BOARD OF ADVISORS
CHESTER (CHET) EDWARDS
Board Member
After completing three teaching certifications Mr. Edwards taught at the Choir Academy of Harlem, a 6 to 12 public school, until his retirement in 2014. During his last four years he was the School’s Dean of Discipline. Mr. Edwards left high school at 17 and enlisted in the US Navy in 1966. His service included working on a submarine repair ship, an ocean-going tugboat, and an Assault Support Patrol Boat during a one-year combat tour in Vietnam with the Mobile Riverine Force. While in Vietnam he also earned his GED. After completing his military service, Mr. Edwards earned a BS in Economics from Marymount College with the help of the GI Bill.
Prior to his teaching career, Mr. Edwards sustained a 35 year career as a Corporate Treasury Executive with a number of companies in the tri-state area. He later opened his own consulting firm and traveled around the country working with mid-size firms having financial difficulty. In 2003, he joined the New York City Board of Education Teaching Fellows Program, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Education at Pace University.
As part of New York State’s Operation Recognition, Mr. Edwards finally received his high school diploma from Westlake (NY) High School in 2018.
Mr. Edwards has always served his community; he volunteered as a firefighter, an EMT and Chief of the Port Chester, NY Volunteer Ambulance Corps. and spent two-years as President of the Port Chester Council for the Arts. Shortly after the events of 9/11, Mr. Edwards enlisted in the New York State Guard as a Sergeant. Serving 14 years, including a deployment during Hurricane Sandy, he retired with the rank of Colonel in January of 2017.
Since his retirement, Mr. Edwards has focused on working with Veterans with ProVetus, (Veteran Peer Mentor and Coach); Hudson Valley Honor Flight (Board Member); Westchester County Veterans Advisory Committee (Vice Chairperson); Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 49 (Vice-President); and PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program (Vet to Vet Mentor). He also volunteers with the Westchester County Department of Public Safety – Emergency Force as a Deputy Sheriff-Sergeant. He enjoys playing golf, watching the NY Mets, and cruising in his 1984 Corvette. Mr. Edwards and his wife live in Port Chester, NY and are the proud parents of two daughters and grandparents of two granddaughters.
PETER GAUDET
Board Member
Mr. Gaudet has served as an Alternative Investment Executive on Wall Street for twenty years. He has built and led many businesses throughout his career. Mr. Gaudet has investments in several businesses and is currently the Founder and President of Campfire Capital, an SEC and FINRA registered, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), specializing in alternative investment capital raising, M&A, debt and equity banking and venture capital. Until 2013, Mr. Gaudet was the President of Axonic Capital LLC, a $1.5 billion structured credit hedge fund business and institutional asset manager in New York City. Prior to Axonic, Mr. Gaudet worked as a consultant for Flintlock Capital (a Paul Tudor Jones spinoff commodities hedge fund).
Before Flintlock he was a Senior Managing Director and COO of ICP Capital in the US and UK. Prior to ICP, Mr. Gaudet ran Alternative Investment businesses at Credit Suisse Asset Management (CSAM) and Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette (DLJ) Asset Management. He started his financial career at Merrill Lynch. Mr. Gaudet graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1991 with a B.S. in economics. He went on to serve as a Field Artillery Officer at Fort Benning, Georgia, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Camp Casey, Korea, and Fort Lewis, Washington. Upon leaving active duty in 1994, he joined Merrill Lynch while concurrently continuing to serve as a Reserve Officer for the West Point Office of Admissions as a Military Academy Liaison Officer. During this time Mr. Gaudet also served on Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan's Academy Appointment Board, as well as the West Point Association of Graduates Board of Trustees as a Class Trustee and a member of the West Point Society of New York’s Board of Governors. Mr. Gaudet enjoys scuba, guitar, golf and squash. He lives in Chappaqua, New York with his wife and their two children.
JOSEPH HUNT
Board Member
Joe Hunt is a U.S. Army Veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service from June 1968 to June 1969 as a military advisor to the Vietnamese Regional Forces. Upon leaving the military, Joe built a career that encompassed leadership roles in corporate, social enterprise and nonprofit organizations.
In early 2019 Joe’s responsibilities were expanded beyond VMHC NYC. Joe was appointed Project Director at Vibrant Emotional Health, Inc. for a 3-year project to train AmericaServes network providers across seven states in Veterans Mental Health First Aid. The goal of the project is to increase non-mental health providers’ referrals for Veterans, service members and their families and caregivers to behavioral health services
Furthering his efforts to provide the largely civilian service provider community with information about military culture and the needs of military-connected communities, Joe facilitated a partnership between PsychArmor, Inc. and the VMHC to provide a curated library of on-line training videos that will be announced in early 2020.
In addition to the work he does for VMHC and Vibrant, he has participated on advisory boards for the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services Core4 Team, the United War Veterans Council, and Blue Star Families Advisory, and he mentors a Veteran as a volunteer with ProVetus.
Prior to jumping into NYC Veteran community with both feet, Joe was Managing Partner in Workforce Enterprises, Inc, a workforce development consultancy that engaged employers in curriculum development for vocational training programs. And, he co-owned and managed two successful strategic marketing and communications consulting firms. Their clients included organizations such as American Express, Chase Investors, Chase Bank, Citibank, Prodigy Internet and MasterCard.
Joe was born and raised in California, He received a Bachelors Degree in Journalism from the University of California, San Jose. Joe came to New York in 1974 to take an advertising job with the plan to return to California with New York ad experience on his resume. But, seduced by the energy of the City, and his wife of now more than 30-years. Joe and Ellen call NY home and are living in Bronxville, NY.
JIM MCCAULEY
Board Member
James P. McCauley, Jr is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Income & Asset Advisory, Inc since 2006 and is also the principal of J.P. McCauley & Co. Ltd. which he founded in 1982. Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology/ Human Relations and an MBA in Finance with honors from Pace University. He has extensive experience in the financial services industry, beginning his career in 1974 as a Registered Representative with a large mutual fund company. He then moved to Corporate Pension Investment Sales for he Equitable Life Insurance Company. Jim supervised a team of professionals servicing over one hundred clients as well as four hundred prospects. These corporate pension clients had significant investments, from $10 million to $100 million. In late 1981 he decided to return to individual investment management while
continuing to consult and service corporate pension clients. Upon the incorporation of J.P. McCauley & Co. Ltd, in 1982, he focused mostly on servicing a portfolio of approximately two hundred and fifty clients and retirement plans.
Jim has been a resident of the Town of New Castle since 1978 and has participated extensively in community and civic activities. He has been the Marshall of the New Castle Memorial Day Committee since 1998. He served as the Chief of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). He was awarded the Community Service Award in 2005 by the Chappaqua Rotary for his volunteer work. Jim also served as an exectutive committee member of Best 4 New York (B4NY) and New Castle Citizens for Responsible Education (NC-CRE), organizations working for fiscal responsibility both locally and statewide.
Jim served in the US Army from 1966 to 1971 as a Captain in US Army Special Forces serving two tours in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star, three Army Commendation Medals, one for Valor, as well as other medals. He is a past president and current Board Member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 49. Jim is currently a veterans mentor with ProVetus, helping veterans transition to civilian life. Since 2014 Jim has participated with injured veterans in the World Team Sports ride from DC to Gettysburg and is Ride Director for the Liberty Ride, a 55 mile ride from the Tappen Zee Bridge to West Point. He is the father of two grown children and the proud grandfather of six boys and one girl.