LET’S MAKE A BETTER WORLD

In August of 2021 as the situation in Afghanistan was devolving our founder, Bruce Roberts, was deep in conversations with many concerned citizens. On September 1st he met with an old friend, Scott Holmes, who expressed frustration with the situation and how it was being handled. Bruce ended the conversation that day with a simple question to Scott, “If you could do something about it, would you be willing.” Without hesitation Scott replied, “Absolutely.” And thus, August Mission was born. Since that fateful day they have worked tirelessly towards assembling a gifted group of professionals with the dedication and desire to not only address the situation in Afghanistan but also to apply that same determination and resourcefulness towards humanitarian crisis worldwide.

The staff of August Mission represent trailblazers from a variety of backgrounds. We have subject matter experts from the business community, Non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), the Military, and first responders. This inclusive group of professionals represents women, minorities, and naturalized citizens; all dedicated to making the world a better place by helping others.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our Board of Directors is comprised of professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, all with a dedication to reducing suffering around the world by solving difficult problems. They serve without compensation, donating their time, talents, considerable experience, and expertise.

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Our Executive Staff is composed of professionals with extensive experience in organizational development, business administration, strategic planning and execution, risk assessment, global logistics, marketing, and business development.

BOARD OF ADVISORS

Our Board of Advisors serve without compensation and are comprised of respected business leaders, military leaders, finance and legal professionals and other non-profit and civic leaders. They provide non-binding strategic advice on matters related to worldwide humanitarian challenges.

MEET SOME OF OUR TEAM…

BRUCE ROBERTS

Founder & CEO

Bruce Roberts spent nearly 28 years in the U.S. Army, entering as a private in 1993 and retiring in 2021 as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his service he was able to pursue many different specialties including Logistics, military intelligence, Infantry, and public relations. His last two assignments in the military were as a special operations battalion commander and a division assistant operations officer.

Bruce has always been an entrepreneur on the side; opening a CrossFit gym, a gym equipment company, buying into a local landscaping company, and operating a defensive firearms training school.

His search for a meaningful endeavor after his military career led him to found August Mission in the fall of 2021 with the support of Scott Holmes and the assistance of David Edgel.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah Valley University and a Master of Arts from American Military University. He lives in American Fork, UT with his wife and two boys.

DAVID EDGEL

Chief Development Officer

David Edgel has spent the bulk of his career in sales and marketing. He has a background in sales leadership and management with a focus on lead generation and business development. He has run sales teams for several enterprise software companies and has extensive experience developing and implementing sales training programs. He has launched sales teams for multiple startup companies and has done consulting work with several other companies in the launch/development of their sales staffs.

David is also a career entrepreneur having started, run and sold several businesses. His entrance into fundraising for charitable organizations came in 2014 when he started a fundraising event business and organized charitable fundraising events for over 160 organizations in Utah, Idaho and Colorado. He is currently a Co-Founder and Senior Instructor at a defensive firearms training school.

David has volunteered as a youth mentor for multiple organizations and has been fortunate to work with dozens of young men, many of whom he maintains contact with to this day.

He and his wife Carol live in Pleasant View, Utah and are the proud parents of 10 children/step children.

NICK FOWLER

Director of Operations

Nick Fowler is a globally experienced individual who born in Nicaragua, moved to Argentina shortly after, and grew up in Miami, Florida and has traveled extensively around the world. He has a diverse background, having achieved world-class status as a climber with multiple world records and international climbing expeditions. This experience led him to work in high-altitude technical search and rescue in Yosemite National Park, which later transitioned to a career in national fire operations.

Beginning his career as a firefighter and medic, Nick quickly progressed into incident management with a focus on aviation. He has worked on all-risk interagency national helicopter programs, serving as a subject matter expert for military and international programs. Nick has filled numerous roles on incident management teams, including incident commander, air tactical supervisor, and member of the Interagency Aviation Rappel Working Group. In his last year, he detailed into a battalion chief level position and worked as a Fire Operations Specialist for the State of Utah in 2014.

In pursuit of his entrepreneurial aspirations, Nick retired early and founded a successful business focused on optimizing human performance. He has worked with a diverse range of athletes, including Olympic Athletes, Crossfit Champions, and the US Army’s 1st SFOD.

In August 2022, Nick felt a strong desire to help in the evacuation of Afghanistan and took on the position of Director of Operations for August Mission. He played an instrumental role in providing recovery and resettlement support for US citizens and Afghan counterparts. Nick also took August Mission into Ukraine, where he built a successful network of humanitarian assistance for displaced people.

VIKTORIIA TARASIUK

Country Manager-Ukraine/
Director, August Mission Foundation of Ukraine

Viktoriia is a talented leader and team builder who has spent her career training and developing people. From her experience in hospitality management to her role in teacher development with the Khmelnytskyi Region, Department of Education, she has proven her ability to organize teams, implement efficient systems within her organizations and maximize the potential of her employees. She received her Bachelor’s degree as well as her Masters of Education from the Khmelnytskyi Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy.

Viktoriia began her work with August Mission as a volunteer interpreter and quickly became an invaluable asset. From helping with administrative tasks, to organizing the warehouse in Khmelnytskyi, to introducing our executive staff to local and regional Ukrainian government officials, she has proven her value to the organization over and over. After three months of volunteer work, she officially joined the team in June, 2022 as Country Manager for Ukraine. In addition to managing operations in Ukraine, she also serves as the Director of August Mission’s Ukrainian Foundation.

Vicky is a busy mom as well as a talented musician who loves to sing and play piano. She enjoys outdoor sports like skiing, horseback riding and hiking. She also loves to travel internationally and has visited 10 countries including the United States.

She was born and raised in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine where she currently lives with her two daughters.

SCOTT HOLMES

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Scott Holmes has over two decades of experience in global trade with a specialty in sourcing and import/export logistics. In 2005, he founded TETON Sports, and has grown it into a successful global brand headquartered in Utah. Since 2018, he’s owned and operated Echelon PR LLC, a global import/export services and consulting company based in Puerto Rico. In 2020, he co-founded MENA Group, an export company distributing U.S. brands into the Middle East and North Africa.

Scott currently serves on the board of World Trade Center Utah chaired by Ambassador John Huntsman. He also serves on the advisory board of a Puerto Rican company dedicated to bringing reliable and affordable backup power to Puerto Rico.

Scott attended Utah State University majoring in Biology and minoring in Spanish. He and his wife, Christine, have eight children. They split their time between Puerto Rico and Utah.

JEFFERSON BURTON

Board of Directors

Jefferson Burton served in the United States Army for more than three decades. He began as a private and ultimately attained the rank of Major General, retiring in November of 2019. He has commanded troops in combat and returned to the Middle East six times. While serving in Europe, he witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the fall of the Iron Curtain.

He has served on the Governor’s Cabinet twice. First as the Commanding General of the Utah Army and Air National Guard, and then as the Interim Director of the Utah Department of Health during the first four months of the COVID pandemic.

He has served as an Assistant Professor at both Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, where he taught Military Science and National Security Strategy. He currently serves at Zion’s Bank as the Senior Vice President for Officer Development and is a member of the State Legislature representing District 64.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York, a Masters of Science degree from The United States Army War College, and a Master of Arts degree from The University of Phoenix. He has a certificate in National Security from Harvard University.

He and his wife Charn live in Salem and have 3 children and 7 grandchildren.

TARA SWILA

Board of Advisors

Tarra’s experience in humanitarian work began at the age of 15 when her mother sent her to Mexico to build houses. Since then she has worked as a volunteer and an employee for various humanitarian organizations in dozens of countries providing immediate relief in times of disaster and economic uncertainty.

In addition to her work in the civilian sector, she has served 19 years in the military. The first 15 years were served in the Air Force where she worked in finance, then as a medic and logistician before transferring to the Army where she continues to serve.

She graduated from the University of Utah where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health, Society and Policy while taking more than the required number of electives in Pottery.

ROBERT LOCHHEAD

Board of Advisors

Robert Lochhead is a retired attorney. He practiced law for over thirty years, primarily with the firm of Parr Brown Gee & Loveless in Salt Lake City. He then joined the Office of General Council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving for three years as area legal counsel for Eastern Europe, while residing in Moscow. Following his years in Russia, Robert served as mission president for the Church in Eastern Ukraine, until he was forced to leave when fighting broke out in the Donbas Region in 2014. After returning from Ukraine Robert served as Associate Director, and later as Executive Director, of the Leavitt Institute for International Development. He organized teams of volunteer attorneys and judges to teach American legal principles, ethics and anti-corruption to law students in Ukraine and Moldova. He has guest taught or presented papers at the National Banking Institute of Ukraine and at other universities in Ukraine and Moldova, and worked with the National Institute of Justice of Moldova to develop a training program for judges and prosecutors. He has published articles in legal periodicals in the United States, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Robert holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, where he studied German and political science, and a Juris Doctor from Columbia University, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

He and his wife, KLynn, live in Midway, Utah and have 6 children and 27 grandchildren.

ROGER MOORE

Board of Advisors

Roger Moore began his career as a pilot and flight instructor, but has spent the bulk of it in business management and marketing culminating as the co-founder and CEO of a yacht brokerage, service and management company he currently runs in South Florida. He has also served as Chairman, Founder and CEO of American Diversified Industries which designed and manufactured water purification products; President of Madison and Burke, a publicly listed real estate syndication and management company; and Managing Director Sand River Golf Club.

Roger has a passion for yachting and has crossed the Atlantic, cruised the South Pacific, Australia, Indonesia, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Black Sea, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. His other interests include scuba diving, computers, mechanics, paragliding, golf, classical guitar and electronics.

Roger holds seven patents in the field of Water Purification and Water Treatment. He was educated in Chemistry and Mathematics at San Francisco State College.

Roger currently resides aboard an 84’ Northern Marine Expedition Cockpit motor yacht in South Florida.

BRUCE ROBERTS

Founder & CEO

Bruce Roberts spent nearly 28 years in the U.S. Army, entering as a private in 1993 and retiring in 2021 as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his service he was able to pursue many different specialties including Logistics, military intelligence, Infantry, and public relations. His last two assignments in the military were as a special operations battalion commander and a division assistant operations officer.

Bruce has always been an entrepreneur on the side; opening a CrossFit gym, a gym equipment company, buying into a local landscaping company, and operating a defensive firearms training school.

His search for a meaningful endeavor after his military career led him to found August Mission in the fall of 2021 with the support of Scott Holmes and the assistance of David Edgel.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah Valley University and a Master of Arts from American Military University. He lives in American Fork, UT with his wife and two boys.

DAVID EDGEL

Chief Development Officer

David Edgel has spent the bulk of his career in sales and marketing. He has a background in sales leadership and management with a focus on lead generation and business development. He has run sales teams for several enterprise software companies and has extensive experience developing and implementing sales training programs. He has launched sales teams for multiple startup companies and has done consulting work with several other companies in the launch/development of their sales staffs.

David is also a career entrepreneur having started, run and sold several businesses. His entrance into fundraising for charitable organizations came in 2014 when he started a fundraising event business and organized charitable fundraising events for over 160 organizations in Utah, Idaho and Colorado. He is currently a Co-Founder and Senior Instructor at a defensive firearms training school.

David has volunteered as a youth mentor for multiple organizations and has been fortunate to work with dozens of young men, many of whom he maintains contact with to this day.

He and his wife Carol live in Pleasant View, Utah and are the proud parents of 10 children/step children.

NICK FOWLER

Director of Operations

Nick Fowler is a globally experienced individual who born in Nicaragua, moved to Argentina shortly after, and grew up in Miami, Florida and has traveled extensively around the world. He has a diverse background, having achieved world-class status as a climber with multiple world records and international climbing expeditions. This experience led him to work in high-altitude technical search and rescue in Yosemite National Park, which later transitioned to a career in national fire operations.

Beginning his career as a firefighter and medic, Nick quickly progressed into incident management with a focus on aviation. He has worked on all-risk interagency national helicopter programs, serving as a subject matter expert for military and international programs. Nick has filled numerous roles on incident management teams, including incident commander, air tactical supervisor, and member of the Interagency Aviation Rappel Working Group. In his last year, he detailed into a battalion chief level position and worked as a Fire Operations Specialist for the State of Utah in 2014.

In pursuit of his entrepreneurial aspirations, Nick retired early and founded a successful business focused on optimizing human performance. He has worked with a diverse range of athletes, including Olympic Athletes, Crossfit Champions, and the US Army’s 1st SFOD.

In August 2022, Nick felt a strong desire to help in the evacuation of Afghanistan and took on the position of Director of Operations for August Mission. He played an instrumental role in providing recovery and resettlement support for US citizens and Afghan counterparts. Nick also took August Mission into Ukraine, where he built a successful network of humanitarian assistance for displaced people.

VIKTORIIA TARASIUK

Country Manager-Ukraine/
Director, August Mission Foundation of Ukraine

Viktoriia is a talented leader and team builder who has spent her career training and developing people. From her experience in hospitality management to her role in teacher development with the Khmelnytskyi Region, Department of Education, she has proven her ability to organize teams, implement efficient systems within her organizations and maximize the potential of her employees. She received her Bachelor’s degree as well as her Masters of Education from the Khmelnytskyi Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy.

Viktoriia began her work with August Mission as a volunteer interpreter and quickly became an invaluable asset. From helping with administrative tasks, to organizing the warehouse in Khmelnytskyi, to introducing our executive staff to local and regional Ukrainian government officials, she has proven her value to the organization over and over. After three months of volunteer work, she officially joined the team in June, 2022 as Country Manager for Ukraine. In addition to managing operations in Ukraine, she also serves as the Director of August Mission’s Ukrainian Foundation.

Vicky is a busy mom as well as a talented musician who loves to sing and play piano. She enjoys outdoor sports like skiing, horseback riding and hiking. She also loves to travel internationally and has visited 10 countries including the United States.

She was born and raised in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine where she currently lives with her two daughters.

SCOTT HOLMES

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Scott Holmes has over two decades of experience in global trade with a specialty in sourcing and import/export logistics. In 2005, he founded TETON Sports, and has grown it into a successful global brand headquartered in Utah. Since 2018, he’s owned and operated Echelon PR LLC, a global import/export services and consulting company based in Puerto Rico. In 2020, he co-founded MENA Group, an export company distributing U.S. brands into the Middle East and North Africa.

Scott currently serves on the board of World Trade Center Utah chaired by Ambassador John Huntsman. He also serves on the advisory board of a Puerto Rican company dedicated to bringing reliable and affordable backup power to Puerto Rico.

Scott attended Utah State University majoring in Biology and minoring in Spanish. He and his wife, Christine, have eight children. They split their time between Puerto Rico and Utah.

JEFFERSON BURTON

Board of Directors

Jefferson Burton served in the United States Army for more than three decades. He began as a private and ultimately attained the rank of Major General, retiring in November of 2019. He has commanded troops in combat and returned to the Middle East six times. While serving in Europe, he witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the fall of the Iron Curtain.

He has served on the Governor’s Cabinet twice. First as the Commanding General of the Utah Army and Air National Guard, and then as the Interim Director of the Utah Department of Health during the first four months of the COVID pandemic.

He has served as an Assistant Professor at both Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, where he taught Military Science and National Security Strategy. He currently serves at Zion’s Bank as the Senior Vice President for Officer Development and is a member of the State Legislature representing District 64.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York, a Masters of Science degree from The United States Army War College, and a Master of Arts degree from The University of Phoenix. He has a certificate in National Security from Harvard University.

He and his wife Charn live in Salem and have 3 children and 7 grandchildren.

TARA SWILA

Board of Advisors

Tarra’s experience in humanitarian work began at the age of 15 when her mother sent her to Mexico to build houses. Since then she has worked as a volunteer and an employee for various humanitarian organizations in dozens of countries providing immediate relief in times of disaster and economic uncertainty.

In addition to her work in the civilian sector, she has served 19 years in the military. The first 15 years were served in the Air Force where she worked in finance, then as a medic and logistician before transferring to the Army where she continues to serve.

She graduated from the University of Utah where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health, Society and Policy while taking more than the required number of electives in Pottery.

ROBERT LOCHHEAD

Board of Advisors

Robert Lochhead is a retired attorney. He practiced law for over thirty years, primarily with the firm of Parr Brown Gee & Loveless in Salt Lake City. He then joined the Office of General Council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving for three years as area legal counsel for Eastern Europe, while residing in Moscow. Following his years in Russia, Robert served as mission president for the Church in Eastern Ukraine, until he was forced to leave when fighting broke out in the Donbas Region in 2014. After returning from Ukraine Robert served as Associate Director, and later as Executive Director, of the Leavitt Institute for International Development. He organized teams of volunteer attorneys and judges to teach American legal principles, ethics and anti-corruption to law students in Ukraine and Moldova. He has guest taught or presented papers at the National Banking Institute of Ukraine and at other universities in Ukraine and Moldova, and worked with the National Institute of Justice of Moldova to develop a training program for judges and prosecutors. He has published articles in legal periodicals in the United States, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Robert holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, where he studied German and political science, and a Juris Doctor from Columbia University, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

He and his wife, KLynn, live in Midway, Utah and have 6 children and 27 grandchildren.

ROGER MOORE

Board of Advisors

Roger Moore began his career as a pilot and flight instructor, but has spent the bulk of it in business management and marketing culminating as the co-founder and CEO of a yacht brokerage, service and management company he currently runs in South Florida. He has also served as Chairman, Founder and CEO of American Diversified Industries which designed and manufactured water purification products; President of Madison and Burke, a publicly listed real estate syndication and management company; and Managing Director Sand River Golf Club.

Roger has a passion for yachting and has crossed the Atlantic, cruised the South Pacific, Australia, Indonesia, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Black Sea, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. His other interests include scuba diving, computers, mechanics, paragliding, golf, classical guitar and electronics.

Roger holds seven patents in the field of Water Purification and Water Treatment. He was educated in Chemistry and Mathematics at San Francisco State College.

Roger currently resides aboard an 84’ Northern Marine Expedition Cockpit motor yacht in South Florida.

CHANGE A LIFE TODAY

Help us in our efforts to reduce human suffering through lawful humanitarian support, recovery, and resettlement of displaced persons, persecuted groups/individuals and those left behind.

August Mission is a registered Utah Charitable Organization and is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.
Donations are tax deductible in the United States.