SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

GovX Proudly Supports Second Annual Swim for SOF, Donates Funds for Former Special Operations Forces

Veterans, First Responders, and Patriots Will Swim Across Coronado Bay to USS Midway, Raise Money for The Honor Foundation

"The roots of the SOF community go deep here in San Diego, and as another San Diego-based organization, GovX is proud to remain connected to our friends at The Honor Foundation."

- Alan Cole, GovX CEO.

GovX, the largest online marketplace focused exclusively on serving those who serve, is honored to announce its support of the second-ever, open-water charity swim, Swim for SOF. The event is presented by The Honor Foundation (THF), a San Diego nonprofit organization that helps Special Operation Forces veterans transition to the next phase in life. The Swim for SOF race will start at the beach near Hotel Del Coronado and end at the USS Midway, from 8am - 12pm on Saturday, September 17, 2022.


“The roots of the SOF community go deep here in San Diego, and as another San Diego-based organization, GovX is proud to remain connected to our friends at The Honor Foundation,” shared GovX CEO and President Alan Cole. “The Honor Foundation’s mission is to support the Special Operations Forces community during and after their service to our country, and the Swim for SOF event is a symbolic commitment to that mission. It shows that there’s an entire community out there that believes in the service and sacrifices of our nation’s special forces operators, and GovX is proud to count ourselves among that community.”

What started as a Patch of the Month collaboration with GovX Gives Back, the charitable branch of GovX, has grown to an impactful partnership withThe Honor Foundation. GovX will support The Honor Foundation with a major donation and sponsoring volunteer swimmers participating in the Swim for SOF event. This past August, The Honor Foundation was the featured nonprofit for GovX Gives Back month-long fundraising campaign. Proceeds from a special Patch of Month, select GovX.com products, and a generous supplemental donation from GovX brand partner BUBS Naturals raised nearly $20,000 for the nonprofit organization.


The swim aims to spread awareness of THF’s mission, raise funds for current and future Fellows of the program, and support the San Diego community of military, first responders, and patriots. Swim for SOF 2022 is a 3.3 mile swim and workout. The day will begin with a ceremony on the beach with a moment of silence for fallen Fellows, before participants will join a formation run with American flags to Glorietta Bay. The race will then commence with a one-mile swim to Tidelands Park. Participants can then join in an optional one mile sprint or a tribute workout to honor fallen veterans, before completing a final 2.3 mile swim to the USS Midway. A second tribute workout will take place on the deck of the ship to complete the race, followed by a celebration party.


"The Honor Foundation is grateful to have built a strong partnership with GovX over the past few years. GovX is a brand that we greatly respect for their contributions to the military, law enforcement, first responder, and civilian communities,” shared Jessica Hunt, The Honor Foundation’s Director of Impact and a 17-Year SOF spouse. “With their support, we are able to bring awareness to our mission: ‘to serve others with honor, for life, so their next mission is clear and continues to impact the world,’ and continue to assist in the career transition of the men and women in the Special Operations Forces community."


Swim for SOF invites potential swimmers to register for the second annual race. To sign up, volunteer, donate, get tickets to the post-celebration, or learn more, please visit https://www.honor.org/event/swim-for-sof-2022/. Learn more about The Honor Foundation at http://www.honor.org.


GovX is proud to serve those who serve and their families by offering the best prices on top brands and experiences and creating a platform where members can support the important work that nonprofits and organizations are doing for the community, like The Honor Foundation and the San Diego Swim for SOF. To learn more about GovX and GovX Gives Back, please visit https//www.GovX.com.

About GovX:

GovX.com is for men and women of service. A members-only online destination for military and first responders, the site offers thousands of products from hundreds of brands at exclusive, below-retail pricing. Members include active and veteran U.S. military, firefighters, law enforcement officers, federal agents, healthcare workers and personnel from related government agencies. For more information, visit https://www.govx.com.


About The Honor Foundation:

The Honor Foundation (THF) is a career transition program for U.S. Special Operations Forces that effectively translates their elite military service to the private sector and helps create the next generation of corporate and community leaders. It achieves this through a three-month program which provides tailored executive education, one-on-one coaching, and access to a nationwide professional network. This program was built by the desire to serve others with honor for life, so that their next mission is always clear and continues to impact the world. Every step is dedicated to preparing these outstanding men and women to continue to realize their maximum potential during and after their service career. The Honor Foundation has 1,600+ graduates to date and has campuses in San Diego, CA; Virginia Beach, VA; Camp Lejeune, NC; Fort Bragg, NC; Eglin, FL; Tampa, FL; and two virtual campuses (THFv). The Navy SEAL Foundation is a Founding Partner of The Honor Foundation.

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CHRIS BOHNERT - CPO

Chris joined GOVX in 2015, bringing more than 15 years of product, marketing and general management experience in the consumer internet space. As head of Product at GOVX, Chris leads product management, design and business intelligence for the entire product portfolio.


Chris began his career at Active Network in 2002 and helped grow the company from start-up to a successful IPO in 2011. During his time at Active Network, Chris managed several teams and product-lines, including the flagship media property, Active.com and the eCommerce division.


In 2012, Chris joined Takelessons, an online education marketplace matching students with qualified teachers. As VP of Product and Technology, he led a cross-functional team, including engineering, product management and design.


Chris earned a BA from the University of Arizona and an MBA from San Diego State University.

ADAM HOMZE - VP ENGINEERING

Adam joined GOVX in 2014 as the Vice President of Software Development and is responsible for leading the software development group, how our applications are built, and scaling the GOVX tech stack.


Since 2005, Adam has actively participated in the growth phase of several startups; holding multiple technical and leadership positions. Over that time, he has developed a wide range of skills to tackle the challenges inherent in building technology companies.


Adam earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego.

AARON PELANDER - CHIEF BRAND OFFICER

As the leader of the Brand Marketing team at GOVX, Aaron is responsible for crafting and executing a comprehensive brand strategy that supports GOVX’s business goals and mission. Working closely with the wider marketing and creative teams, Aaron brings the GOVX identity to life through creative storytelling, consistent brand messaging, strategic marketing channel investments, impactful partnerships and sponsorships, and alignment with key non-profit organizations, all aimed at increasing GOVX brand awareness and recall.


Before joining GOVX in 2014, Aaron held senior marketing and management roles at the Active Network and Provide Commerce. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Arizona and his MBA from San Diego State University.

AMBER MILLER - CRO

Amber joined GOVX in early 2014 to head up marketing and member acquisition. She has been leading the Ecommerce efforts since 2016 focusing on the 2 most important customers at GOVX: our deserving members and the brands that provide outstanding products to members.


Prior to GOVX, Amber worked at Active Network for close to 10 years developing a business unit responsible for selling and fulfilling advertising for some of the world’s top endurance events.


Amber holds an MBA from University of San Diego and a B.A from University of California, San Diego.

JOEL PASION - CCO

As Chief Creative Officer, Joel oversees all branding, web, print and other design requirements of the Company. Prior to joining GOVX, he served as Chief Creative Officer for AnyArt, Inc., which operates the AnyArt e-commerce website. Before that, he served as Creative Director for ClosingCorp, a real estate data provider serving large banks and real estate companies. Prior to ClosingCorp, Joel was the Creative Director for Epic Cycle Interactive, a San Diego web and design agency working with major league sports teams.


Before relocating to San Diego, Joel taught web, multimedia and technology courses at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He earned a B.A. in Biology from St. John’s University.

ROB MORRISON - CTO

Rob serves as CTO for GOVX and oversees all software development associated with the GOVX.com Web site as well as integrations with Vendor-Partner ERP/ecommerce platforms.


Prior to joining GOVX, Rob was a Partner with Kore Technologies, where he architected and developed the company’s ecommerce web platform used by large institutions to facilitate transactions through integrations with large enterprise systems.


Prior to joining Kore Technologies, Rob was a technical lead with Intuit, which owns Quicken, QuickBooks and other financial and accounting software applications.


Prior to his work at Intuit, Rob was Manager of Advanced Product Development for Epicor where he managed a large-scale Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system designed for Microsoft BackOffice.


Rob received a B.S. in Computer Sciences from East Carolina University.

CAROL SCHNUGG - CFO

Carol serves as Chief Financial Officer for GOVX and oversees all financial, accounting and administrative matters for the Company as well as negotiating and administrating Brand-Partners’ wholesale pricing. Prior to joining GOVX, she served as Controller for Billabong’s Sector 9 company, where she oversaw its acquisition by Billabong and was recruited to oversee all financial and accounting matters along with managing its e-commerce site.


Carol previously owned and operated her own accounting and tax practice and was an accountant with Deloitte & Touche.


Carol received a B.S. in finance from San Diego State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

ALAN COLE - CEO/PRESIDENT

Alan began his career as co-founder and President of DELTYME Corporation, a San Diego-based web services firm working with national clients including Target, Cisco Systems, Costco and Garden Fresh.


After stepping away from an operating role at DELTYME, Alan attended business school at the University of Texas with a focus on entrepreneurial management. During his time in Austin he took on due diligence responsibilities at Gefinor Ventures (an early stage venture firm) and worked in marketing and business development roles in several Austin-area startups including Convio and Metreos.


Alan ultimately moved back to San Diego to join Active Network, where he held executive responsibility for the company's $50M Media + Marketing division. After six years with Active Network, Alan moved on to serve as COO of TakeLessons, an online education marketplace connecting students with qualified teachers. In late 2016, Alan joined GOVX as CEO.

Alan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Santa Clara University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.