William Laux started as a first responder in 1988, with the Brook Park Ohio police department. He joined the military and completed his tour in 1992. He joined the Oak Grove fire department while in the military in 1990 and moved up through the ranks to Deputy Chief in 2017 and have held that position since. He became an emergency medical technician in 1991 and has held several certifications in Ohio and Kentucky and nationally registered. He has been a certified police officer in Ohio and Kentucky, but always came back to his passion in emergency medical services. He has been a certified instructor for emergency medical technicians, CPR and first aid since 2017 and A Stop the Bleed instructor since 2018. He currently works for the Department of the Army as an emergency medical technician. He’s been married since 1986 and has raised 4 awesome boys.

Derek R. Poor is the Veterans Transition Liaison for the West Kentucky Workforce Board, based in Hopkinsville, KY. A Hopkinsville native, Derek graduated from Christian County High School prior to attending Western Kentucky University where he studied History, and Sports Medicine as a student athletic trainer. Derek joined the U.S. Army in 1998 as an Aircraft Armament Repairman and Missile Systems Maintainer for the OH-58D Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter, serving in the Republic of Korea from 1999-2000 and Fort Stewart, GA from 2000-2002. In 2001, Derek volunteered for and was accepted to the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) headquartered at Fort Campbell, KY where he was stationed from 2002 until the time of his retirement in 2019. Derek served in many capacities and leadership positions during his time in the 160th ranging from Armament Team Leader and First Line Supervisor to Jumpmaster, Primary Instructor for the unit’s newly assigned Officers, and Special Mission Equipment Program Supervisor. Derek and his wife Jennifer, also a Hopkinsville native, have been married for twenty-four years and have two daughters and one son. They currently reside in the Christian County region where Derek serves the transitioning service members and spouses of the Fort Campbell community.

Tricia Hale is a passionate animal trainer with seven years of experience raising and training puppies for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). From 7 weeks to 18 months old, Tricia dedicated herself to training these puppies, preparing them for an intense program before they were placed in homes. Her training involved mastering ADA laws and teaching the dogs specialized tasks, including opening doors, pulling wheelchairs, retrieving medicine, and assisting with medical conditions such as diabetes, seizures, and PTSD. Since retiring from CCI, Tricia has trained two service dogs of her own. She discovered her deep passion for animal training through this work and continues to support and train her two dogs. Tricia is a mother of four grown children, who have families of their own. She resides in Hopkinsville, KY, where she enjoys spending time with her beloved dogs. Her commitment to service animals and her extensive experience in training them make her a valuable advocate and resource in the community.