Duane Dewey, Honorary Chairman
We are very honored to have Corporal Duane E Dewey as the Honorary Chairman of Hot Rodding for Heroes.
Cpl. Dewey is a Korean War Medal of Honor winner and Alachua County resident, and is very involved in local
and national veterans affairs. For more information about Cpl. Dewey please visit these news articles.
Article 1,
Article 2, and
Video:
Doug Baril, President
I have been a Gainesville resident since 1992, having relocated from Northern Virginia to
attend college. While enrolled in college I began to pursue a career at Alltel, and quickly became
one of the companies highest producing Business Sales Associates. After a 9 year career there I
decided to become a Realtor, earning my license in 2003. I took to this new field quickly, winning
the Rookie of the Year award for my performance. Since then I’ve become one of the top producing
residential Real Estate agents in Gainesville and for Bosshardt Realty Services, LLC.
Alongside my family my passion is for restoring muscle cars and designing custom parts,
culminating in my 1968 Pontiac Firebird. This passion also led to the development of my signature
brand of custom aluminum billet parts. In 2009 Billet Rides LLC was launched to bring my ideas and
designs to the public.
I was motivated to create this event due to the passion felt by driving and showing my car, and
the need for a signature community event in Gainesville. Having come from a military family, this event
brings together my excitement for cars and a personal need to give thanks to those who have sacrificed
their lives for our freedom.
Mike Thibault, Vice President
Mike moved to Gainesville in 1978 and graduated in 1982 from Buchholz High School. He attended
Santa Fe Community Collage and is a graduate From The Gemological Institute of America. He moved to
Haile plantation in 1988, and is married to Cynthia Thibault and has four children Zach, Sydney,
Harrison, and Porter. Mike owns The Village Jeweler in Haile Village center, serves on the Haile
Plantation Village Center board of directors as Vice President and is currently a member of Hotrodding
for Heroes and an avid enthused for classic cars, and excited to be involved in an organization which
can help our fellow Veterans with creating a fund which can continue to give for years to come.
John Hoehn
Dr. John Hoehn is a long-time resident of Gainesville, Fl. He attended Buchholz High School and
the University of Florida where he graduated with a degree in Health Science/Premed from The College
of Health Professions at Shands Medical Center. He then went to graduate school in Atlanta, Ga.
where he received his medical training in Chiropractic Medicine. He went on to attend National
University of Health Sciences in Lambart, IL, where he completed his Fellowship/Diplomate training
in Clinical Orthopedics. Dr. Hoehn is a local Chiropractic Physician and is a board certified Clinical
Orthopedist. He has been practicing locally for 18 years and he is the owner and chief of staff of
Affordable Chiropractic Care Center of Gainesville. Dr. Hoehn has had a passion for old cars since
he was a child and he and his father have been restoring and working on cars for many years together.
He joined The Gainesville Street Rod Club in 1983 and has been active ever since with their
cruise-in's, shows, and other activities. Dr. Hoehn and his wife, Audrie, along with his sons,
Michael and Brett, enjoy attending local car shows as a family and continuously support veteran
fundraisers and local functions in the Gainesville area.
Jim Lynch
Jim grew up in a military family stationed all over the world then entered the US Army himself
in 1966. After a tour of duty in Vietnam as an Army photographer, he was honorable discharged in
1969. Lynch attended the Univ of Fla on the GI Bill and graduated in 1977 and went to work as Director
of Alachua County Veterans Services until his retirement in May 2010. During his career he served on
numerous boards involving our veteran community locally and on the state and national level as well.
His awards include Veteran Service Office of the Year in the State of Florida in 2004 and received the
Presidents Award from the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers in 2006. He is
currently an active member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Officers
Association, Alachua County Veterans Advisory Board, County Veterans Memorial Committee, Univ Fla/SFC
Scholarship and Liberty Fest Committees, Memorial and Veterans Day planning committee and serves on the
Wiles Elementary School Advisory Council. Lynch is currently employed part-time as the Veterans
Outreach Coordinator for Forest Meadows Funeral Homes.
Adam Brown
Adam is a native Gainesville resident whose family first moved here in 1973.
He matriculated through the local school system and graduated with a BSBA from the University of
Florida. During that time he had worked for the Office of Academic Technology as student customer
support, and upon graduation was subsequently hired on full time as their Operations Manager, a
position he has held since 2008. As a son of a Vietnam veteran he grew up around other veterans
from that era, and in their stories and missing limbs understood that more could and should be done.
Justin Mowitz
Justin Mowitz has been a Gainesville resident since 2007, having moved from Essex
Junction Vermont, where he and his wife attended graduate school. Justin graduated
with a BS in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale,
while stationed MCAS Miramar in San Diego, CA, on active duty in the United States
Marine Corps as a jet-engine mechanic and crew chief on CH-53e Super Stallion
helicopters (”The Big Iron”). Not long after leaving active duty, Justin decided
to go back to school, earning his Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School, and
now practices Real Estate and Construction law, locally, with the Law Offices of
Moulton Bosshardt, LLC. Justin brings to the project an abiding love for all
things automotive, and a deep respect for veterans and the sacrifices they have
made for our freedom. Sempre Fidelis!
Jim Ropp
I am married with three children and four grandchildren. I live on
Lake Santa Fe where the whole family loves to come to enjoy the fun. My hobbies
include my family, sailing, motorcycling and cars.
After nine years with Caterpillar Tractor in Illinois, I came to Gainesville
in 1974 to help start Driltech which manufactures drill rigs for the mining and
water well business, is located in Alachua and is now called Sandvik. We sold
the company in 1987 to Tamrock, a Finnish company, which was then acquired by
Sandvik, a Swedish company. I was the CFO of Driltech until 1992 at which time
I moved to Miami as Director of Finance for North and South America for Tamrock.
I then moved to Atlanta to run the U.S. and Mexican distribution companies and
eventually had a worldwide business development position. I retired and moved
back to Gainesville and built our home on the lake. After about three years I
found my hobbies were not keeping me occupied so I became a Realtor with Bosshardt
Realty Services.
John Reger
John has an extensive background in all areas of the golf industry.
As a 29-year member of the PGA, John has fulfilled a variety of roles
including golf professional, tournament announcer, golf course owner,
PGA officer, tournament player, broadcaster, consultant, golf manufacturer,
promoter, golf writer, golf course developer and student of the game. John is
the Founder and President of Briefcase Golf, Inc. based in Gainesville, Florida.
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