Hire Heroes USA Advisory Board Members:

Kortney Clemons

After losing a leg in roadside bomb in 2005 while helping a colleague, Mr. Kortney Clemons was the first Iraq war Veteran to qualify for the U.S. Paralympic team and compete at the Beijing Games.

Five days before he was due to be discharged from the Army, on Feb. 21, 2005, 24 year old Clemons, a combat medic in the 1st Cavalry Division, went to help a soldier whose Humvee had been blown off a dirt road outside Baghdad by an insurgent's bomb. "I crawled to the other side of the road where my friends were, and they covered me up," Clemons said. "I was sitting, talking to them, and they were trying to keep me alert." Doctors severed Clemons' right leg from the mid-thigh down.

"It was like starting all over. It was like a new beginning for me," Clemons said. "I can do what anyone else does, it just takes a little more time."  Six months later Clemons began running with a prosthetic limb, insisting he went through a period of "re-introducing myself to myself".  "I came to the realisation that God did this for a reason. He wanted me to make something more of myself. I had to lose my leg to find the real me." A few months after that uplifting first run he claimed the US national Paralympic title in the 100m sprint. He failed to win a medal in Beijing, but the single amputee continues to improve. 

The native of Little Rock, Mississippi, has always loved sports. Before joining the Army, he played junior college football and in spite of being 5ft10 and 145lbs, was a formidable defensive back. He has shown the same inspiration as a Paralympian. Clemons insists he is "living proof that you can accomplish anything".

Dan Lavelle

Dan Lavelle is a 2007 Graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.  Shortly after graduation, Dan went to work for SEI Investments in the sales division of their Wealth Management unit.  After almost two years there, Dan moved to his current position as a Project Manager within SEI's Private Banking Unit.  Dan has also been affiliated with Hire Heroes USA since April of 2009.  Dan is originally from Dunmore, PA and currently lives in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia

Eric Shaw

SSG Erik Shaw served from 2000-2006 in the US Army. Shaw served in Korea and in 2005 was deployed to Iraq with the US Army’s 3rd ACR Predator Btry.  While in Iraq his Platoon encountered over 40 IEDS and countless Small arms and mortar/RPG attacks.  On May 15th SSG’s vehicle took a direct hit from an IED and at the time there were no injuries but this event started a chain reaction that by the end of December 2005 had forced SSG Shaw to be medically evacuated to Germany. A training accident in Tal afar Iraq exposed a list of untreated problems that if left untreated would have cost SSG Shaw his life.  SSG Shaw spent over twelve months rehabbing and having medical treatments that allowed for a full recovery.

SSG Erik Shaw now works for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in the ISD Relocation Department and also is involved with Cyber Warfare and Terrorism prevention in US Army Reserves. He previously earned a college degree in the area of Computer Networking and Administration.

He currently volunteers his time to HHUSA assisting in multiple capacities and aims to educate veterans on post military careers and promote the VA to make sure veterans are aware of potential war time injuries.

LT Joel Starzmann

LT Joel Starzmann was born in Philadelphia, PA on April 18, 1980, and graduated on the  23rd of May, 2003 from The United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.  Upon commissioning from the Naval Academy he worked for six months in the Professional Development Department of the Academy until beginning his primary Naval Flight Officer (NFO) training at VT-4 aboard NAS Pensacola in Florida.  He then attended advanced NFO training at Randolph Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas.

After completing his P-3C training at VP-30, LT Starzmann reported to the War Eagles of Patrol Squadron SIXTEEN (VP-16) in May 2005.

During LT Starzmann’s first deployment with VP-16 he participated in detachments to Al Udeid, Qatar as well as Djibouti in support of Operations IRAQI Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He led his crew on a wide range of missions flying over several countries including Bulgaria, Cape Verde, France, and Crete.

Shortly afterwards, LT Starzmann was handpicked to surge for over two months to Al Udeid, Qatar.

Upon returning from surge LT Starzmann achieved the highly coveted qualification as Patrol Plane Tactical Coordinator, Patrol Plane Mission Commander, and Instructor Patrol Plane Tactical Coordinator.

During LT Starzmann’s second deployment with VP-16 he participated in operations in both 6th and 7th Fleet AOR’s as the Mission Commander of Combat Air Crew 2.

While at VP-16, LT Starzmann’s ground jobs have included VP-16 AW Division Officer, Hosting Officer, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Collaboration, and Intelligence Officer (C5I).  While C5I Officer LT Starzmann set up several exercises with Marines out of Camp Lejeune, NC. He was a liason between 2nd Battalion/2nd Marines, 1st Battalion/2nd Marines, and SPEC OPS Personnel in Virginia. LT Starzmann also coordinated a P-3C Flyover at the United States Naval Academy for the Navy/Delaware football game in October 2007.

LT Starzmann recently received a Masters Degree in Professional Studies with a focus in Leadership Development. He is currently the 6th Company Officer at the United States Naval Academy.

Joshua Glover

Captain Joshua L. Glover was born and raised in Dallas, TX.  He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 2001.

Captain Glover completed three combat deployments to Iraq while serving as an infantry officer in 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. In 2003 he commanded a rifle platoon during the first days of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, in the spring of 2004 he commanded a Mobile Assault Platoon in Fallujah, and in 2005 he served as the Executive Officer of an infantry company in Ramadi.

After leaving 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Captain Glover was stationed at Marine Barracks Washington DC from 2005 to 2008.  During this tour, Captain Glover served as a company Executive Officer and commanded the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon.

In 2008, Captain Glover was selected to join United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC).  In 2009 Captain Glover completed an eight-month combat deployment to Afghanistan while serving as a Team Commander in MARSOC’s 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion.

Josh and his wife, Heather, reside in Wilmington, NC.