Leadership

Jesse Reising

Co-Founder and President

Jesse Reising graduated from Yale University in 2011 as a double-major in Economics and Political Science. A starting linebacker on Yale’s varsity football team, Jesse was a semi-finalist for the William Campbell Trophy (“Academic Heisman”), selected as an Academic All-American, was awarded Yale’s Chester Laroche Award (senior who did the most for Yale), received Yale’s David Everett Chantler Award for courage, strength of character, and high moral purpose, and was the recipient of the Yale Football Association’s Senior Leadership Award. Jesse has worked for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where he worked closely with veterans’ service organizations, and he now works as a contractor in support of the United States government.

Jesse’s dream was to serve in the United States Marine Corps, and he completed the first half of Marine Corps Officer Candidates’ School in the summer of 2009. In the 2010 Yale-Harvard football game, the final game of his career, Jesse was involved in a devastating collision that paralyzed most of his right arm and left him unable to pursue his dream of becoming a Marine. Upon receiving a nationwide outpouring of support in response to his injury, Jesse and classmate Nick Rugoff founded Operation Opportunity in order to redirect that support toward those now serving in Jesse’s place.

jesse.reising@operationopportunity.org

Nick Rugoff

Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
Executive Director: Gold Star Scholars Project

Nick Rugoff graduated from Yale University in 2011. He has four years of experience as a college admissions mentor and tutor, and has helped create a variety of successful startup non-profits including Eli Africa and New Haven Host Families. His leadership experience includes time as the Co-Editor in Chief and National Editor of Yale’s undergraduate political journal The Politic, President of leading student investment group Globalfund, Founder and Head of Cincinnatus Capital Partners, and President of New Haven Host Families.

nicholas.rugoff@operationopportunity.org

Christopher Howell

Executive Director: Warrior-Scholar Project

Christopher Howell is President of the Eli Whitney Students Association at Yale College. Prior to matriculating at Yale, Chris spent just under a decade serving in the Australian Army. Seven of those years were spent in Special Operations Command, predominately with the 2nd Commando Regiment. During that period Chris fulfilled a number of roles. He served in Afghanistan in 2006 with the Special Operations Task Group and subsequently in the Tactical Assault Group (East), Australia’s domestic counterterrorism and hostage rescue capability. In 2008 Chris transferred to the reserve special operations unit while he prepared for and later matriculated at the University of Sydney. After a successful year, Chris applied for and was admitted to Yale University through the Eli Whitney Students Program—an admissions program for non-traditional students with unique or extraordinary backgrounds.

christopher.howell@operationopportunity.org

Zachary Fuhrer

Executive Director: Ivy Corps

Zachary Fuhrer graduated from Yale University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in History. In college, Zachary served as an Arts & Living editor for the Yale Daily News and President of Chabad at Yale, while playwriting and fronting the band Suitcase of Keys. Outside of school, Fuhrer has worked in media and communications for Forbes, Universal Republic Records, the Public Theater and Susan Blond, Inc., and tutored high school students for New York State Regents exams and the SAT. He will spend the next year pursuing research on mental health care policy in Brazil, funded by Yale’s Gordon Grand Fellowship.

zachary.fuhrer@operationopportuity.org

Tim Handlon

Director of Marketing

Tim “Bear” Handlon graduated from Yale University in 2010 with a degree in Political Science. A starting middle linebacker on Yale's football team, Handlon was an Academic All-American selection his senior season. While at Yale, Handlon also spearheaded a foundation that raised money to send care packages to our brave soldiers serving overseas. Although it started with just an idea, Handlon and his peers were able to raise over $15,000 within the first year of operation. Handlon's lifelong dream is to eventually become a U.S. Navy SEAL, but he has put that dream on hold and hopes to now serve by assisting our service members and their family members through this organization. Handlon now manages field marketing operations in Indiana and Illinois for Red Bull North America and plans to use that his marketing experience to help raise awareness about Operation Opportunity.

timothy.handlon@operationopportunity.org

Cliff Foreman

Assistant Director: Warrior-Scholar Project

Cliff Foreman is a Yale University senior majoring in history. Born and raised in Washington D.C., Clifford comes from a family of rich military service as his uncle, grandfather and great grandfather all attended West Point, with his great-grandfather serving in WWI and WWII, his grandfather serving in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, and his uncle serving in Vietnam. A graduate of St. Albans High School, Cliff actively participates in the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and starts at Defensive End for the Yale Football Team.

clifford.foreman@operationopportunity.org

Allen Davis

Assistant Director: Gold Star Scholars Project

Allen Davis is a Yale University senior majoring in Political Science. Originally from Grand Prairie, Texas, Allen has been involved with a host of charitable organizations through his time with the Civil Air Patrol. At Yale, Allen is active in the Black Men's Union, Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and the Yale Football team, on which he is a three-year letterman and starting defensive end.

allen.davis@operationopportunity.org

Nicholas Schneider

Assistant Director: Ivy Corps

Nick Schneider is a senior in Saybrook College at Yale hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio. As a freshman, Nick was a part of the founding team at ReadySetLaunch, a non-profit organization which provides one-on-one college counseling for underprivileged high school students. As Director of External Relations, he was a key player in helping the organization win the JP Morgan Chase Community Giving Challenge, among other things. Nick is also a member of the varsity football team and the Vice President of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Yale.

Kallie Parchman

Director of Outreach - Partner Organizations

Kallie Parchman is a sophomore at Yale from Baltimore, MD and is double majoring in economics and psychology. She is a member of the Yale lacrosse team and started as a freshman. On campus she is also a mentor for ReadySetLaunch and is involved in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the Kiphuth Leadership Academy, and Athletes in Action. Her oldest brother, a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, has inspired her to support our military heroes and their families.

Earl Johnson IV

Director of Outreach - Events and Fundraising Coordinator

Earl Johnson IV graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Society. His leadership experience includes time served on the board of leading environmental conservation group Ducks Unlimited, as Rush Chair and Social Chair of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, as coach and mentor for eight to ten year olds through the Salvation Army and YMCA, an active leader for his Church Youth Group, and regular volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He is currently an investment professional in New York City.