Team
Mia Roseberry – Executive Director
Mia Roseberry is the founder of Wounded Warrior Homes, a non-profit organization that provides transitional housing for service members with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). She was inspired to give back to this specific constituency because of her experiences growing up in a military family and as a special education teacher who gained firsthand knowledge of the daily challenges faced by those with TBI.
Mia and her general contractor husband are also real estate investors, a passion that dovetails with Wounded Warrior Homes’ mission of helping service members afflicted with TBI successfully transition to civilian life by providing them with a roof over their heads.
Mia is active in the community as a member of the San Diego Veterans Coalition, San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC), Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, San Diego chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, as a past board member for the North San Diego Real Estate Investors Group. A native Californian, she has a B.A. in education and M.A. in special education, and she lives in Vista with her husband and daughter.
Mia is a 4th generation descendant of U.S. Marines. She was an Emergency Medical Technician and retired as a special education teacher. The survivor of a horrific childhood automobile accident that left her with permanent hearing loss, she understands first-hand what the affects of Traumatic Brain Injury cause and the effort that it takes to return to a normal life.
Steve Roseberry – Residential Home Consultant
Steve Roseberry co-founded Wounded Warrior Homes because he shares his wife’s passion for supporting the military community and is happy to put his 20+ years of expertise as a licensed residential contractor and home inspector to work to benefit those dealing with the challenges presented by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Steve is able to spot the telltale clues of damage, faulty workmanship and worn out materials. He’s a Certified California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA) Inspector, the highest certification in the home inspection industry, and is a member of CREIA (president of the North San Diego/Temecula chapter), the North San Diego Real Estate Investors Association, and the San Diego Creative Investors Association.
A Del Mar native, Steve is an active community volunteer whose activities outside of Wounded Warrior Homes include the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day (volunteer for the past five years), Vallecitos Spurs Gymkhana Club (snack shack manager for 11 years), and Teddy Bear House (project manager of the revitalization project).
Windus A. Fernandez Brinkkord – President and Financial Adviser
Windus Fernandez Brinkkord graduated from the University of San Diego in December 2002 with a BA in international relations and a minor in peace and justice conflict resolution of the Asian region. She started her career in the financial services industry with Trilogy in March 2003, serving as chair of the Women’s Club in the San Diego Region and co-founder of the club itself for all of Trilogy. She was awarded Trilogy’s Woman of the Year for 2008, and in 2010, Windus’ performance landed her in the “Bakers Dozen,” Trilogy’s most elite group of top advisors. She holds the series 6, 7, 63 and 65 licenses; is an Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) with National Planning Corporation; and is licensed to sell life insurance in California. Windus is committed in helping her clients attain the wealth they need to reach their desired goals.
Windus is a third-generation Californian and a second-generation San Diegan. She was raised in the community of Ocean Beach, which led to her love of the water; she still loves to surf, and enjoys snorkeling and hiking. She’s a supporter of the California State Parks System, is a Formula One racing fan and loves to travel to exotic places with her husband, Kurt. They were married in Fiji in 2004, and have since been to Peru to hike Machu Pichu and to Costa Rica and Belize to surf.
Windus and Kurt reside in Encinitas with their much-loved dog Akio, who’s a Shiba Inu they rescued. Windus is a member of the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) and Imerman Angels (www.imermanangels.com), a non-profit group that works to pair cancer fighters with survivors and provides support to families persevering through their diagnosis. She has a special affinity for those dealing with cancer, since Kurt is a two-year kidney cancer survivor.
Captain Ryan Higgins – Military Liaison
Ryan Higgins currently serves as Commanding Officer, Company G, Second Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. He received his commission into the Marine Corps after graduating from the Naval Academy in 2005 with a BS in international relations. Shortly thereafter, he was assigned as an artillery officer to 1st Battalion 11th Marine Regiment in Camp Pendleton. He served in a variety of billets, including Forward Observer, Fire Direction Officer, Liaison Officer, and Executive Officer for India Battery.
In the summer of 2007, Ryan deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the surge force. In this capacity, he served in a variety of roles, ranging from traditional artillery missions to provisional infantry operations. In the summer of 2009, Ryan deployed with Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion 5th Marines as part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, participating in joint training operations with the Kuwaiti and Jordanian armies. He then transferred to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot to serve in his current billet of helping to train the next generation of Marines.
Ryan and his wife, Carrie McFall, who serves as a navy nurse at Camp Pendleton, reside in Encinitas. After living in the San Diego area for over four years, the Texas native is proud to call Southern California home and he’s dedicated to helping the community, especially veterans.
Major Tom Burgett – Military Liaison
Major Tom Burgett joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1999 and is an Infantry Officer. He is currently the Officer in Charge and the Officer Selection Officer for the MARSOC Recruiting and Screening Team for the Western U.S. He’s on Military Leave from The Home Depot, where he’s been a store manager for six years. Over that time, he’s run stores in Colorado, Nevada, and California, each responsible for more than $40 million in annual sales. He’s also the CEO of Absolute Ventures, a real estate investment company focused on rehabilitating undesirable homes to improve local communities and educating military members on how they can develop their personal wealth by owning real estate.
Chase Weston – Wounded Warrior Homes Spokesman
Chase Weston grew up in western Montana and studied briefly at the University of Montana before he felt a calling to the U.S. Army, joining in early 2004. Chase was stationed at Ft. Benning with the 1st Battalion 15th Infantry, which was part of the 3rd Brigrade 3rd Infantry Division. He deployed to Iraq in 2005 and served there until he suffered a back injury, PTSD, and a TBI indirectly from a roadside bomb in August 2005. He was medically retired from service in 2007.
Chase returned home to Montana, and with the support of his family and local VA, he started his road to recovery from his many mental and physical wounds, attending many programs and rehabs. In 2010, he felt he was more than ready to get back to serving. Chase started with some re-adjustment counseling with an American Veterans Post from Northern California and then, while looking into a drug and alcohol counseling degree, he stumbled on the Golf Academy of America. In January 2011, he started his studies there, working toward a BA in business management and an AS in golf complex management.
When headed to play a round at Pala Mesa Resort, he ran into Mia at Tom’s Burgers. Mia told Chase about the Wounded Warrior Homes golf tournament and what the non-profit is an attempting to achieve. Chase briefly told Mia the story of his physical struggles and a bond was formed. Chase was elected to the Wounded Warrior Homes board because of his ability to relate to the returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Chase has a daughter, Miley, who lives in Montana with her mom. He’s been with his significant other, Lilah Clark, for just over a year, and her two sons are a huge part of his life. Chase says, “being a good role model to my daughter and the boys means the world to me; providing for them is my job and it’s a good one at that. I only hope the good that we do with Wounded Warrior Homes makes me a better father, and a better person.”
