MFAN Adds to Board of Directors, Sharpens Focus on Serving Military-Connected Families

ARLINGTON, VA (October 10, 2024) – The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) Board of Directors proudly announces the election of five new members with immediate effect: Cameron Brien, Christine Grady, Tim Grailer, Michael Nitka, and Major General (Ret.) Michael Place, MD.

“We are privileged to welcome such high caliber leaders with proven records to MFAN’s board of directors at a momentous and transformative time for the organization,” said Delores Johnson Davis, Chair of MFAN’s Board of Directors. “These important leadership additions reinforce MFAN’s commitment to the military community we serve and signal our intent to strengthen our network and dramatically shape our impact in the years ahead.”

The new members will add to MFAN’s strength, diversity, and leadership as the organization charts the path for growth and continues to scale over the next decade. “I am thrilled to learn and grow alongside these incredible Board members. MFAN is at an exciting place in our decade-long history, and thanks to our incredible staff and dedicated Board, I know the future is bright,” said Shannon Razsadin, MFAN’s Chief Executive Officer.

Cameron Brien supports one of several teams of dedicated engineers tasked with reducing harm and preserving voice across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. Before joining Meta, he was a Managing Director with Goldman Sachs, spending over a decade in its Global Markets business.

His primary philanthropic interests lie in military and veterans’ support and criminal justice reform. Locally, Cameron has mentored veterans during their initial civilian transitions and supported Afghan allies and their families who have resettled.

Christine Grady is an accomplished artist, military family advocate, and the spouse of the twelfth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. With four decades of Navy life experience and as a mother of a wounded warrior, Christine has helped many organizations become more inclusive, mission-driven, and provide educational and mentoring opportunities. Christine believes in advocating for military families at all levels, shining a light on the challenges families face in medical care, education, food security, exceptional family member programs, service member benefits, spouse employment, and the sustainability of vital charitable community organizations.

Mrs. Grady is the recipient of the Department of the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award.

Tim Grailer currently serves as leader of Social Impact and Finance Operations for Tyson Foods, where he supports strategic initiatives and leads philanthropic partnerships across the company. Mr. Grailer spent 15 years in the software industry developing fundraising, marketing, event management and CRM software, including the Nonprofit Vertical product management practice at Blackbaud.

Michael Nitka is a Managing Director with Stifel Financial, leading a private investments and partnerships platform designed to bring the broad capabilities of the firm’s network to emerging businesses and entrepreneurs. Prior to Stifel, Mike worked for several prominent financial services firms building out private capital markets capabilities.

Mike is the proud husband of an Army veteran who both introduced him to the challenges of matriculation into the non-military/government domain after service as well as the unmatched skills, loyalty, and drive of so many of the active duty and veteran members of the U.S. military. Mike serves on the Advisory Board of 51 Vets, an organization committed to connecting skilled veterans with the finance and advisory community.

Major General (Ret.) Michael Place, MD is the former Chief of Staff for the Office of the Surgeon General and U.S. Army Medical Command as well as the Deputy Commanding General (Support), U.S. Army Medical Command. A seasoned Army medicine strategic leader who has commanded medical units at every level and served multiple combat tours, Major General Place is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

He previously served as the Senior Medical Advisor in the Army Secretariat, assigned as the Assistant Deputy for Health Affairs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs). General Place also served within the accession enterprise as the Army Cadet Command Surgeon and with the DoD Medical Examination Review Board. He has earned numerous awards and decorations for his contributions, including the Distinguished Service Medal.

Learn more about MFAN’s board of directors here.

To schedule an interview with a board member or an MFAN spokesperson, please contact media@mfan.org.

Media Contact: 
Derek Doyle
doyle@mfan.org
(301) 676-388

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About MFAN: The Military Family Advisory Network envisions a world where all military-connected families are empowered to thrive. Our mission is to understand and amplify the needs of military-connected families and inspire data-informed change. Visit mfan.org.