The VICTRI (Veterans’ Initiative Center & Research Institute)
The VICTRI is a cutting edge, state-of-the-art center built to assist Veterans and their family members to start, build and sustain successful businesses or initiatives through education, services, support and research.
The VICTRI:
We feel the experiences a Veteran has serving their country broadens their horizons, makes them more driven and more mission focused. Additionally, the Veterans’ family members, because of their relationships, have a unique experience from the majority of the nation’s population making them particularly interested in seeing Veterans succeed and grow. Because of these factors, we want to help build the next greatest generation of business and community leaders that will take our nation to the next level of excellence out of this outstanding group.
The VICTRI Board of Directors
Jimmie Coulthard, Founder, Chairman of the Board
Jimmie L. Coulthard is the owner of Tiger Base LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran-owned LLC providing consultative services around Veterans’ Issues with a focus on creating sober living, affordable housing, supportive services & Veteran-owned small businesses. As CEO of Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) he developed, implemented, and operated a statewide 501c3, non-profit homeless Veterans program. Among many other programs, MACV bought 9 houses for transitional housing, built 200 units of permanent housing on 2 VAMC Campuses and 3 “out-state” outreach centers. The VICTRI Center, Building 11, is part of the Veterans & Community Housing Project that Jimmie organized. His training is in the field of non-profits and chemical dependency & family treatment. In 2005, Jimmie won the David W. Preus Leadership Award for his longtime work for Veterans. He started a Mississippi Riverboat for-profit company and served as riverboat pilot for 16 years after coming home from his 6 ½ years in the US Army. While in the Army, Jimmie served a tour of duty in Korea (’62-‘63) and Vietnam (‘66-‘68) as a combat Infantry rifleman in Vietnam with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade. He has an Honorable Discharge as Sergeant (E-5). Along with his passion for his wife, children and friends he loves to fly gliders and light sport aircraft.
Dave Youngquist, Vice-Chairman of the Board & Treasurer
Dave Youngquist is a Board Member of the Armed Forces Services Center at the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport and serves on that organization’s Executive Committee. Throughout
his career, Dave has served in the Advertising, Publishing and Print Manufacturing Industries. He has served as President of several National Printing Organizations. Dave also served as an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Golden Lutheran College for many years. Dave started his civilian career working for Ross Perot in the EDS Management Development Program. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1966 and has an MBA from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. After graduation from West Point, Dave served in Vietnam in the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry (Mech), 25th Infantry Division, and is an Airborne Ranger. Dave currently resides in North Oaks MN with his family.
Jack Scharrett, President of the Board
Jack Scharrett is a business professional with over 19 years of leadership in sales, sales management, business development and as an entrepreneur. Jack has co-founded three successful, for-profit businesses in the Internet Technology and Global Economic Development Industries and is a business development consultant. Concurrently, Jack serves as a Major in the United States Army Reserves in Civil Affairs. While deployed to Iraq in 2005-’06, Jack helped to establish the Kirkuk Business Center (KBC), a business development and incubation center managed & staffed by Iraqi Local Nationals, that became the flagship Business Center for the rest of the nation. Through that center, Jack assisted in creating 7 Iraqi-owned businesses including the largest agricultural co-operative in the country with over 750 member farmer families and effecting over 2.5 million hectares in the region south of Kirkuk, Iraq. This co-operative is still functioning and having a positive effect on over 6 million Iraqi’s to this day. Jack is a 1991 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a 2007 MBA graduate from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Jack is recently married and lives with his wife Kris and 1 year old twins in Plymouth, MN.
Bill Casey, Director, Board Secretary
William D. Casey is the owner of Health Capital Management, Inc. and The Wellness Foundation, Inc., two early-stage Services-Disabled Veteran-owned Businesses who's mission is to help change the health care model in America. Bill is working closely with the Department of Integrative Medicine at Mayo Clinic to forward that objective. Some professionals refer to Bill as a "Serial Entrepreneur” as Bill was a co-founder & CEO of 2 companies which made the residential security systems industry a reality. These two companies were technological and franchisor groundbreakers and were acquired by Westinghouse Electric and GE, respectively, due to that expertise. Next, Bill founded Phoenix Alliance, a Global emergency medical services company providing services to more than 14 million clients. Now known as Medex (www.medexassist.com), the firm has expanded its services to provide international personal security services and large scale hostage negotiating services to corporations and many wealthy individuals. Bill served 3 years in a Junior ROTC program in Independence, MO, joined the U.S. Navy out of high school and served as a Hospital Corpsman from 1951 through 1953. Bill lives in Wisconsin with his wife Barbara of 47 years.
Larry Josephs, CEO (not a Board member)
Larry Josephs is an international speaker (former member speaker of the National Speaker's Association & the International Platform Association) who has inspired thousands of sales people, management and employees to higher levels of productivity. Since 1973, he has made a career out of sales and motivation seminars. He has guided many entrepreneurs as they launched their personal businesses, instructing them on establishing a business and marketing plan of action to follow for their personal success. Larry is President and CEO of Minnesota Sales Training, Inc., www.mnsalestraining.com and has been conducting sales training and motivation seminars for the military recruiting command and the civilian world since 1973. Minnesota Sales Training, Inc., is now under an MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding) between The VICTRI and Minnesota Sales Training, Inc., and as such has taken over the CEO responsibilities and day-to-day activities of The VICTRI assisting Veterans with their business start-ups. Larry is also a retired U.S. Army First Sergeant, having served 29 years from 1966 to 1995 in all three branches of the United States Army (Active Army/Army Reserves/Army National Guard).
Dr. Lonnie Morgan, Director
Dr. Lonnie Morgan is working with the Green Institute to establish Innovation Centers nationwide to increase the development of and proliferation of green technologies in our everyday lives. Dr. Morgan has also worked tirelessly since the 1970’s to increase opportunities for youths in the inner city, to create opportunities for minorities nationwide and reduce racial tensions in the community. Over the past 4 decades, Dr. Morgan has successfully conducted fundraising for several non-profits, is an expert in grant writing and brings strong relationships with the investment community to the VICTRI. Lonnie teaches at the University of Minnesota, Concordia University and Hamline University in Business, Business Development and Law. He received his MBA from Hamline University, JD from the William Mitchell College of Law and his PhD from Hamline University. Dr. Morgan served with the 101st Airborne Division and played on the Screaming Eagle football and baseball teams. Lonnie, as a former starting football player with the University of Minnesota, enjoys relationships with several minority professional athletes nationwide.