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Spotlight on This Able Veteran Board President, Jonathan Mitchell

Jonathan Mitchell has served on This Able Veteran’s (TAV) Board of Directors since
2016. He became aware of TAV, a non-profit organization located in southern Illinois,
through his affiliation with Rotary.

“When Phil Gillespie, a former member of TAV’s Board of Directors and fellow Rotarian
told me about this about this great program that helps veterans suffering from PTSD, I
was impressed. As a veteran myself, I thought this organization’s mission was
outstanding, so when he asked me to join the board, I didn’t hesitate,” said Jonathan.
Jonathan says his experiences serving TAV have been enriching.

“TAV is an organization that provides personal and direct support to help veterans in
need. Every year I get to see the substantial impact that TAV makes for the veterans
who are chosen to be part of this program, which is why I continue to proudly serve on
TAV’s Board,” he said.

Jonathan’s has a rich and varied background. Born in Tyler, Texas, he graduated from
Baylor University with a Business degree and a secondary education teaching
certificate. After graduating, he started his professional career with a marketing
company headquartered in St. Louis. Jonathan worked on projects including the 1996
Olympic Torch Relay, the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and he traveled the
country on projects for K-Mart and Coca-Cola.

After two years of marketing, meeting his wife, and getting married, he returned to
school for a graduate degree and attended law school at the University of Oklahoma.
Immediately after graduation from law school, Jonathan started with the US Navy Judge
Advocate General’s Corps and his first duty locations were at Naval Air Station
Jacksonville, Florida and at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. After five years of active
duty, he transitioned into the Navy Reserve and he and his wife, and their two
daughters, moved to southern Illinois where he has practiced law in the civilian sector
since 2005 while continuing to serve in the US Navy Reserve. He is currently the
Managing Partner for Feirich/Mager/Green/Ryan law firm in Carbondale, Illinois, where
he has a general practice, but focuses on corporate law and civil litigation.

With almost 23 years of military service, Jonathan currently is a Captain serving as the
Commanding Officer of the Navy Reserve Region Legal Service Midwest at Naval
Station Great Lakes.

“The Navy has allowed me to travel the globe and it has opened doors for me
throughout my life. During my active and reserve career, I have served at locations
across the US and in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba, Bahrain, Italy, and Japan,” he said.

Jonathan has always had an affinity for dogs, which also helped him relate well with
This Able Veteran.

“I had a Labrador Retriever for the past nine years named Cash, who
unfortunately passed away in 2022. Cash was a two-time champion of the Splash Dogs
retriever jumping contest at John A. Logan Community College Fishing and Hunting
Days. He was a member of the family and a smart and loyal friend,” said Jonathan.
For the dogs TAV trains each year, Jonathan says he stands in awe watching the
trainers train the dogs for the veterans.

“I have a tremendous amount of pride and joy observing Behesha Doan, founder of This
Able Veteran, and the trainers work and teach the dogs with the goal of pairing each
dog with a veteran in need. Even though I have seen the fully-trained dogs many times
in the past seven years, I continue to find it amazing to watch the service dogs work
with and support their veterans,” he said.

Jonathan’s wife, Christie Mitchell, is a lecturer at Southern Illinois University in
Carbondale, Illinois and teaches in the marketing department of the SIU School of
Business. They have two daughters, Annie and Grace, who are both currently attending
the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Jonathan says in his spare time, he
enjoys exercise, golf, and spending time with friends and family.

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This Able Veteran Spotlight: Meet Jon Steele, This Able Veteran Graduate, and His Dog, Lobo

Jon Steele completed the Trauma Resiliency Program at This Able Veteran in the fall of 2020. At the end of the program, he was paired with his service dog, Lobo, and it’s been a lasting match ever since. Recently, he and Lobo were asked by Mid America Pet Food Company to go to Dallas and be in a video featuring veterans and their service dogs. Naturally, Jon jumped at the chance and he and Lobo flew to Dallas in early March. The video will be aired later this month.

“The experience was so much fun! It was amazing to see how much coordination and effort goes into a video shoot like this. All the crew were so friendly and helpful, and my hat goes off to them for their excellence!” said Steele. “Lobo was amazing of course. I had him vested most of the time, either for the shoot or working. He certainly helped me stay present and comfortable on set.”

Steele says that This Able Veteran’s program was something he will never forget and that he is so grateful to have participated.

“The Trauma Resiliency Program was tough, with a lot of information and emotions, but worth every second. The people at This Able Veteran are simply the best people and program you could imagine. I feel like I was introduced to a whole new family that I’m thankful and proud to be a part of!”

Steele encourages other veterans who are suffering from PTSD to consider applying to This Able Veteran.

“This Able Veteran provided me with the expertise and support to be more introspective. I have a much better understanding of what is triggering me and how to mitigate it. My marriage has strengthened and relationships that were nearly severed are now very strong,” said Steele.

Steele lives in Thornton, Colorado, approximately 30 minutes north of Denver and he is a cyber security engineer at Raytheon Intelligence & Space. Steele says he and his wife enjoy taking Lobo for hikes in the Colorado Mountains, and swimming with him in nearby lakes.

‘I love watching him run and play in the water like a little pup. He has brought me so much joy!”

If you would like to learn more about This Able Veteran and its mission, please visit thisableveteran.org. To learn how you can support This Able Veteran, visit https://thisableveteran.org/how-you-can-help/donate-now/

 

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