Vacant
President
Currently Vacant
John Sotirkys
Vice President (VCCC Coordinator)
John Sotirkys has recently taken the position of the Vice President within the VCCC. Recently retired from the Marine Corps as a Master Sergeant, he and his wife are now involved with the Coalition, American Legion, DAV, Craven County Veterans Council, and Carteret County Veterans Day Parade Committee. He and his wife have been involved with the Coalition since 2019. John and his wife have seven children ranging from 21 years old to 6 years old.
Jim Nelson
Treasurer
Jim Nelson, treasurer and one of the group’s original members, is twice retired. Serving 20 years in the Marines as both enlisted and officer he retired as a Captain in 1988. He then returned to school earning graduate degrees in education and school administration retiring from Wake County Schools after nearly 30 years. He is active in Chapter 639 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. His passion for suicide prevention stems from some personal experience with close friends and associates.
Trained in business administration in undergraduate education and financial auditing in the Marine Corps he is grounded in the principles of sound financial management. He spends his leisure time enjoying retired life with his wife and two dogs.
Jim first joined the Together With Veterans program in the fall of 2018. He was a participant in the first TWV Summit in Boulder, CO. Jim is also serving as Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 639.
Rebecca Sotirkys
Secretary/Co-Director (Outreach/Marketing)
Rebecca is currently serving as Secretary and Co-Director of Outreach/Marketing on the Board of Directors for The Veterans Coalition on the Crystal Coast.
Rebecca is a Marine Corps Veteran and has lived in Eastern NC for 23 years. She is married to John Sotirkys and together they have 7 children ranging from ages 21 to 7. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and recently left her position with the State of NC as the Program Manager for Hiring Events for NC4ME. Prior to that she was a Veterans Career Advisor in Carteret County for NCWorks.
Rebecca currently works as the Program Manager for Eastern NC Community Events for Whole Vet. She also serves as Commander for American Legion Post 46 in Morehead City, is a member of the DAV 26 (Havelock), serves as the administrator for the Carteret County Veterans Day Parade Committee and is a volunteer at Hope Mission.
Rebecca has been with Together With Veterans since the summer of 2018.
Don Mrdjenovic
Co-Director (Outreach/Marketing)
Don is one of the group’s original members. Don is a 27 year veteran, retiring in 2001 as a Master Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, where he was the MCABE, G-3 Operations Chief. Currently, he is the CEO of Carteret Counseling Service, Inc. which is a local Substance Use Disorder Outpatient Treatment Facility. He is currently active in community outreach and marketing for the VCCC throughout the Crystal Coast area. Additionally, he is active in many local organizations. These included County, City Municipalities, and other Non-Profits helping those with Homelessness and individuals who suffer from Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder issues.
Don is a survivor of both a Suicide Attempt and many Suicidal Ideations, while on active duty. Currently he is person in long term recovery from a Substance Use Disorder with over 30 years of Sobriety. Don will be the first to tell you “Never ever take my recovery for granted” and “no matter where you might personally be, in the here and now, please remember that you are NOT alone and there is help for you.”
Don has Bachelor’s Degree in Social Psychology, is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, a Certified Clinical Supervisor and is trained to facilitate QPR Suicide Prevention strategies. He was a participant in the first TWV Summit in Boulder, CO.
Mike Carr
Co-Director (Training)
Mike is currently serving as Co-Director of Training. Mike is a 27-year veteran of the U. S. Marine Corps where he served from 1988 through 2015. He retired as a CWO4 Infantry Weapons Officer as Regimental Gunner, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
Mike has worked as a volunteer in Carteret County as the Service Officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 8986 in Newport. He has also served as a volunteer driver with the Carteret County Volunteer Transportation Network (driving veterans to the Durham VA Medical Hospital and Greenville VA Clinic).Mike first joined the Together With Veterans program in 2019 and is currently active in coordinating veteran suicide prevention training throughout the crystal coast area.
Greg Rice
Co-Director (Training)
Greg is presently serving as Co-Director of Training and is on the Finance Committee of the VCCC. Greg is a graduate of West Carteret High School (1969) and holds a PhD in Pharmacy (Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products) from UNC – Chapel Hill, NC. His pharmacy career spanned more than 30 years and included time as both retail pharmacist and hospital pharmacist. He also worked in the pharmaceutical product development arena with positions at contract research laboratories. The research laboratory positions included chemist, scientist, project leader, chemical hygiene/safety officer, and quality assurance auditor.
Greg is a Certified Peer Support Specialist volunteer at the Peer Recovery Center of Carteret County in Morehead City, NC. Greg is also currently active as a volunteer: with N.C. Certified Peer Support Specialist Work Group for the NC DHHS and the Behavioral Health Springboard, School of Social Work, UNC-CH; as a WRAP (Wellness and Recovery Action Plan) Facilitator; and with the NCCPSS Expert Commission working to establish a N.C. Peer Support Specialist Certification Oversight Board through legislation.
Greg first joined the Together With Veterans program in the fall of 2018 and is currently active in coordinating veteran suicide prevention training throughout the crystal coast area.
