Great leadership, great outcomes

Safe Surfin’ Leadership

Our Executive Leadership and Board has vast backgrounds in law enforcement, non-profits, and the private sector.

Eddie Worth

Eddie Worth

Executive Director/President

Eddie joined the Safe Surfin’ Foundation staff in 2012 as a volunteer after a very successful sales management career in the health and sanitation industry.

 

A native Virginian, Eddie graduated from Natural Bridge High School andthen attended Phillips Business College. Over the next 30 years, Eddie attended several major marketing and management training programs, as he progressed upward in his career. During that career, with a Fortune 500 company, Eddie developed skills which placed him in front of the leaders of major U.S. Industries, Resorts and Health Care facilities.

 

Eddie has served as a member of the Floyd County Drug Court since its inception in 2018. Eddie is Past President of The Virginia Moose Association, and resides in Floyd County, Virginia with his wife Teresa who is an accomplished artist.

Sheriff Brown

Sheriff Mike Brown, Ret.

Founder & Chairman of the Board

Sheriff Brown has served in the law enforcement arena for 53 years, and is a retired Senior Special Agent, United States Treasury Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He served in the US Army, Military Police Corps, from 1967 to 1970; as a Tactical Officer, Special Operations Division, Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, DC; as a Staff Support Specialist with the Department of Defense; and prior to his election as Sheriff on January 1,1996, he served as a criminal justice consultant/instructor with the United States Department of Justice, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

 

Sheriff Brown has directed, since 1998, the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, for the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He testified before Congress in 1999 on matters concerning Internet crimes against children (sexual exploitation of children and the problem of child pornography on the Internet).

 

Sheriff Brown is a member of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, National Sheriffs’ Association; Vice Chair, Board of Directors, National White collar Crime Center; and former member of the Board of Advisors, Law Enforcement Innovation Center, University of Tennessee.

 

The Sheriff is a graduate of The American University, Washington, DC, with BS Degree in the Administration of Justice and Police Administration.

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Marcus H. Long

Board Member

Judge Long is a retired Chief Circuit Judge of the 27th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. He was born in Radford, Virginia and resided in Blacksburg, Virginia his entire life prior to recently retiring to the Lake Norman area of North Carolina. Judge Long graduated from Virginia Tech in 1973 and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1976. He has been married to his wife Elizabeth for 36 years and they have two adult daughters. He was appointed judge by the Virginia Legislature in 2005 and retired in 2020 as Chief Judge of the 27th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. During his career on the bench, Judge Long established a family drug treatment court program along with five adult drug treatment courts. Virginia’s Lawyers Weekly named Judge Long a Leader in the Law in Virginia in 2016.

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Eric Winkler

Board Member

Eric Winkler is a dynamic professional with a diverse skill set that spans real estate development, business creation, and brand innovation. A graduate of Marymount California University, Eric holds a degree in Communications and minor in criminal justice, showcasing his expertise in navigating people and his commitment to understanding and addressing societal challenges.

 

Throughout his career, Eric has emerged as a visionary in the realm of real estate, as he’s developed real estate in up-and-coming markets and refurbished historical landmarks. His ventures also include the successful creation of businesses and brands, where his ability to identify market opportunities and drive innovation has set him apart.

 

Driven by a desire to help others, Eric actively seeks out problems as opportunities for meaningful solutions. His commitment to social responsibility is not only evident in his academic pursuits but also in his professional endeavors, where he consistently explores ways to contribute to the betterment of society.

 

Eric’s journey is a testament to the power of merging business with a genuine passion for social impact. As he continues to navigate the intersections of real estate, entrepreneurship, and justice, Eric is dedicated to creating positive change in both the business world and the broader community.

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Terry Treadwell

Board Member

After completing his studies in Business and serving in the US Army, Terry moved to the Northern Virginia area in 1990. Over The next fifteen years Terry racked up awards creating and implementing innovative programs as a rising star in the automotive service industry.

 

In 2008, Terry transitioned to the non-profit sector accepting an executive position with an international trade association. Terry excelled in this role, developing programs and services that members valued resulting in unprecedented member acquisition and retention. Always seeking opportunities to take on new and exciting challenges and cause real change, in 2010 Terry accepted a founding role in PotholeRepair.Com where he continues to develop and deliver high value programs and create strong partnerships within the property and facility management industries as Vice President Business Development and Sales.

 

Terry has also maintained a focus on community over the years, serving on various boards and committees as a tireless volunteer. All that know him agree Terry is a genuine treasure that leads by example demonstrating honesty, integrity, and an enthusiastic willingness to help others.

 

Terry and his wife Paulette reside in Montclair, Virginia. They have three daughters and four grandchildren.

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Debbie Repass

Board Member

Debbie worked as a paralegal in the areas of tax law, white collar crime, bankruptcy, real estate, litigation, labor law, employment law, and as a corporate in-house while employed by the federal government, a labor union at AFL-CIO headquarters, private corporations, sole practitioners, a credit union, and the White House during the Reagan Administration.

 

Debbie was the President of a national paralegal association – the American Alliance of Paralegals. She has been a guest speaker at education conferences on ethics, the future of the paralegal profession, and paralegal regulation. Debbie has been published in various professional journals and bar and paralegal association newsletters. She also wrote a paper titled “The Ethical Wall – Its Application to Paralegals” which was published through Westlaw, a legal research industry leader.

 

Debbie served on many community boards and committees in her native Washington, DC. She received an award for her dedication to Y-Me of the National Capital Area.

 

Debbie is a magna cum laude graduate of George Mason University with a degree in Legal Studies.

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Jeff Lybarger

Board Member

Jeffrey D. Lybarger is an Vice President for the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) responsible for the daily operations, grant management, and oversight of all NW3C training curriculum. Prior to his current position, Jeff served as the Director of Training, Manager of the High-Tech Crimes Section, Supervisor of the Internet Crime Complaint Center, NW3C Training Instructor, and NW3C Internet Crime Analyst. As the Director of Training, Jeff was responsible for overseeing the economic crime and intelligence analysis curriculum and training. In this capacity, Jeff oversaw the planning, assignment, and direction of NW3C training instructors and curriculum development staff. Jeff was also responsible for grant management, budgeting, and resource allocation.

 

As the Manager of the High-Tech Crimes Section, Jeff oversaw the daily operations of all cybercrime related classes, curriculum, and personnel. Responsibilities also included creating partnerships with digital forensic tool providers, scheduling of classes, technical writing, and grant management.

 

Prior to managing the High-Tech Crimes Section, Jeff was the Supervisor of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a joint partnership between NW3C and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Fairmont, WV. While in this capacity, Jeff was responsible for overseeing the tasks and analytical functions of several NW3C analysts as it related to Internet crime investigations.

 

Previously, Jeff spent over ten years as a Training Instructor teaching financial crime investigations and intelligence analysis classes to thousands of law enforcement officers nationwide. Topics included identity theft, money laundering, security fraud investigations, link charting, crime pattern analysis, i2 Analyst Notebook, interviewing techniques, and using social media/open source information for investigations.

 

Jeff is a certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and received his graduate degree from West Virginia University.

Dr Janet Brown

Dr. Janet Brown

Board Member

Dr. Janet Brown is a Professor in the Psychology Department at Liberty University. She has taught General Psychology (Honors), Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Criminal Behavior, Introduction to Research and Directed Research. Dr. Brown has taught the following courses online: Psychology of Childhood, Research 201 and Statistics for Psychology 355. She currently teaches General Psychology (Honors), Developmental Psychology (Honors), Personality Psychology (Psyc 341), and Studies in Interpersonal Communication – HSCO 508. She is an Advisor to Alpha Lambda Delta honors society and serves on Honors thesis committees

 

Dr. Brown is a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research, Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Key Women Educators, the National Coalition on Violence against Animals, the American Association of Christian Counselors, and the Virginia Association for Psychological Science.

 

Dr. Brown received an award from the Center for Research & Scholarship at Liberty University to pursue research on Social Cognitive Theory and its Application to the Cyber S.W.A.T. Program. The research is also sponsored by the National White Collar Crime Center.

 

The Cyber S.W.A.T.™ Team Program is a paradigm shift in online safety and responsibility education. What makes this program—and her research—unique is its utilization of peer-to-peer learning. This research will examine whether young people listen to and learn from a similarly-aged peer more readily than they do with adults. It is anticipated that data obtained from her study will further improve the efficacy of education in online safety and responsibility.

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David Coffey

Regional Manager West

Dave has worked as a volunteer for Safe Surfin’ Foundation for several years.

 

Dave is retired from the United States Postal Service and worked for Moose International for 14 years as the Regional Manager and Territory Tanager for the Michigan Moose Association. During that time he was named “Top Director” in 2009 and 2017. Dave served as a liaison between the state managers and the International board.  Dave supervised all board meetings and nurtured hundreds of volunteers and fellow employees to achieve their fundraising and community outreach goals.  He is also a lifetime member of The Loyal Order of Moose and VFW.

 

For many years Dave has lobbied for numerous charities at the Michigan State Capitol and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

 

He also serves on the conservative clean energy committee in Washington D.C.

 

Dave resides in North Branch, Michigan with his life partner Colleen Kaldahl.

Jim Hale Heashot

Jim Hale

Regional Manager East

Jim has worked with the Safe Surfin’ Foundation since it was first introduced to the Loyal Order of Moose. While living in Michigan, he attended Ferris State University. He served as a Regional Manager for Moose International for the WV, VA, and MD-DE-DC Moose Associations. In 2000 and 2001, he was awarded as a Top Director; after his retirement in 2019, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from Moose International.

 

Jim was given special recognition from the Michigan State Senate and House of Delegates for contributions to the local citizens and his community. He also served as President of the Michigan Bingo and Gaming Association Organization.

 

As an active fundraising chairman and member of the Board of Directors of Paws With A Cause, he was instrumental in assisting the organization in raising funds to provide service dogs to physically challenged individuals.

 

Before his retirement, he actively raised funds for Safe Surfin to provide bulletproof protective vests to local police officers and their canine officers.

 

Jim resides in Nitro, WV, with his wife Dona of 30 years; they have five adult children, eight grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.

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Lizena “Liz” Thompson

Secretary/Treasurer

Lizena (Liz) Thompson joined the Safe Surfin’ Foundation in 2022. She is a summa cum laude graduate from ECPI University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Science. Lizena was recognized for numerous Dean’s List and attendance awards.

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Lizena now has 10 years of experience with customer service and in the IT field. With the privilege of cross-training with many different departments, she has been able to expand her knowledge in many areas.

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In 2020, Lizena suffered a traumatic brain injury and was unable to work during her year long recovery. The opportunity to join the Safe Surfin’ family as the Administrative Assistant came at the perfect time. She is excited for this new journey and with 2 sons of her own, she is dedicated to the mission of the Safe Surfin’ Foundation.

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Samantha Banks

Youth Advisory Board

Samantha Banks is a student at the University of Texas at Austin. She majors in economics and minors in entrepreneurship and Spanish. Additionally, she is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at UT Austin. Aside from her studies, she has been a professional model with Page Parkes Agency in Houston for five years. Sam will be attending the University of Texas New York, and interning under the Event Planning Team at the iconic Plaza Hotel. Despite growing up in Houston, she has divided her time between Texas and Virginia as her family roots are in the Lynchburg, Virginia area.