Board Members
PRESIDENT
Mitch Mesenburg
Mitch didn’t know it at the time, but his journey toward the development of Operation Solid 7 began two weeks before his eighth birthday. That is when he found out his brother Sgt. Terrance R. Mesenburg, serving in an infantry unit for the U.S. Army, had been shot in Vietnam while trying to save a man from his unit that was injured. He was able to save the soldier who lived, but Terry died from his wounds on June 5th 1969 at the tender age of 20. Six months later, Mitch’s sister was killed in a horrific car accident. As the youngest in the family, this made him grow up very fast. He dreamed of following in his brother’s footsteps to enlist in the military, but soon after Mitch’s eighteenth birthday, his father came to him tears and begged him not to; he said he could not bear the thought of losing another child. It was at that time Mitch decided to assist others who have served. When he and his wife Shannon moved to Port Charlotte, among other things, Mitch became a volunteer with the local Vietnam Brotherhood, helping to raise funds to bring the half size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to Punta Gorda Fl.
At 8:02pm on January 5th, 2019, Mitch and his wife Shannon received a text message from their son, Sr Airman XinHua Mesenburg, who was stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. It was a picture of a handwritten note. It spoke of his love for them, and went on to say this was nobody’s fault, the stress life had given him finally broke his will to live. It was a suicide note. Their precious 25 year old boy was gone. Losing their son became their “Why’ to do all they could to prevent this from happening to another family or lost soul. Channeling their grief into something positive has given them purpose and helps keep XinHua’s memory alive.
Mitch and Shannon are involved in many non-profits, but their true passion lies in helping all veterans, active duty, first responders, Gold Stars and the families of all of these heroes. For over a year now, Shannon and Mitch have discussed their desire to start their own non-profit in XinHua’s honor. They came up with “Operation Solid 7”. When XinHua was stationed in Qatar, he sent them both a picture of himself, armed to the teeth in front of an armored vehicle. Mitch texted back “Damn son, you are one handsome man”. He replied, “Eh, I am a Solid 7”.
Requested Keynote Speaker By Commander Bingham – MacDill AFB
Speech to Entire 6th Air Refueling Wing
October 2022
Last September, Mitch was one of the two keynote speakers at the 2022 Gold Star Family Day Event at MacDill AFB. Colonel Adam Bingham, the new Commander of the base as of that August, was in attendance. He was moved to tears by Mitch’s speech. Colonel Bingham asked him to be the keynote speaker at his first 6th Air Refueling Wing All-Call in October. Colonel Bingham was soo impressed with this speech, he showed it to a 4 star general that shared this link with his 60,000 followers.
Mitch Mesenburg speech – YouTube
Representative
Air Force Survivors Advocacy Council
2022-2024
The Air Force has been very pro-active with Gold Star Families, in 2019 they started the Survivors Advocacy Council, made up of 13 survivor representatives who are spouses, children, parents, and siblings of fallen Airmen. The representatives, who applied to serve on the council, were selected to bring knowledge and experience on what has worked and where improvements are required based on our experiences, Each representative serves a two year term, which includes two meetings at the Pentagon with the Chief of Staffs of the Air Force and Space Force. Mitch is honored to have been chosen to serve on the council for the 2022-2024 term.
Board Member
Tribute To The Troops – Florida Chapter
December 2021 – Present
Tribute To The Troops (TTTT) is an organization of grateful Americans dedicated to preserving the memory of those men and women of our nation’s military who lost their lives while bravely protecting our freedom. It is in their memory that they honor and convey our heartfelt gratitude to family and friends left behind and extend our sincere appreciation to all veterans who have served, whether in war or in peace. Tribute To The Troop’s Mission Statement guides their efforts and continually reminds them of the importance of what they do.
Associate Member
American Gold Star Mothers
May 2021 – Present
Advisor
Holly’s Hope of North Port
October 2020- Present
Holly’s Hope is a non-profit focused on removing the social stigma associated with depression, suicide, and mental health issues in general in SWFL. They are committed to finding new avenues providing assistance for those struggling as well as their families. Their current focus is programs to help First Responders, suicide among them is rising quickly. They are also involved with bringing awareness to bullying in schools. Holly’s Hope has participated/sponsoring anti-bullying programs locally to bring awareness to the community, parents, and children.
Mission 22 Ambassador
Mission 22
April 2020 – Present
As Mission 22 Ambassadors, Mitch and Shannon work within our community to make connections to make others aware that the veteran struggles with PTS and TBI are real. They have Ambassadors all over the world teaching communities, families, and veterans to reach out, ask for help, to be there for one another.
Mission 22 is dedicated to healing America’s veterans when they need it most — right now. They offer treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, substance abuse and all the issue’s veterans are facing today.
According to a Department of Veterans Affairs study each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. It takes a community to heal a warrior™. At Mission 22, they let our vets know that they have a village here for them.
TREASURER
Shannon Mesenburg
Shannon was working as an International Bond Trader in NYC, working on the 91st Floor of WTC North Tower when it was bombed on February 26th, 1993. They were trapped in the stairwell for over 4 1/2 hours, in the dark, not knowing if the building would fall down with them inside. As debris was falling and fires were burning all around them, the amazing firefighters and police led them safely out of the building. Luckily, Shannon had moved away from NYC as on 9/11, the first plane hit her floor and killed everyone in her company that was there that fateful day. As they read the names, Shannon stopped counting after 60 on how many coworkers, clients, and friends she lost on that dark day. She did not realize it at the time, but this tragedy was the catalyst that changed the trajectory of her life forever. It sparked Shannon’s true admiration, love and support for these heroes that while others run away as fast as they can; they run into chaos with the only concern of helping others.
At 8:02pm on January 5th, 2019, Shannon and her husband Mitch received a text message from their son, Sr Airman XinHua Mesenburg, who was stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. It was a picture of a handwritten note. It spoke of his love for them, and went on to say this was nobody’s fault, the stress life had given him finally broke his will to live. It was a suicide note. Their precious 25 year old boy was gone. Losing their son became their “Why’ to do all they could to prevent this from happening to another family or lost soul. Channeling their grief into something positive has given Shannon and Mitch purpose and helps keep XinHua’s memory alive.
They are involved in many non-profits, but their true passion lies in helping all veterans, active duty, first responders, Gold Stars and the families of all of these heroes. For over a year now, Shannon and Mitch have discussed their desire to start their own non-profit in XinHua’s honor. They came up with “Operation Solid 7”. When XinHua was stationed in Qatar, he sent them both a picture of himself, armed to the teeth in front of an armored vehicle. Mitch texted back “Damn son, you are one handsome man”. He replied, “Eh, I am a Solid 7”.
President
American Gold Star Mothers Peace River Chapter
Charlotte and Sarasota Counties Florida
In May of 2021, Shannon joined the AGSM SWFL Chapter. This chapter was huge, it ran from Naples to just south of Tampa. Shannon was honored when she was asked in October of 2021 by the AGSM Florida Dept President, to be the President of a new AGSM chapter for just Charlotte and Sarasota Counties. Shannon aptly named it the Peace River Chapter. They officially received their Charter in March of 2022.
Board Member
Tribute To The Troops – Florida Chapter
Tribute To The Troops (TTTT) is an organization of grateful Americans dedicated to preserving the memory of those men and women of our nation’s military who lost their lives while bravely protecting our freedom. It is in their memory that they honor and convey our heartfelt gratitude to family and friends left behind and extend their sincere appreciation to all veterans who have served, whether in war or in peace. Tribute To The Troops Mission Statement guides their efforts and continually reminds them of the importance of what they do.
Board Member
Holly’s Hope of North Port
Holly’s Hope is a non-profit focused on removing the social stigma associated with depression, suicide, and mental health issues in general in SWFL. They are committed to finding new avenues providing assistance for those struggling as well as their families. Holly’s Hope’s current focus is programs to help First Responders, suicide among them is rising quickly. They are also involved with bringing awareness to bullying in schools. Holly’s Hope has participated/sponsoring anti-bullying programs locally to bring awareness to the community, parents and children.
Mission 22 Ambassador
Mission 22 Ambassadors, Shannon and Mitch work within their community to make connections to make others aware that the veteran struggles with PTS and TBI are real. They have Ambassadors all over the world teaching communities, families, and veterans to reach out, ask for help, to be there for one another.
Mission 22 is dedicated to healing America’s veterans when they need it most — right now. They offer treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, substance abuse and all the issue’s veterans are facing today.
According to a Department of Veterans Affairs study each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. It takes a community to heal a warrior™. At Mission 22, they let our vets know that they have a village here for them.
SECRETARY
AMY VOGEL
Amy is a dedicated and passionate licensed mental health counselor pursuing her doctorate in counselor education and supervision at the University of the Cumberlands. She is driven by a mission to prevent and raise awareness about the staggering suicide rates among Veterans, Active-Duty personnel, First Responders, and their loved ones. This mission became deeply personal for Amy when her grandfather, a Navy veteran, died by suicide.
Through her work, Amy aims to provide the tools and support needed to overcome these alarming statistics and help individuals heal from traumatic events and severe stressors. With extensive experience, she has developed special expertise in suicide prevention, intervention, and support for those impacted by suicide loss. Amy previously worked for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, honing her crisis response skills and deepening her compassion for survivors. She later provided support for those who lost their loved ones in the military through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
Amy strives to address the urgent need for trauma-informed care and has pursued extensive training to help clients process grief, trauma, and other distress. Her goal is to eliminate barriers and stigma surrounding mental health, especially for those who serve our communities and nation.
Driven by her passion, Amy enjoys delving into research on trauma and the brain, seeking new perspectives to better support her clients. She believes that with compassion and targeted support, everyone has the potential to grow stronger and rebuild their lives by fostering hope, inner strength, and a sense of safety.
In her personal time, Amy prioritizes travel and spending time with her husband, two children, and golden doodle. Whether in her professional or personal life, Amy is committed to creating ripples of positive change and honoring the memory of her grandfather by making a difference in the lives of others.
BOARD MEMBER
TONY FILE
My name is Tony File. I am a firefighter in Charlotte County, FL. I’ve been a paid firefighter since January 19th 2000. Almost done with that chapter of my life! Like many first responders, I’ve had the pleasure of helping many people, saving lives and property over the years. This career has been a blessing, along with those blessings comes a lot of scars from the trauma we face on a constant basis. Throughout my career I have attained a mountain of certificates, an Associates in Fire Science and a Bachelors in Fire Administration. I have taken several Critical Incident Stress Debriefing courses as well as provide continuous peer support for first responders in my department, throughout the state of Florida and all over the U.S. I feel this is a key component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle for those struggling with addiction and PTSD. In August 17 of 2020, after years of struggling, I went through a first responder program for mental health and addiction. I was diagnosed with PTSD and an addiction to alcohol. I continue to work on both daily, weekly and monthly by utilizing my support network maintaining a healthy, positive lifestyle. Some of my positive lifestyle changes focus on exercise and competition shooting for pistol, shotgun and 3 gun all over the state. I am grateful for everything I have done, everything I have and everything I am able to do. Look forward to assisting anyone with any needs they have. Stay safe and always look forward!
BOARD MEMBER
PETER IDE
I was born in England 65 years ago and was involved in construction all my working life there. In 2010 after visiting the area for over 20 years, I emigrated to the US and settled in Rotonda Sands. In 2014 I formed my company Vantage Homes and for the past 10 years have built over a hundred new homes. 6 years ago I built my own home in the Meadows and have lived here since. One of the many things locally. One thing I have always loved about America was the love and reverence the general public had for the services and veterans.
In 2020 I proudly became a US Citizen. As a company and with my wife Sheri, we have tried to be as actively involved in various events and organizations that support our serving and retired military. In 2024 we were honored to be the main sponsor for the Rotonda Elks Golf tournament that benefited homeless veterans in Charlotte County.
In keeping with a firm belief that no one who has served our country should ever be homeless or suicidal we have always been delighted to be involved with Mitch and Shannon’s many activities.
It was with much pride I accepted a post on the board of Operation Solid 7 and I hope that with all our concerted efforts, we can do a small part to make life after serving for all our brave men and women.
Advisor Members
ADVISOR
Shaun Melendy
Shaun Melendy is a Coast Guard Veteran, he served as a Search & Rescue and in Law Enforcement. He went on to become a mechanic, primarily but certainly not limited to, working on Harley Davidson motorcycles, Shaun has always had a fascination with technology and video, especially with the use of drones. On May 5th. 2022 Shaun was severely injured when a young, distracted driver crossed into his lane and hit him head-on while he was on his motorcycle. He sustained many life-threatening injuries and died several times while he was being treated. Shaun’s injuries included many broken bones and the loss of his left hand. Doctors said it would take a year or more to walk again, but Shaun’s resiliency proved the medical community wrong. Not only is he walking; Shaun is living a fulfilled life, giving hope to others who have suffered severe injuries and has been helping with research and development at M.I.T. Shaun was the first under a traumatic amputation in acute setting to have surgery to preserve the nerves in the muscles called a A.M.I. procedure. The surgery was created by M.I.T. and Harvard university. His feedback, research and data collection will help M.I.T. make opportunities available for better prosthetic function and control now and in the future. Going forward Shaun continues to work with Biomechatronics lab at M.I.T. where he presents the limitless possibilities as an amputee.
ADVISOR
Laurie File
My name is Laurie File. I am a mom of 4, Gigi to my grandchildren and mom to countless dogs. I have been married to my husband Tony for 32 years. My husband is a lieutenant with the fire department and has been in the fire service for roughly 30 years. Being married to someone who experiences traumatic events daily has brought us challenges in our individual lives and our married/family life. We have both had our share of therapy. This has led us to become peer supporters for first responders and their families. My work background ranges from teacher, management and most recently 11 years as a Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist. I have been involved with several non-profits as a volunteer and board member. My happy place, where I decompress, is spending time in the garden with my plants and attending my church. I am very excited to be a part of Operation Solid7.
ADVISOR
Sheri Wright Ide
My name is Sheri Wright Ide. I have four children and two grandchildren. For the most part, my life has revolved around raising children. I worked as a nanny and family manager for professional couples for over 30 years. During that time, I volunteered as a teacher’s aid, Cub Scout Den Mother, troop leader for Daisy’s, Brownies, Girl Scouts and Cadets.
Growing up, I watched my mother deal with sever depression. She had two nervous breakdowns and many long stays in the hospital. Back then it was taboo to talk about mental illness or depression. Many people suffered in the dark.
I am truly looking forward to being a part of the Solid 7 Organization.
ADVISOR
Dale Vogel
Board Advisor, Mental Health Advocate
Dale Vogel is a committed advocate for Veterans, Active Duty service members, First Responders, and Gold Star Families, blending professional dedication with a deeply personal understanding of mental health challenges. Having experienced family loss to suicide and with a family history of anxiety, Dale brings a unique compassion and insight to Operation Solid 7, inspiring efforts to promote resilience, support, and healing for those impacted by PTS, depression, and other stressors.
Known for leadership, public speaking, and a great sense of humor, Dale connects easily with the community, using these strengths to bring awareness and foster engagement in suicide prevention and mental health support. Dale’s work centers on providing dignified resources and empowering activities to help individuals and families feel understood, valued, and equipped to overcome life’s challenges.
Key Contributions
Community-focused resource development
Strategic mental health advocacy
Leadership and public engagement