Our Board of Directors.
This is your Team section. It's a great place to introduce your team and talk about what makes it special, such as your culture and work philosophy. Don't be afraid to illustrate personality and character to help users connect with your team.
Marilyn Garza, M.A.
President and Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Army Veteran
Marilyn Garza is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GFORCE HEROES, INC., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Veterans, Service-Members, First Responders, and their families. A graduate from Pepperdine University with a master's degree of arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy, a U.S. Army Veteran and proud wife to her husband Joe Garza of over 20 years, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her leadership, ensuring that GFH remains grounded in services, family, and faith.
Under her direction, GFH develops trauma-informed wellness initiatives, family-strengthening programs, and strategic partnerships designed to address the unique challenges of those who serve. She has spearheaded the creation of innovative programs such as Warrior Wellness, The Resilient Marriage Project, and Roll Call: The Shift Debrief Initiative, while also building alliances with government agencies, corporations, and community leaders.
Marilyns vision for GFORCE HEROES, INC. is to create a lasting infrastructure of healing, resilience, and empowerment; ensuring that service members, veterans, first responders, and their families receive care, recognition, and the support they deserve.
Joe Garza
Vice President and Strategic Operations Director
U. S. Marine Veteran
Ray Pina Jr.
First Responder Liasion
Ret. Detective
Ray is a distinguished retired police detective with over twenty years of exemplary service in the Criminal Investigations sector of an inner city police department serving diverse populations over 118,000 residents. Throughout his illustrious career, he demonstrated exceptional leadership while working on multiple high-profile crime task forces and acquiring extensive, multifaceted training in criminal and procedural law, advanced interviewing and interrogations techniques, tactical patrol operations, crisis deescalation practices, and specialized Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), Trauma-Informed, and Critical Incident Stress Management Training.
As one of the department's trusted background investigator's for police hires and a respected mentor within the police academy, he played an instrumental role in recruiting and developing the agency's future leaders. His commitment to excellence was formally recognized when he was honored citywide as the 2013 Police Officer of the Year amongst 320 sworn members in his agency.
Beyond his investigative achievements, Ray is a devoted family-oriented professional who has dedicated the past decade to providing critical wellness services to first responders and their families. He served as a core startup member of the Greater Boston Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM) and was a valued member of the agency's Peer Support Team, offering vital mental health resources and resilience training to those who serve and protect our communities.
SBR
Director of Survivor and Family Advocacy
