Don Espinoza created the Veteran’s Family and Friends Employee Resource Group at Moda Health. He is a seasoned licensed insurance and financial service professional with over 30 years of experience. He is currently a Medicare Benefits Advisor at Moda Health and has served in the Army elite 82nd Airborne Division, 3/505th Parachute Infantry Regiment for 3 years, and is a 5-year veteran of the Army National Guard. He helped create the Portland Veterans Day Parade committee, which relaunched the parade in 2022!

A seasoned healthcare management professional with over 30 years of experience in medical device innovation and sterile processing. A dedicated veteran himself, Shawn has actively contributed to veterans’ advocacy through roles such as Veterans Affairs Chair for Portland's NAACP and member of the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS). His commitment extends to organizing community events like the Portland Veterans Day Parade, demonstrating his leadership and passion for honoring and supporting veterans.

Napoleon is the Commander of the Portland Oregon Chapter of the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS), one of the most active chapters in this Congressionally-Certified Veterans Organization. Continuing his family history of military service, he has served in the Army National Guard (2 yrs) US Marines (10 yrs Active Duty), and Air Force Reserves (2 yrs). Napoleon has an extensive background working with the Military Community, assisting veterans and their families obtain the medical and other benefits that were earned through their military service, as well as working with Community Partners to address the issues faced by homeless veterans. When Napoleon heard about the Portland Veterans Day being canceled permanently in 2021, he formed the nonprofit Veterans Day Portland, Inc. and he is the Project Manager for the team to organize and successfully conduct the parade that was re-launched in 2022. Napoleon is the owner of Akata Sun LLC, a local company focused on Community Engagement, Emergency Preparedness and Sustainability Projects.

Bob Lloyd has been with The Salvation Army for 33 years and has served up and down the west coast in a variety of positions and has served in administrative capacities at several divisional headquarters as well as the western territory corporate office in California. Bob has been married to his Seattle Pacific University college sweetheart for 45 years and has grown children in Washington state and has 4 grandchildren. Bob is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University and the Washington State Military Academy.

Cleveland McCord was drafted in November of 1967, and served in the military about 25 years. He served two years active in the Army, where he was stationed in Germany for three months, after his vacation in Germany.

Cleveland was sent to Fort Hood, Texas and stationed there for five and a half months, this is where he was prepped for his final journey (Vietnam). He spent nine months and twenty-two days in Vietnam.

He returned home in November of 1969 and joined the 104th Army Reserve Training Division in May of 1973, where he was an instructor on the M161EtAl Rifle as a Sergeant E5.

He was promoted to a Staff Sergeant, in June of 1974. In February 1976 he was promoted to a Sergeant First Class. For the next twenty years he trained on every weapon for the basic training soldier. He was a squad leader, a platoon leader, an acting first sergeant, and a acting Sergeant Major. Cleveland also started and was the platoon sergeant for the patrolling Committee, for three years. He started and ran the color guard for the 104th Division for about five years, then left the 104th in February
1986. Cleveland received his retirement paper in July of 2002.

Cleveland also volunteers with the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS) and serves as the Membership Chair.

Dr. Salina Norton is a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, Retired. She served from 1985-2005 as an Administrative Specialist (71L3HF4). Some of her duties included Instructor, Master Driver Trainer, Operations/Security NCOIC, Platoon Sergeant, Postal Supervisor, and Training NCO. Dr. Norton earned a Doctorate (Ph.D.), in Psychology with a concentration in Coaching Psychology, Capella University. She currently serves as a Veteran’s Service Officer (VSO), for the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS); a Certified Group Leader, Facilitator and Volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Multnomah, Portland, OR, and is honored to serve on the Veteran’s Day Parade Committee.

Larry Peters is a Medicare Benefits Advisor at Moda Health. An occasional musician and absolute beginner artist, he has been involved in organizing a number of local street fairs and community events. He has worked at several Portland newspapers, still roots for the Philadelphia sports teams he grew up watching in New Jersey, and has lived with his wife in Rose City Park for over 20 years, where they raised their son, who is now a Portland State student studying to be a Public School Music Teacher.