Davey edwards
Founder / Executive Director
Proudly served in the United States Marine Corps, Davey Edwards is happily married to Amy Edwards and cherishes their three wonderful children. Davey, an avid ultra runner, has achieved remarkable feats such as crossing the entire state of Connecticut twice, each time completing the grueling journey in just 41 hours. He has also conquered the challenges of the Moab 240, Tahoe 200 and most recently the Cocodona 250 multi-day endurance races, in addition to numerous other 50 and 100-mile foot races. With over 1000 miles logged on the Appalachian Trail (AT), Davey's passions lie in his faith, his family, and the joy of sharing the outdoor life.
Michael McCurdy
Chairman of the Board
Mike recently retired from the US Navy after over 28 years as an aviation maintenance Officer. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, after multiple deployments and many moves to and from states throughout the country, he now lives in Glastonbury with his wife Lori (a US Navy Reservist) and their three children.
His hobbies include fitness, reading, and watching Steelers football and his kids’ athletic events. Mike’s fit with ODO comes from his love of the outdoors and his eagerness to spend time with fellow veterans.
Wilderness First Aid Certified (WFA)
Bill Geist
Treasurer
Bill lives in South Glastonbury, Connecticut with his wife of 32 years, Tatiana Geist, Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services! He has two daughters; Nicole, who works and lives in Denver and Danielle, who’s is currently a nomad , working and traveling as much as possible.
Bill is recently retired from a 26 year career at ESPN as their Senior Vice President of Finance, Programming & Ad Sales, where he headed up the finance department responsible for the planning and strategy for all rights, production and ad sales. He enjoys skiing, fishing, boating, hiking and pretty much anything outdoors.
Tracy Robinson
Secretary
Tracy is the director of sales at Lyman Orchard in Middlefield, CT where she has worked for 15 years. She also brings many years of event planning to the ODO organization. She volunteers at the Mission Fitness, LLC Lake T triathlons as well as volunteering in the past at Ironman Lake Placid.
Tracy has been behind the scenes helping ODO with our races and consulting since 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, cycling, golf, and hunting for treasures at flea markets with her better half Peter.
Fundraising Director / Community Outreach
Matt UDAL
Matthew is a founding partner and co-owner of Ameriprise Financial Services – Waypoint Wealth Solutions. He lives in West Hartford, CT with his wife Betsy and children, Victoria and George. Matthew also serves as Vice Chairman for the Greater Hartford Ridesharing Corporation board and is also a board member of Fitness Class Training.
Matt’s amazing ability to connect individuals and organizations with ODO’s mission to has proven to be a huge blessing to those we serve. His passions are weightlifting, travel and spending time with his family and friends.
Jesse Monaghan
Hike Leader / Veteran Outreach / Charitable Giving Committee
Served as an infantry mortarman in the U.S. Army’s 2d Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Jesse deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2012 and returned home, where he was stationed in the Pacific Northwest. He began hiking at a young age in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and fell in love with the outdoors. His passion for hiking led him to multiple summits on Mount Rainier and climbs throughout Washington and Oregon. Jesse currently works in the legal field and is settled in Connecticut where he lives with his amazing wife and two sons.
Wilderness First Aid Certified (WFA)
Nivi Carbonell
Health & Wellness Lead
Served proudly in the United States Marine Corps and is currently a CrossFit coach at Viking Athletics. Very happily married to Rachel Fain, and loving dog dad of two playful puppies, Chloe and Gus.
Nivi is an active competitive CrossFit athlete, competing in numerous competitions nationwide and culminating with an invitation to represent the United States at the IF3 Masters Worlds in 2022. Nivi’s hobbies include photography and videography, learning to golf, cooking and reading to gain a better perspective on the world around him.
Business Development / Veteran Outreach
Sam Barrett
Sam served in the US Army as a member of 2D Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, from 2005-2009, and deployed several times to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He later served with the Washington State National Guard until 2011. Upon leaving the Army, Sam founded the Seattle Stand Down in Seattle, Washington which became the city’s largest veteran directed resource fair- this organization continues to provide services to at-risk and homeless veterans today.
In 2012, Sam moved to the United Kingdom with his wife, Brianna, and lived there for 10 years. While in London, Sam earned his undergraduate and masters degrees and embarked on a new career in advertising, media and marketing, which he continues to do in the US having moved back to New England in 2021. Sam currently lives in Connecticut with his wife, Brianna, and their three children: Alice, Amelia, and Henry.
