Leadership Team
Sharon Sloane, President and Chief Executive Officer
BS in Education, MA in Counseling
Sharon created and patented the Interactive Behavior Modification System upon which WILL's Virtual Experience Immersive Learning Simulations are built. She is a pioneer and leader in the educational software and serious games industry with over 25 years experience producing cutting edge instructional programs. Sharon is frequently called upon by major organizations to address issues of national importance and received the 2009 Women in Film and Video, "Women of Vision Award" for her contributions as a technical innovator, educator and savvy business owner.
Lyn McCall, Chief Operating Officer
MA in Human Resources Management, MA in National Security & Strategic Studies, MA in International Relations
Previous positions include program manager, marketing director, group director, and vice president. Lyn was a Harvard Senior Executive Fellow and was trained in Competitive Positioning through Quality by Dr. Deming. A 26-year U.S. Marine, he was an infantryman and pilot. He was decorated for heroism and heroic actions in Vietnam three times. Lyn had eight years of command time and was repeatedly recognized for inspirational leadership and distinguished service. He has 15 years in computer modeling and simulation.
Jeff Hall, Chief Creative Officer
BA Radio, Television & Film, MA Writing for Mass Media
A pioneer in the development of interactive storytelling for education and training. Jeff shares the interactive behavior modification system patent with Sharon Sloane upon which all of WILL's products are built. He has written and directed over 20 feature-length interactive movies and managed WILL's simulation development team for 15 years.
Dave Versaw, CFO/Director of Business Development
BS in Business Administration and Finance
Dave spent 8 years in Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., including six as Vice President, Investment Banking where he led or assisted in completing transactions with an aggregate value of over $6 Billion. He is accomplished in comprehensive pre-transaction and pro forma financial modeling, and preparing and delivering strategic advisory presentations.
Dave Valcourt, LTG (Ret) US Army, Vice President
MA, National Security and Strategic Studies US Naval War College; MS Physical Education Springfield College, BS Engineering US Military Academy
Following a highly successful 37 year Army career leading organizations from platoon to Army Service Component level (28,000) around the globe, Dave joined WILL in 2010 to serve our nation in yet another way. A former commander of Ft Sill Oklahoma and 8th Army in Korea, and most recently assigned as the Deputy Commanding General for Army Training and Doctrine Command, he is ideally experienced and postured to lead WILL in support of future DoD/Service leader development requirements and Family programs.
Writing Team
Chris Stezin, Senior Writer/Product Development Manager
B.A. in English, Clemson University
Chris has written and/or contributed to the development of nearly twenty VEILS™ programs since 2005, including Beyond the Front (suicide prevention, U.S. Army), Generation Rx (prescription drug abuse prevention for adolescents) and Liberty Call (Sailor development, U.S. Navy). Chris is a professionally produced playwright in the Washington, D.C. area and associate artistic director of award-winning Charter Theater.
Skip Schwink, Writer/Director
Graduated AACC with an Associates Degree in Mass Communications/Media Production with a Certification in Photography.
Spent over ten years in Los Angeles working under directors such as F. Gary Gray The Italian Job), Tim Story (Fantastic 4), and McG (Terminator Salvation) to name a few. Skip is a former music video director who has worked with Van Halen, P. Diddy, Korn, DMX, R. Kelly and many more.
Skip's writing has sparked the interest of several Los Angeles based production companies where he has sold one screenplay and another has been optioned.
Malcolm Pelles, Writer
B.F.A., Florida State University and M.F.A., New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Malcolm is a filmmaker and playwright. He has taught both screenwriting and video game design at the university level.
Amber Jackson, Writer
B.A., Gardner-Webb University and M.F.A., Baylor University
Amber has worked in both film and theatre as a writer, director and actor. She is co-founder of a small non-profit theatre in Dallas, TX where she has worked in script development and served as a director, designer, and producer. She first joined WILL Interactive in 2009 in Fort Hood, TX as a production manager for the company's first live, interactive show about suicide prevention.
John Williamson, Writer
B.S., Civil Engineering USMA at West Point. M.A. in History, University of Texas at Austin
John is a U.S. Army Infantry veteran who now specializes in learning research, development of operational concepts, and training design and development. John has written and/or contributed to the development of more than twelve VEILS(TM) programs since 2002, including U.S. Army leadership development products such as Gator 6, The Leader, A Day in the BAM, Outside the Wire, and Danger Close; security and force protection products, such as Antiterrorism/Force Protection Level III and Pentagon Force Protection Agency; and ethics development products, such as High Ground and True Faith and Allegiance.
Anthony Brenneman, Writer
B.A., Loyola Marymount University and M.F.A., American University
Anthony has worked in film as a writer, director, editor, and actor. He studied film production locally at American University and abroad at the renowned Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Republic. His thesis film "FRIENEMIES" screened at numerous festivals such as the LA Shorts Fest and DC Shorts and won multiple awards including a prestigious CINE Golden Eagle. Anthony also received an Emmy Award for the half-hour Maryland Public Television production "EcoViews: Life on the Chesapeake Bay."
Production Team
Vallery Linn, Production Manager
B.A. in Mass Communication, James Madison University
Vallery has over 10 years of experience in television and film production. She worked in public television, earning 2 Capitol Region Emmys, transitioned to PBS's The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, then to CBS in Savannah, GA, and came back to the Washington, DC area where she worked as an actor for several years. Vallery has been with WILL Interactive for over 4 years and has worked on over 30 WILL films to date for clients ranging from the NFL to the US Army, Fannie Mae, US Health and Human Services and more.
Catherine Tripp, Producer
B.F.A. University of Southern California, M.Litt University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Catherine has worked in arts management for over ten years. She has served as a producer or director on theatrical productions both in Washington, DC and in Scotland. Her theatre company (Third From the Left) was the 2005 recipient of the Malcolm Edwards Award for Theatre Excellence (St. Andrews, Scotland). She is currently a company member of Rorschach Theatre (located in Washington, DC). During her time at Will Interactive, she has worked on over 11 productions either as an Associate Producer or as a Producer.
Lee Liebeskind, Casting Director
B.S., Towson University
Lee has over 10 years in theatrical management, creation and performance. He has served as the company manager for Company 13 (also a founding member), company manager of The Inkwell (also a founding member), and general manager and executive director of the Southern Appalachian Historical Association. Lee has been at WILL for a year and associate produced 7 films as well as serving as an apprentice editor.
Post-Production Team
Grady Weatherford, Director of Post Production
B.A. in Theatre Performance, University of Maryland
Grady Weatherford has spent over a decade editing, directing, producing, casting, and acting at WILL Interactive. He began acting professionally at the age of 10, appearing in commercials for the likes of McDonald's, Hardee's, Water Country USA, and many small market furniture companies. He is currently a company member of Rorschach Theatre in Washington, DC (who's Board of Directors he also served on for 5 years.) He is member of Actors Equity and the Screen Actor's Guild, and is a recipient of the Helen Hayes Award for his performance in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui in 2006.
Jonathon Church, Editor
B.F.A. Performing Arts, Longwood College
Jonathon previously worked for such companies as Total Resource Management(TRM), Computer Sciences Corporation(CSC) and Shenandoah Shakespeare Express(SSE). He has more than 10 years experience programming, database designing, and editing educational software for clients as varied as the US Navy and the NFL. In his spare time he acts on stage and screen and relaxes with his wife and newborn twins in Takoma Park, MD.
Mark Anduss, Editor
B.S. in Audio Technology, American University
Mark has edited numerous short form documentaries and formerly served as a Video Specialist for the State Department and Georgetown University. He is Apple Certified in Final Cut Pro and has taught program specific masterclasses in video editing and sound design at Georgetown University, George Mason University and the University of Mary Washington. He has designed sound and composed music for over 100 theatrical productions and received the 2003 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Sound Design.
Software and Design Team
Chad Moone, Team Leader
B.A., Wittenberg University
Chad has been on the WILL team since 2005, and has been directly involved in the development of over 20 VEILS® programs and several websites and applications. He has spearheaded the development of WILL's new suite of internal development tools, and continues to look for ways to drive WILL and the VEILS medium further. Chad has over 10 years of experience in designing and developing software and user interfaces, focusing on web technologies. He is also an accomplished video editor and sound designer, and has worked in several other aspects of product development, including screenwriting, directing, & film crew.
Caroline Horn, Senior Graphic Designer
B.F.A. in Visual Media, Rochester Institute of Technology
Caroline has been a graphic artist for WILL Interactive since February of '07. In those years, she has contributed to many VEILS® projects in several capacities, including Action Script Development and Graphic Design. Her experience also includes, but is not limited to, website design and development, Flex application design and development, flash animation, and still photography. Prior to employment at WILL Interactive, Caroline has several years of experience in practical application of photography, graphic design, print media, web development and time-based design.
Panupan Sriautharawong, Developer
B.S. in Computer Science, University of Maryland
Panupan Sriautharawong joined WILL Interactive in 2007 and has helped develop the next generation of WILL products. He takes part in developing WILL's Campus which will bring WILL's interactive experience online to a worldwide audience. His skill set includes knowledge in Actionscript 3, Flash Builder, PureMVC, PHP, Zend Studio, Zend Framework, MYSQL, Javascript, Jquery, CSS, JSON, XML, HTML, Subversion, and Server Administration.
Dillon Lucente, Developer
B.S. in Computer Science, University of Pittsburgh
After graduating from college, Dillon pursued a lifelong dream by living in Japan for two years, teaching English at the Junior and Senior High School levels. He also spent some time teaching basic computer skills at Westmoreland County Community College. After a year at WILL Interactive, Dillon is looking forward to more great experiences being a part of the WILL team.
Stefanie Stefanski, Graphic Designer
B.F.A. in Graphic Design, Maryland Institute College of Art with a concentration in Interactive Media
Before WILL Interactive, Stefanie worked as a studio photographer, video editor, floral designer, graphic designer, and print production assistant. Since joining WILL interactive in May 2011, she has spent most of her time at WILL working on an internal development application, contributing to VEILS® programs, and creating marketing material for the company.