Together We Serve

Roger “RJ” Baez was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Pomona, California. He served in the United States Marine Corps for nearly 26 years, retiring in 2023 at the rank of Sergeant Major. His career included multiple overseas tours and operational deployments to the Philippines, Korea, and Norway, as well as combat deployments to the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq. RJ has an 11-year-old daughter and enjoys reading and hiking in his free time.

Jay Hartmann was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He served as a Field Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army for a combined total of 22 years, including Active Duty and U.S. Army Reserve service. His assignments included six years on Active Duty in Ansbach, Germany, and at Fort Stewart, Georgia, with the 24th Infantry Division.

Jay also held multiple leadership roles in Command, Operations, and Instruction within the 78th Infantry Division (USAR). Before joining Clear Path for Veterans New England, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry in sales, management, advertising, and marketing. Jay has three adult children—Christopher (married to Becky), Jessica, and Kyle—and enjoys road cycling, cooking, live music, swimming, and hiking with his dog, Bear.

Pete Squeglia grew up in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and served in the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. During his time in the regiment, he deployed worldwide, including to Somalia during the Battle of Mogadishu.

Before joining Clear Path for Veterans New England, Pete spent more than 25 years in the technology industry, working with companies such as EMC, VMware, and Dell. He enjoys traveling with his wife of 30 years, as well as boating and fishing around the North Shore of Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

A native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Yanitza Mendez spent nearly 10 years with American Airlines as an Office Manager and Trainer before transitioning into service and family support. She worked as an Outreach Specialist for the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, helping families navigate healthcare resources, and later supported Veterans at the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center.

Yanitza joined Clear Path for Veterans New England in 2021 as the Lead Employment Service Specialist and became the SSVF Program Manager in Fall 2024. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs (who run the house), being outdoors, relaxing at the beach, and experimenting with new recipes—some more successful than others!

A native of New England, Jaye Stanfield was born in Massachusetts and now resides in New Hampshire. He is a U.S. Army Veteran who served as an Infantryman for eight years in both Active Duty and National Guard roles.

Jaye has worked extensively with the Veteran community as an academic advisor, employment specialist, and personal trainer. Before joining Clear Path for Veterans New England, he worked in the defense industry, providing training and demonstrations for weapons platforms and combat systems. As Director of Wellness, Jaye applies creative problem-solving to address the unique challenges faced by Veterans, helping create positive and lasting outcomes.

Mark Haggan is from Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Before joining Clear Path for Veterans New England, he served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he taught Military History, and worked as a Logistics Technician for the Army ROTC Program.

Mark served in the U.S. Army as a Logistics Officer with multiple deployments across the Middle East from 2012 to 2018, retiring as a Captain in 2018. He holds a Master’s Degree in Secondary Teacher Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in History.

In his spare time, Mark enjoys golfing, playing indoor soccer, and spending time with his dogs, Moose and Rico. He also coaches the Varsity Boys Soccer Team at Granby High School.

Dave Babineau, from Billerica, Massachusetts, has been married to his wife, Dina, for 27 years. They have three children—Jason, Jamie, and Jeffrey. Before joining Clear Path for Veterans New England, Dave worked as a Correction Officer with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, retiring from the Northeast Correctional Center in Concord in 2019.

A proud U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Dave served as a Military Police Officer at South Weymouth NAS. He later joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves at Hanscom AFB as a Security Forces member, where he held various roles, including Flight Chief and Investigator. He deployed to Iraq from 2011 to 2012, overseeing flight line security operations. After returning, Dave retired in 2012 with 22 years of combined service.

Recently, he completed a certificate in Addiction Counseling at Middlesex Community College to help fellow Veterans in recovery. In his free time, he enjoys attending Bruins and Red Sox games, working out, and golfing with his sons.

Drew Wiley was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and raised in Oklahoma. He joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th Infantry Division in 2001 and served until his medical discharge in 2011. Drew deployed to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq during his service.

He now lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three daughters. In his free time, Drew enjoys surfing, practicing jiu-jitsu, and hiking.

A native of Westminster, Massachusetts, Maggie Neff is the mother of Waylon and the proud owner of two dogs, Faith and Elvis. She has devoted her adult life to dog training and, most recently, operated Maggie Neff Dog Training LLC.

Maggie trained at Cobra K9 in Loudon, Tennessee, where she specialized in tactical and law enforcement dog training. In her spare time, she performs live music across New England.

George Chrisis, from Somerville, Massachusetts, has been married to his wife for 37 years. Together, they have two children and are expecting their first grandchild in May 2025.

George served in the United States Air Force from 1976 to 1980, with time spent stationed in England. After his military service, he worked for Cisco Systems, traveling extensively throughout the U.S. When not training dogs, George enjoys SCUBA diving and fishing.

Originally from England, Tim Emerson moved to the United States in 1992 and brings more than 40 years of experience in the culinary and hospitality industries. He has held leadership roles across hotels, universities, and resorts and is passionate about delivering exceptional food and service experiences.

Before joining Clear Path for Veterans New England, Tim served as Executive Chef at NEC Birmingham in the United Kingdom, where he helped open Europe’s largest convention center and cooked for more than 2,500 guests, including world leaders and members of the Royal Family. He later taught culinary arts and hospitality management at Johnson & Wales University. He served as Corporate Food & Beverage Director, overseeing operations for more than 18 East Coast hotels, including Marriott, Sheraton, and Hilton properties.

He also managed food and beverage operations at a ski resort, generating over $5 million in annual revenue and earning national recognition for best on-mountain dining and service quality. Among his honors, Tim received Worcester’s Best Chef – People’s Choice Award.

Tim has been married for over 30 years and is the proud father of two children—one studying medicine at Brown University and the other teaching math and science at a private school. In his free time, he enjoys golfing and gardening.