Leadership
“I don’t have to be great, I just want to do good”
Debbie Childress
President/Founder
Debbie Childress has had a passion for veterans for many years. As a former military spouse through four deployments in and around Iraq, she has seen firsthand the challenges that PTS can cause for our veterans and their families.
Growing up in a police family has given her a great respect and appreciation for civil servants. She has served as the President of the Smithville Area Fire Protection District in Smithville, MO, and is the first woman to ever serve on the district’s board. She has also been an Auxiliary with the Kansas City Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit, giving her an outlet for her love of horses and serving others, and is currently serving auxiliary time with the Property and Evidence unit of the Kansas City Police Department. In 2019, Debbie was inducted into the Winnetonka High School Alumni Hall of Fame.
Debbie is very involved with church activities at North Star United Methodist Church and enjoys serving on a mission team in Guatemala. Debbie has two kids, Wyatt and Heather and lives in Smithville, MO.
Emily Porter
Board Member
Emily Porter grew up on a farm in Trenton MO, where she developed a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for rural life. Now residing in Kearney MO, Emily works as a sonographer in the healthcare field, having earned her bachelor’s degree in health science from the University of Missouri. She is married to Alex Porter, a former Air Force Captain, and together they have two energetic sons. Emily balances her professional responsibilities with a rich family life, often drawing on her farm upbringing to instill values of hard work and resilience in her children.
Georgia Johnson
Treasurer
Georgia Johnson has been an active volunteer with many organizations. She was a Girl Scout leader for over 10 years, spent approximately 18 years volunteering with PTA in 2 different school districts. She served in many board positions, including 2 years as PTA President. She was treasurer of the Lee’s Summit North Music Parents organization and treasurer of the LSN Project Grad for two different years.
She has always been active in her church including leading Bible Studies, teaching Sunday School, organizing women’s events, etc. Georgia has 10 years of banking experience, working in various departments. She also spent 6 years as office manager for a music ministry handling their money and travel arrangements and 7 years as Assistant to the Executive Director for the Missouri Peace Officers Association where she managed 5 different bank accounts.
Georgia currently works for the Lee’s Summit School District where she handles billing and accounts for their Before and After School Services. She has been married to John, an Air Force veteran, for over 30 years and has two daughters, Stephanie and Hannah.
Pat Coppinger
Real Estate & Property Manager
Patrick Coppinger is the Senior Vice President of Colliers International, Kansas City. He became affiliated with the firm in 1998. He began his career in 1994 with the LaSala-Sonnenberg Commercial Realty Company where he specialized in office and retail leasing and sales. Pat now specializes in office brokerage and has been involved in over 450 lease and sale transactions, totaling over 4 million square feet of space, of which 1.4 million square feet have been medical office. Pat works with both buyers and sellers, and has also been involved in several land assemblage assignments for various redevelopment efforts.
Pat’s Professional accomplishments include but are not limited to:
- Kansas City CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) Chapter
- Metropolitan Board of Realtors Million Dollar Club (since 1994)
- Missouri Association of Realtors Million Dollar Club
Pat graduated from the University of Iowa in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. During his time there, he was also a member of the football team that competed in the 1984 Freedom Bowl, 1986 Rose Bowl, and the 1986 Holiday Bowl.
Pat is active and very involved with his community as a past President of the Rockhurst High School Alumni Board and a current member of the Rockhurst High School Alumni Board of Directors. He serves on the Seton Center Advisory Council and he’s on the Fundraising Committee for Journey to New Life. We are delighted to have him lend his expertise and time as a Valor Ranch Board Member.
Kyle Harsha
Kyle Harsha is the newest member to the Valor Ranch Board of Directors. He lives in Smithville with his wife Nicole and terrier Max, and owns Money Matters Tax and Financial Services. His career background has taken him through stints as a DJ, mountain guide, bartender, restaurant manager, HR Manager, and salesman in the wine, coffee, insurance, and tech industries. All of these experiences have helped him develop a love for helping those in need as can be seen by his work with charitable organizations including Rotary Club, Wings 4 Water, and Big Brothers Big Sisters KC. When he’s not cheering for the K State Wildcats or the Chiefs, you can likely find him making some great BBQ.
Lt Col BRANDON W. TEMPLE, Ph.D.
Lt Col Brandon Temple, PhD, is a transitioning Air Force Special Warfare Officer currently serving as an Air Force Liaison to the U.S. Congress. He is also the Chief Operating Officer of Moral Compass Federation, a 501(c)(3) that educates and advocates on the hidden wound of Moral Injury among servicemembers and veterans. Brandon is a combat-tested leader, thinker, writer, and problem-solver.
Brandon has served as a senior policy advisor to senior military leaders, both uniformed and civilian, to include the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan “Razin” Caine, and was National Security Advisor to former Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida. He is a special operations combat veteran with ten overseas deployments. He was an instructor of American government and political science at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he also earned his Doctorate in International Development focusing on Security Studies.
Brandon is a community leader, serving as the Chairman of the Calvert County (MD) Commission for Veterans and Military Families. He sits on the Board of Directors of Surf Brigade, a Florida-based non-profit that provides surf therapy to veterans. He is an advisory board member at the HunterSeven Foundation, a non-profit that combats cancer among veterans. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Hospice of the Chesapeake Foundation, and volunteers performing Honor Salutes to dying veterans.
He has been married to his wife Kristyn for twenty years and they have three children. Upon his retirement after 26 years of active military service, he and his family will settle in Missouri.