In Memorium

Rest In Peace Michael Johnson

We at Elder Warriors, are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Michael Johnson, on March 17, 2025, the feast of St. Patrick. Mike has served as our Treasurer and Legal Counsel since our founding and has been a very special part our our Healing Journey Experience. His contributions to the development of our Healing Process cannot be overstated. We will miss this great Marine greatly.

Board of Directors

Peter Sternberg, L.C.S.W., P.C.

President

A psychotherapist in Chicago working with adults, couples and children. His professional resume includes: teaching, providing physical safety training for healthcare workers, training First Responders for Pediatric Mass Casualty and contributing to Mass Casualty Planning and is a co-founder of Healing Through Reckoning and Responsibility (HTRR) now known as Elder Warrior.

peter@petersternberg.com

Dennis Brown

CFO/Treasurer

After graduating from UCLA in 1961, with a major in religion, he became a naval officer, serving aboard a destroyer which did three tours to the Western Pacific during the Vietnam war. After leaving active duty, he attended Law School, clerked for the United States Supreme Court and then joined a law firm, specializing in financial litigation.

He has served as a member of the board of directors of the largest underwriter of attorney’s liability insurance in the country, as well as an arbitrator appointed by the Bar Association in disputes between attorneys and their clients. He has also participated in a program which provided shelter, meals and support for employable homeless people in Orange County. After retiring, he volunteered for several activities at hospitals and a senior residence. Since moving to Lake Arrowhead, he has been involved with Rotary, Rim of the World Veteran’s Outreach, an organization providing financial support for students attending UCLA, and as mentor of high school students participating in a mock trial program.

denniscbrown1@gmail.com

Daniel Jimenez

Secretary

Daniel is a combat vet who served as an Army squad leader in Vietnam. He graduated from California State University with a BS in Marketing. Graduate studies included Harvard Business School and UCLA Anderson School. He has an MBA in finance from UCLA. His business career included over 30 years of business consulting. He is currently retired and active in his church ministries and with veterans groups in San Luis Obispo California.

danieljimenez@elderwarriors.org

Cliff Bennet

Board Member

Cliff Bennett HM3(FMF) grew up in Southern California, joined the military in 1998 as a Corpsman. He requested and was sent to 3rd Battalion 7th Marines in 29 Palms where he worked with many different platoon’s to include the STA Platoon. Cliff studied and trained to earn the title Doc. He deployed in 2004 to Husaybah, Al Qaim region, Iraq and was involved in many different engagements to include “The Battle of Husaybah” he received the Purple Heart for injuries sustained due to enemy actions and continued to stay in the fight ultimately earning him a medal for Heroism. He founded The High Desert Veteran’s Outreach and then Rimvets, Rim of the world Veteran’s Outreach which has been extremely successful in enriching the lives of many veterans on the San Bernardino mountain range from Crestline to Big Bear. His motto: “My last breath before yours” Doc Bennett

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Father Michael Cicinato

Board Member

Retired from parish work to devote his time in ministry to veterans, particularly those suffering from PTSD. He serves as a chaplain to Central Coast Veterans Helping Veterans and to the Veterans Treatment Court in San Luis Obispo. He is trained in men’s spirituality and ritual work and has made two healing trips to Vietnam and a co-founder of Healing Through Reckoning and Responsibility (HTRR) now known as Elder Warriors.

michaelcicinato@elderwarriors.org

Jane Baker, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.

Board Member

Jane has a 50-year nursing career. Her professional career includes ICUs and EDs in major NYC medical centers and San Luis Obispo, programs for health screening, Early Support program for at risk families, multidisciplinary program for suspected victims of child abuse and sexual assault, and running an Immunization clinic. Jane is currently retired and active in her church ministries , as an Associate with the Franciscans, and with various community organizations focusing on social justice.

janebaker@elderwarriors.org

John Aramubla

Board Member

John Arambula Jr. Born in Los Angeles, Ca. 1948. Graduated from Bellflower HIgh School in 1967. Worked for a napalm factory before joining the Army in 1968. Trained as a Paratrooper with the Army Airborne Battalion. Also trained as a parachute rigger. Transferred to the 44th Field Medical Unit and sent to Vietnam as a combat medic.

John Arambula Jr. was Born October 28th, 1948 in Los Angeles, Ca. Father John Arambula was a construction worker and his mother Ester Salazar was a homemaker. Graduate of Bellflower H.S. and majored in Sociology at Cerritos College. Voluntarily joined the U.S. Army and trained as an Army Airborne paratrooper and deployed to Vietnam in 1969 with the 44th Medical Group to serve as a combat field Medic. I remain concerned about the body and soul of my fellow veterans.

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Michael Patrick Brewer

Director

Michael has served as a Marine Corps squad leader with the 7th Marines in Vietnam. Mike has two majors–one in Philosophy and one in Religious Studies. Trained as a Gestalt Therapist while attending RN program at Pima College and U of A. He served as a Veteran Advocate since 1972 and is involved in a number of Veterans service organizations. He is married to his beloved Lydia Brewer and has three children, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

michaelbrewer@elderwarriors.org

Deacon Warren Hoy

Director

Deacon Hoy is the Director of Family Life and Social Justice Ministries and the Safe Environment Coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Monterey. He coordinates all social ministries in the diocese: feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, visiting the sick and the imprisoned. Before working full-time for the Church, Deacon Warren served 32 years with the Department of Defense, including 22 years on active duty with the US Army and 10 years as a Defense Department civilian employee at the Defense Language Institute and the Naval Postgraduate School. He retired from the Army in 2005, after 22 years of active duty service in Armored Cavalry, the Military Intelligence Corps, and as a Foreign Area Officer. His active service included tours of duty in Germany, Venezuela, Bosnia, and Iraq, as well as at Headquarters, US Southern Command in Panama and two tours in the Pentagon. Warren also served as US representative to the Conference of American Armies and to the Inter-American Defense Board at the Organization of American States. Deacon Warren’s has a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico, a Master’s in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University of New Orleans, and two bachelor’s degrees, one in Political Science and one in Modern Languages and Linguistics, both from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. He is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College, the Venezuelan Army Infantry Officer Advanced Course, and the NATO Staff Officers’ School.

warrenhoy@elderwarriors.org

Michael Johnson

Treasurer/ Legal Counsel

Mike graduated for the University of Southern California (1967) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1970. He received his JD in law from Santa Barbara College of Law and pass the California Bar Examination in 1992. His business career includes working for Ernst and Ernst (now Ernst and Young) an international accounting firm; partner in the San Luis Obispo firm of Knight, Towle, Sage and Johnson; Certified Sports Agent working mainly in baseball with MLB. He now works with emphasis in financial and tax planning, tax preparation, estate and trust work, contract mediation and IRS and state tax resolution settlements.

michaeljohnson@elderwarriors.org

Peter Venturini

Board Member

For the last 20 years, Peter Venturini, has devoted his retirement years to his wife, family, and community service. He and his wife, Jeannie, currently reside in Lake Arrowhead, California where Peter has held leadership positions in healthcare, governance, arts, and in supporting his religious faith. He maintains a strong commitment to enhancing community life. He was Grand Knight of his local Knights of Columbus Council for 5 years and still remains active in the Council, supporting those in need in the community. He continues to serve on the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors Municipal Advisory Council that facilitates communication between the community and governmental agencies. He has been a Board Member of the Mountains Community Hospital Foundation since 2017 and is the current President of the Foundation. The Foundation has had a major impact in the community by having given over 7 million dollars to the hospital over the last 14 years. These dollars help our Mountains Community Hospital maintain a state-of-the-art facility that provides quality care to the mountain community. His community involvement included volunteering for Meals on Wheels, serving on the Board of the Mountain History Museum, President and Board Member of the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead, and Board member of the Arrowhead Arts Association.

During his working career, Peter held a key management position at the California Air Resources Board, overseeing programs and policies directed at improving the air quality of our state, nation, and other countries. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, where he focused on thermodynamics and combustion.

His wife of 54 years, Jeannie is a retired principal from the Diocese of Sacramento, and is very busy herself with community activities. Both Peter and Jeannie feel greatly blessed with a wonderful life and believe it is important to use their time and talents to “give back”. They have three Daughters and four grandchildren (three girls and a boy), who are the joys of their lives.

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In addition to our Board, we have military advisors who have vetted our process from the start and continue to help us refine the journey.

Elder Warriors Advisors

Roger York

Advisor

Retired after 32 years in law enforcement. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war in 1967 with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Roger made a healing trip to Vietnam in 2013 with Fr. Michael Cicinato and with Soldier’s Heart. Currently, he serves as a mentor for the Veterans Treatment Court. Roger devotes his time of meditation to deep sea fishing. He has been a major veteran resource for the creation of the Healing Journey Program.

Mary Fortson-Harwell, PhD, LCSW, BCD

Advisor

Dr. Fortson-Harwell was a creative team member and volunteer from 2015 – 2019. She conducted a portion of her dissertation research with our program. The results of her study can be found at https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/incmdoc_etd/9/. She has also served as a Behavioral Health Officer in the Army National Guard since 2014, and has been a member of the Georgia, California, and Colorado Guards.