a stunt woman.

In May 2013, she welcomed her son, Kyson, who has been her side-kick and biggest inspiration ever since.

Shauna has been one of Hollywood’s leading stuntwomen for more than a decade. She’s performed all over the world in the biggest budget action blockbuster movies and doubled some of Hollywood’s leading ladies. After shooting Avengers Infinity War and Avengers Endgame for nearly 3 years in Atlanta, Georgia Shauna fell in love with the area and moved there in 2017 with her son, kyson. As a single mother overcoming adversity, and the challenges women face in the entertainment industry, she has decided to take her life experiences to encourage and motivate others. She inspires those by teaching tools she has learned about the power of the mind and the ability to develop the ultimate mindset. She explores the ability of the mind to heal and create the life we were made to live at the highest level possible, no matter what the circumstance.

Roger Sibaja is a distinguished professional with 20 years of active military service, including roles as a Signal and Contracting officer. Following his military career, Roger founded Gobi Photography & Video, where he specializes in headshots, commercial photography, and videography, applying a professional approach to each project.



In 2017, he was appointed to the first Fayette County’s Public Arts Committee, reflecting his commitment to the arts and community service. Roger actively supports local arts and volunteers with nonprofit organizations.



Academically, he holds two master’s degrees in Information Systems (M.S.A.) and Education, Training, and Development (M.A.), as well as a B.A. in Business Administration and Computer Systems.

Roger is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Italian.



Roger has been married for 37 years to Charlene, and together they have three children. His personal and professional life showcases a dedication to excellence, community, and family.

Bren Briggs is a retired Army officer and founder of The Eden Project. He served eight years as an enlisted Marine, then accepted a direct commission into the Army as a Medical Service Corps of ficer where he served an additional twenty years.

On Bren’s last deployment, he was injured and required six major surgeries to rebuild his face. He also spent two years in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) clinic at Fort Bragg NC. Bren understands on a very personal level the importance of specialized reintegration programs for veterans and their families.

Bren founded The Eden Project in 2016 with the mission to help veterans with their transition from military to post-military life. The Eden Project is an award-winning 501(c)(3) providing centralized reintegration support to veterans and their families. The Eden Project was selected as the 2021 non-profit of excellence by the Fayette chamber of commerce. Trilith’s Reel people gala also selected The Eden Project as one of the five local nonprofits to highlight in the 2022 and 2023 galas.

Bren is married to Nicole. He has three amazing children: Eliah 19 years old, and Eden 15 years old. Bren’s oldest son, Bren II, is also a veteran and served in the Air Force.

Brian Reese is a retired US Army First Sergeant. He served 17 years in the US Army’s Infantry, 15 of which were on Airborne Status. During his military career, he has deployed to combat on six different occasions for a total of over 50 months in imminent danger zones, all of which as a combat leader.

During Brian’s 5th combat tour, in Afghanistan, he received shrapnel wounds to the upper body by a hand grenade while serving as the Platoon Leader in the Battle of Musa Qallah with the 82nd Airborne Division. Brian’s final duty position was as the G5 Sergeant Major of 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea. After Korea, Brian was injured on an Airborne operation, forcing him to retire early.

After his military career, Brian knew he wanted to help veterans in any way he could. In 2020, he lost his 7-week-old daughter, which broke him down. His PTSD and mental health got worse. In early 2024 he was introduced to the Eden Project. Brian had reached out to many other Veterans organizations, and no one really took the time to help him with his needs. The Eden Project was the only organization that truly cared and helped his family out. In late 2024 Brian was approached about the role of Executive Director, and jumped at the chance.

Sydney Kate Lewis, more commonly known as SK, is a freelance writer, social media coordinator, and firm believer in the Oxford comma and the allure of an alliteration. After graduating from the University of Georgia in December 2020 with a BA in English, she explored various occupations. Currently, she works as a freelance writer for Fayette County Lifestyle and East Cobb City Lifestyle, satisfying her writing itch by collecting others’ stories through interviews and personal involvement. Additionally, she began serving as the social media manager, grant writer, and all-around utility player for The Eden Project in August 2024. 

Scott Israel is currently serving as the Fayetteville Police Department School Resource Officer and Chaplain He is a P.O.S.T. Certified Law Enforcement Mandated Officer since 1992. He has additional law enforcement experience to include Jail Division, Crime Scene Investigations, Patrol Division, D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), S.R.O. (School Resource Officer) and Criminal Investigation Divisions as the Juvenile and Gang Investigator. Scott serves in a local church of 7,000 members in the Fayette County Community as an Ordained Chaplain, Deacon, 2016 Chairman of Deacons (70 Deacons), Security Chairman and 6th Grade Sunday School Teacher for over sixteen years. Scott has served as a city councilman for the Town of Brooks in Fayette County for more than five years.

Married since 1993 to his beautiful wife. They have a daughter who is a nurse at Northside Hospital.

Steve Hutchinson is a dynamic speaker and an accomplished author of several books, including an award-winning marriage book entitled, Me Tarzan, You Jane.

The founder of MarriageFit and two churches, Steve has helped people change the trajectory of their lives by breaking through unpleasant circumstances and discovering their purpose in life. Steve has also served as a teacher and coach in both public and private schools.

Steve’s travels have taken him nationally and internationally teaching on subjects like Marriage, Parenting, and Leadership. Steve has coached hundreds of couples as they navigated through marital turmoil, and seeing couples avoid the divorce court. Steve speaks at churches, corporate meetings, school chapels, colleges, and is no stranger to radio and television.

With a blend of biblical scholarship and humor, Steve delivers an inspirational message of hope that brings healing to the hurting, and motivation for the faint of heart. Having a passion to see people “Win in Life”, Steve connects with young and mature audiences alike.

Steve enjoys traveling, sports, and the great outdoors. Steve and his amazing wife Jane and children reside on the outskirts Atlanta, Georgia.

Michael is the proprietor of Michael Stuart Productions, a media services firm offering audio production for radio, TV, Internet, agencies and more. From script writing to voice-overs, to full production, Michael’s 40+ years of experience shines with reasonably priced options for your project.

As an on-camera actor, Michael has appeared in a variety of commercials, plus TV shows, movies, short films, industrials and more.

When it comes to being an emcee, he has extensive experience hosting and emceeing live events of all sizes for organizations and non-profits. Michael is married and loves being a main greeter at One Church in Fayetteville, GA.

http://www.audiomsp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/audiomsp/

Michael Jerome Laney was born in New York on April 26, 1955. Laney a native of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, graduated from Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, North Dartmouth, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with honors.

Upon graduation, he accepted a commission in the United States Army Signal Corps as a Second Lieutenant and entered active duty. He held command and deputy command responsibilities at the Captain and Major level. He retired as a Major with 20 years of federal service.

Laney completed his Ph.D. in Communications with a cognate in Religious Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). He was an Appalachian College Association, Mellon Fellow while at UTK from 1997-1998. Laney gave his life to Christ on September 1981, and has faithfully served Jesus Christ for 40 years in various capacities during the periods (1982-1995):

He held the rank of Full Professor with tenure in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Savannah State University.

His civilian honors include: NAACP-Bradley County Life Time Achievement Award—2005; 100 Black Men of Bradley County, Inc. Mentor of the Year—2000; Lee University Excellence in Teaching Award—1999.

Laney is married to the former Leonora Denise Suggs of Hampton, Virginia. Together they have raised three adult children, ReAnna, Mikaela, and James-Michael.