SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2022

GovX Gives Back Donates Over $28,000 to Disaster Response Organization TEAM RUBICON

Proceeds raised from two consecutive GovX Gives Back months supported the nonprofit responding to disasters around the nation. 

"Team Rubicon's humanitarian work is 100% fueled by donations, which is why we're so proud to once again support their efforts"

- Alan Cole, GovX CEO.

San Diego, CA—A fundraising effort organized by GovX—the online shopping site exclusively for current and former military, first responders, and federal employees—has raised a total of $28,811 for Team Rubicon, the veteran-led disaster response organization that deploys globally wherever disaster strikes. 

Team Rubicon is 2022's first recipient of GovX Gives Back's ongoing charitable efforts. The GovX community raised the funds through the months of December and January through individual patches of two entries in the Patch of the Month series and orders of GovX's own athletic apparel line.

The community also raised the funds through individual orders of products in "STIPE'S CORNER", a monthly feature of a product or brand chosen by UFC champion Stipe Miocic. 5% of all proceeds from sales of Stipe's monthly pick was donated to Team Rubicon. 

Co-founded by US Marine Corps veteran Jake Wood in 2010, Team Rubicon is a veteran-led international non-government organization (NGO) that deploys volunteer disaster response teams around the world following catastrophes and humanitarian crises.

Last December, when a series of devastating tornadoes ripped through neighborhoods in Kentucky and Tennessee, Team Rubicon "Greyshirt" volunteers immediately deployed to the area to render aid and begin relief efforts. Within hours of the storm passing, Team Rubicon sawyers began clearing blocked roadways at the request of emergency managers in Marshall and Graves counties, freeing the way for crews to restore power to over 250,000 people. To assist homeowners impacted by the tornadoes, Team Rubicon launched three major operations in the cities of Bowling Green, Mayfield, and Dawson Springs and cleared debris and trees blocking access to homes, mucked out homes, tarped roofs, and demolished homes to prepare them for rebuild.

Another major initiative Team Rubicon took on in recent months was the resettlement of Afghan families into their new homes in the United States after the withdrawal of US military forces from the country. Thus far, Team Rubicon has deployed over 1,500 volunteers to aid in resettlement, collected over 9 million donated items, and set up over 125 homes for families in need. The organization continues to launch operations in cities across the US to assist families in moving into their new homes in the community.

"Team Rubicon's humanitarian work is 100% fueled by donations, which is why we're so proud to once again support their efforts," said Alan Cole, GovX CEO. "Between providing relief communities and helping families in need, Team Rubicon is one of the most noble missions we've ever had the privilege to support."

In addition to deploying around the USA and to disaster zones around the world, Team Rubicon seeks to provide its members, most of whom previously served in the military, with the purpose, sense of community, and identity they experienced during their time on active duty. Through having a new mission and their commitment to service, many veterans regain a sense of belonging to their communities. Team Rubicon recognizes that the 22 million military veterans currently living in the US are a valuable resource who have skills and experiences that make them qualified to respond to disasters at home and around the world.

"We are incredibly grateful for GovX's support,” said Art delaCruz, Team Rubicon CEO. "GovX and their entire community make it possible for Team Rubicon to respond to disasters and humanitarian crises across the world to drive impact daily."

If you are interested in learning how you can volunteer and be of service with Team Rubicon, visit their volunteer page for more information.

Read stories of Team Rubicon's impact around the globe.

About GovX

GovX.com is for Americans 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, and personnel from related government agencies. For more information, visit www.govx.com.

About Team Rubicon

Team Rubicon serves communities by mobilizing veterans to continue their service by leveraging their skills and experience to help people prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. Founded following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the organization has grown to more than 150,000 volunteers across the United States and has launched over 1,000 operations both domestically and internationally. Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, Team Rubicon has not only pivoted to be able to continue to deliver disaster response and rebuild services in core mission areas but has also expanded their scope of missions to meet community needs brought about by COVID. Visit www.teamrubiconusa.org for more information.

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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 - VP MARKETING

Aaron leads the marketing team at GOVX, and is responsible for communicating the value of GOVX to military, first responders and government employees nationwide. He works closely with all areas of the GOVX business, including the Creative, Merchandising and Product teams, to ensure that the GOVX member experience is world class.


Before joining GOVX, Aaron held senior marketing and management roles at Provide Commerce and the Active Network. 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.