OUR TEAM
Richard “Rick” Ecker
Founder & chief executive officer
Rick Ecker is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Vets on Track Foundation, a nationally emerging nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness among military veterans and first responders and strengthening the communities in which they live.
With more than 38 years of distinguished public service, Rick has worked at every level within the Department of Defense, serving in senior leadership roles where he advised decision-makers, built strategic partnerships, and helped bring national attention to critical issues impacting service members, veterans, and military families.
Rick spent over 22 years in the United States Marine Corps, where he built a career in Public Affairs, Community Engagement, and Media Relations. Throughout his military service, he worked closely with Marines and veterans from all branches of the armed forces, gaining a deep understanding of the personal, professional, and transitional challenges they face.
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Rick served as Executive Director of the United States Marines Youth Foundation, a nationally recognized, military-focused youth fitness and leadership organization. In this role, he led national programming, corporate partnerships, and community outreach efforts focused on building resilience, character, and service among military-connected youth.
Rick later continued his federal service as a government contractor, managing a major Air Force Public Affairs contract supporting Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, as well as the Public Affairs Office at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. He ultimately retired as the Director of Community Outreach for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after more than 13 years in that role, where he served as a senior advisor and liaison to nonprofit, corporate, and civic organizations nationwide.
Throughout his career, Rick has been a leading national advocate for veterans and military families. His work placed him at the intersection of government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, where he gained firsthand insight into the systemic barriers veterans face — particularly in housing stability, reintegration, mental health, and long-term support.
Motivated by what he witnessed over decades of service, Rick founded the Vets on Track Foundation with a singular mission: to end homelessness among military veterans and first responders and restore dignity, purpose, and stability to those who have served.
Alongside his wife, Lesley, and daughters, Brittany and Rileigh, Rick built the Foundation to deliver practical, mission-driven solutions — including housing stabilization, home furnishings through the Beyond the Streets initiative, community reintegration programs, and partnerships that directly address the root causes of homelessness.
As Founder and CEO, Rick leads the organization's strategic vision, national partnerships, and program development. Under his leadership, the Vets on Track Foundation is growing into a nationally recognized force for change — one focused not on temporary relief, but on sustainable outcomes that help veterans and first responders move from crisis to stability, from survival to self-sufficiency, and from homelessness to home.
Josh Willett
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Joshua brings more than two decades of military service, professional leadership, and community involvement to his role as Director of Business Development for the Vets on Track Foundation.
Josh has served for 23 years in the United States Army Reserve, completing three deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve. As a Master Sergeant, he continues to serve stateside, supporting military operations through logistics and transportation management. Throughout his military career, Josh has earned numerous awards and commendations recognizing his service, leadership, and dedication.
In his civilian career, Josh works in executive management at Live! Casino, where he has developed extensive experience in leadership, operations, relationship building, and organizational management. He brings that experience to the Foundation as he strengthens business and community partnerships, develops new relationships, and expands support for the Foundation’s mission.
Service extends well beyond Josh’s military and professional careers. He has volunteered with numerous local charities and community organizations and continues to seek opportunities to make a meaningful difference in others' lives.
Josh is also a devoted husband and proud father of four daughters who keep him on his toes.
As Director of Business Development, Josh looks forward to combining his military experience, professional leadership, and commitment to community service to help advance the Vets on Track Foundation and its work supporting veterans, first responders, and their families.
BRIAN CASEY
DIRECTOR, Virginians Give Back
Growing up in the Commonwealth instilled in him a deep appreciation for community, hard work, and the people who quietly hold everything together. Today, he channels those values into both his professional and nonprofit work — helping individuals and families find not just houses, but homes where life can truly unfold.
As Director of Virginians Give Back for the Vets on Track Foundation, Brian leads community-driven initiatives focused on honoring and supporting military veterans, first responders, and the families who stand beside them. His work centers on mobilizing local businesses, volunteers, and partners across Virginia to deliver meaningful support, resources, and recognition to those who serve.
With immense respect for military and first responder communities, Brian is deeply committed to ensuring their sacrifices never go unnoticed. Through special programs, outreach events, and acts of appreciation, he works to strengthen the bond between those who serve and the communities they protect — living out the mission of Virginians giving back to Virginians, every day.
Rileigh Neff
DIRECTOR, THE FINAL MILE
Rileigh Neff serves as Director of The Final Mile Initiative for the Vets on Track Foundation, bringing together a lifelong connection to the military community, years of volunteer service, and a healthcare career built around compassionate, patient-centered care.
Growing up in a military family, Rileigh developed an early understanding of service, sacrifice, and the importance of caring for those who have served. Her connection to the Vets on Track Foundation began at a young age, volunteering throughout middle and high school and participating firsthand in the Foundation’s efforts to support veterans, first responders, and their families.
Rileigh graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a nursing degree and began her nursing career during one of the most challenging periods in modern healthcare—the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse at Stafford Hospital, she cared for critically ill patients and supported families facing uncertainty, fear, and some of life’s most difficult moments. That experience helped shape her understanding of compassionate presence, clear communication, dignity, and the importance of simply being there when patients and families need it most.
She later served as a Registered Nurse with the Virginia Treatment Center for Children, working in mental health services and further developing her experience in patient advocacy, behavioral health, and family-centered care.
Committed to advancing her ability to serve others, Rileigh continued her education at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), earning her master’s degree and becoming a Nurse Practitioner. She currently serves as the Lead Provider for KidMed Urgent Care, combining clinical expertise and leadership with a compassionate approach to caring for children and their families.
As Director of The Final Mile Initiative, Rileigh brings this diverse healthcare experience together with a deeply personal commitment to the mission of the Vets on Track Foundation. She will help lead an initiative dedicated to ensuring that veterans and first responders receiving hospice or end-of-life care are treated with dignity, honored for their service, and reminded that they remain part of a grateful community.
Rileigh will help oversee the development and training of Final Mile Ambassadors, cultivate relationships with hospice organizations and healthcare partners, and ensure Ambassadors understand their unique role as compassionate companions—not medical providers, therapists, hospice professionals, or clergy.
For Rileigh, The Final Mile Initiative represents the continuation of a journey of service that began as a young Foundation volunteer, grew through a career caring for people during some of their most vulnerable moments, and now brings her back to serving the veteran and first responder community that helped shape who she is.
Through Compassion. Dignity. Honor., Rileigh and The Final Mile Initiative embrace a simple but powerful commitment:
Those who served should never face their final mile feeling forgotten or alone.
Jason Mueller
Director, Resiliency Among Warriors (R.A.W.)
Jason Mueller serves as the Director of Resiliency Among Warriors (R.A.W.), bringing a lifetime of service, faith, and leadership to the mission of supporting military members, veterans, and their families.
As a former active-duty Marine, Jason felt a profound calling to serve his country and protect the freedoms we hold dear. Like so many who answer that call, his service came with significant personal and family sacrifices. During a deployment in the late 1990s, Jason sustained a lower back injury and a traumatic brain injury, ultimately preventing him from continuing his military career. He was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps in May of 2001.
While deployed in Kuwait in 1998, Jason experienced a second calling—this time to ministry. Following his discharge, he pursued that calling and became a pastor, dedicating his life to serving communities and sharing God’s Word. Although his passion for ministry was strong, his deepest desire remained rooted in serving those who have worn the uniform and the families who stand beside them.
In 2021, Jason’s path intersected with Steve Wingfield, evangelist and CEO of Wingfield Ministries, Inc., who challenged him to step out in faith and fully embrace his calling to support active-duty and Reserve service members, veterans, and their families—collectively referred to as “our warriors.”
Today, through Resiliency Among Warriors, Jason leads with a mission centered on hope, healing, and purpose. Drawing from his personal experiences in both military service and pastoral leadership, he is committed to helping warriors navigate life’s challenges, strengthen their resilience, and rediscover their God-given purpose. His leadership of R.A.W. reflects his lifelong belief that no warrior should ever fight alone.
Jesse Settle
Director, Fallen Heroes Initiative
Jesse Settle currently works as a state and local government consultant in Richmond, Virginia. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Media Arts & Design with a Minor in Criminal Justice in 2020 and his Master of Public Administration degree in 2022, both at James Madison University.
Growing up in a family involved in the United States Army and Virginia State Police, Jesse understood early on the sacrifices made by first responders and veteran families to serve others. He recognized that veterans can never be fully repaid for the trauma and experiences they endure, but he felt a strong urge to serve them and their families in some way. That’s how the Fallen Heroes Initiative (FHI) program started.
FHI was founded to support widowed first responder and veteran families and to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, which is accomplished through educational scholarships, informational resources, and various recreational fundraisers (i.e., 2025 Marine Corps Marathon "FUN"draiser).
BRANDI TAYLOR
Director, Community Connection Project
Brandi is a proud United States Army Veteran and serves as the Director of the Community Connection Project for the Vets on Track Foundation. During her military service, she worked as a 93P Aviation Operations Specialist and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii. She also deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina with the 18th Airborne Corps.
Brandi has remained deeply committed to serving the veteran community long after leaving the military. She is an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the DAV Auxiliary. From 2020 to 2025, she served as Treasurer for DAV Chapter 50 and currently continues her service as a Chapter Service Officer, providing vital claims assistance to fellow veterans.
In her professional career, Brandi works as a Registered Nurse at the Richmond Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she advocates daily for the health and well-being of veterans. Her dedication to service was recognized in 2023 when she received the Community Hero Award from the Vets on Track Foundation.
Brandi is also a lifelong learner, holding an Associate’s Degree in Finance from Hawaii Pacific University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Through her leadership of the Community Connection Project, Brandi is passionate about strengthening the bond between veterans, first responders, and the communities they serve—ensuring no hero feels alone after their service ends.
