OUR TEAM

Ron Millward | Founder, Chairman of the Board

Ron Millward is a United States Air Force veteran, entrepreneur, and nonprofit leader dedicated to improving the lives of veterans and their families. Ron enlisted in the Air Force at 17 and served seven and a half years as a combat vehicle operator and aerospace flight medic. During his service, he relocated more than 20 times and deployed to Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.

After service, Ron faced the realities of combat-related PTSD and the loss of fellow veterans to suicide. These experiences became the driving force behind his commitment to veteran wellness, advocacy, and community-centered solutions. In 2018, he founded Balanced Veterans alongside a board of fellow veterans, which later evolved into the Balanced Veterans Network through the integration of Operation 1620 with BVN Co- Founder Caleb Masoner.

As Founder and Chairman of the Board, Ron provides strategic leadership rooted in lived experience, accountability, and service. His work centers on education, advocacy, and access to whole-person wellness resources, guided by the belief that balance after service is built intentionally through action, connection, and community.

Caleb Masoner | Founder, Secretary and Treasurer of the Board

Caleb Masoner was raised across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Seeking a way out of a difficult environment, he enlisted in the Alabama Army National Guard in 2006 at 21. He served nine years as a Human Resources Sergeant and deployed to Sharana, Afghanistan in 2009, where he supported Personal Security Detachment operations and drove MRAPs.

After returning stateside, Caleb completed a bachelor’s degree at the University of North Alabama while still serving. Debilitating back pain and symptoms of post-traumatic stress led to a missed second deployment and eventually a medical discharge in 2015.

In 2017, a conversation with a fellow soldier about cannabis and PTSD led him to finding Operation 1620, eventually turning the Facebook group into a legitimate nonprofit. Cannabis, used as a therapeutic tool, gave him meaningful relief and a practical path back to stability. In 2020, the initiative formally aligned with Balanced Veterans, expanding its reach through education, advocacy, and community. Caleb has since built BVN around informed access, peer education, and responsible use of plant-based medicine.

He earned a Master of Business Administration with a 4.0 GPA from Purdue University Global in 2022. As Co-Founder, Secretary, and Treasurer, he keeps the organization’s records, finances, and founding purpose aligned, and he remains a lead voice for veterans trying to make a careful decision about plant-based medicine after service.

Mike Williams | Board Director

Helping people has long shaped Mike’s path, and he believes meaningful change requires both compassion and structure.

Following high school, Mike served six years in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard as a Security Forces member. In the aftermath of 9/11, his unit was recalled to active duty, during which time he deployed twice overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was later activated again in response to Hurricane Katrina, supporting security and relief efforts in Louisiana.

After his service, Mike completed a degree in Political Science – International Relations from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, he moved through a series of temporary and contract roles in records management and security work before retraining as an electrician, seeking a fresh start in the skilled trades. That path was cut short by an injury that led to renewed health challenges and a period of rebuilding. That experience, including both physical and mental health challenges, deepened his understanding of the layered realities many veterans quietly navigate after service and strengthened his resolve to build steadier systems for others.

Mike followed Balanced Veterans Network (BVN) for several years before choosing to volunteer in 2021. What began as a search for stability evolved into a deliberate commitment to building the infrastructure veterans need to access consistent, sustained support. He applied the systems-oriented approach he developed through his professional experience to strengthen BVN’s operational foundation.

Today, Mike serves as a Board Director and leads BVN’s Medical Marijuana Program, overseeing day-to-day operations, program development, and systems design. He contributes to governance, strategic planning, and organizational accountability, helping ensure that the structures supporting veterans are dependable, transparent, and built to last. He believes nonprofit leadership is ultimately about stewardship, ensuring that today’s work strengthens the organization for those it will serve tomorrow.

Outside of BVN, Mike is a stay-at-home father who values time with his family, long walks, and lifelong learning.

Eric Jansen | Deputy Director

Eric Jansen is a United States Marine Corps veteran and natural medicine advocate committed to widening the options veterans have after service. He deployed to Afghanistan and returned to a civilian life that no longer offered the structure or purpose he had known in uniform.

In 2017, Eric lost his close friend, Army veteran Brad Chartier, to suicide. He has spoken openly about carrying that loss, and about how narrow the available paths to care can feel once service ends. After relocating to Illinois, he was introduced to cannabis as a therapeutic tool, obtained his medical card, and found a community of veteran advocates through Operation 1620. Plant-based medicine, peer connection, and later work alongside organizations supporting psychedelic-assisted healing helped him regain stability and a clearer sense of direction. What began as personal recovery became a commitment to reducing stigma and improving informed access for other veterans.

Eric went on to lead government affairs and policy for Balanced Veterans Network. In that role he has represented BVN in congressional outreach, including Capitol Hill meetings with partner organizations, focused on veteran suicide prevention, medical cannabis access, and the release of veterans incarcerated for marijuana offenses. He has argued publicly that mental health is not a partisan issue, and that lasting reform depends on co-sponsorship, committee support, and veterans prepared to ask lawmakers for specific action.

As Deputy Director, Eric provides day-to-day leadership across advocacy, partnerships, and organizational priorities while continuing to strengthen BVN’s policy voice. The appointment is a deliberate step toward Executive Director, held to the same standard the organization asks of its members: balance built through informed action, connection, and service.