Meet our Team
Chris Sowell
Executive Director
Patty Fried
Director of Administration
Patty Fried is a nonprofit executive with over 38 years’ experience. She holds a Juris Doctorate and while she practiced law for a couple of years, she soon found her passion in working in nonprofits. Patty has held senior leadership positions in several nonprofits over the last 30 years. She joined Warrior Wellness Program in 2017 as a consultant, but after seeing the transformation of lives that occur through the services at Warrior Wellness Program, she became part of the team, first as Chief Operating Officer and later the Executive Director. She stepped down as Executive Director in July of 2024, but remains dedicated to the organization as the Director of Administration. Patty embraces the opportunity to serve the veteran and military populations, having many close friends and family members who have served to protect our country.
Britta Hyman
Clinician, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Britta is a clinician at Warrior Wellness Program and trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). She graduated with a Masters in Social Work from Fordham University and received a Bachelors of Science in Business Management from McNeese State University. As a Military spouse, Britta is passionate about the Veteran community, with her dad and husband’s Military service especially inspiring her to become a social worker. She is honored to be a member of the Team and to have the opportunity to support Veterans and their family members in their journey to post traumatic growth.
Travis Holt
Clinician and Program Coordinator, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Travis is a 3rd generation Marine Corps. combat veteran. His grandfather fought in WWII, his father in Vietnam and Travis served with the Marine Corps. infantry in Iraq circa 2004-2005 Travis has a Master’s degree in Social Work and 20 years of experience in various social service settings to include Residential (adults and adolescents), Restorative Justice, Department of Corrections, Long Term Care and Truancy. After starting as an MSW intern, Travis was hired on as the Program Coordinator and is now one of the ART clinicians. “I believe the experience we offer at Warrior Wellness is conducive to healing and growth. Warrior Wellness is a special place and I am honored to be a member of this team.”
Jesse Diaz
Clinician, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Jesse received his Bachelor’s in Social Work and Minor in Psychology from Saint Leo University in 2016. He continued on to receive his Master’s in Social Work Advanced Clinical Practice in 2017. With a total of 34 self-employed years in the Ceramic Tile industry and 44 years as a musician, Jesse has melded his long belief in positive psychology along with his passion for music to design a unique music group experience offered at Warrior Wellness Program. Jesse’s other passions are his family and martial arts, having earned his 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Samantha Vrbancic
Operations Coordinator
Samantha is the Operations Coordinator at Warrior Wellness. She served four years in the US Army as a Human Intelligence Collector, including a deployment to Afghanistan with the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Her service also included four years in Anchorage, Alaska, followed by three years in the Florida National Guard. After completing her military service, Samantha returned to the Tampa Bay area where she is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Saint Leo University. In her role at Warrior Wellness, Samantha ensures efficient execution of the Accelerate Wellness programs, coordinates closely with the team and veterans, and manages events and fundraising efforts. Her military background and ongoing education in social work significantly enhance her ability to serve the veteran community effectively.
Kim Bigelow
Development Director
Kim is a former Army JAG officer who served for over 8 years in various roles including legal advisor for international and operational issues from Ft. Clayton, Panama, and national security criminal investigations at the National Security Agency, as well as Head of the Stuttgart Law Office, Stuttgart, Germany. Her father served 30 years in the US Army and is a Vietnam Veteran. Her husband also served 30 years in the US Army and retired in Huntsville, Alabama. After experiencing the impact of military service from all sides, she gladly joined the Warrior Wellness Program team in 2023 to help bring the life-changing services to the Huntsville location of the program.
