Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas Board of Directors

David Morrow, President
David is a Brevard NC native who served in Vietnam as a member of Seabee Team 0517 in 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering Technology from Southern Technical Institute in 1972 and is a Partner in Newbanks & Company as a construction consultant for lenders. He is a founding board member of the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.

Phil Davis, Secretary
Born and raised in West Virginia, Phil graduated in 1970 from WVU in Aerospace Engineering. Upon graduation he was commissioned via ROTC in the US Army. He served on active duty, reserves and Indiana National Guard in Air Defense Artillery Nike, Hercules missiles and Field Artillery, 105mm towed howitzers.  Phil worked as a test engineer and as a turbine section designer for Allison Div. of General Motors in Indianapolis, IN. He worked in three companies with increasing responsibilities before retiring as a V.P. of Engineering in 2011.

Michel Robertson, Director of Finance
A native of the Chicago area, Michel graduated from Smith College and received her MBA at the University of South Florida. She owned Accountability Businesses Systems until her retirement in 2017. Michel volunteers her accounting and financial services on several local boards. Her experience includes Consultant and Technical Editor for Booz Allen Hamilton; District Sales Manager, Hershey Chocolate Company, and an accountant for Smith & Fuller, P.A. She recently published Welcome Home, Brother—Memoirs of Vietnam War Veterans.

Janis Allen, Director of Communications
Janis is the owner of Performance Leadership Consulting, training supervisors, managers, and employee teams in performance improvement techniques. Some of her clients include BMW Manufacturing, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, 3M, Xerox, Eastman Kodak, International Paper, American Airlines, Department of the Army, and United Airlines. She has published eight business books and a history: “We Shall Come Home Victorious.” Stories of WWII Veterans.

Carl Newman, Director of Business Planning and Analysis
A native of NJ, Carl served in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1968 during the Vietnam Era. After an honorable discharge, he earned bachelor and master degrees at night school on the GI Bill. He was employed in financial and business management for Tenneco and Becton Dickinson for more than 25 years. In order to honor deceased veterans, he participates as a proud member of the Transylvania County Honor Guard.

Thomas Bugala, Curator
Tom served in the US Air Force for eleven years as an Avionics Technician servicing all models of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. He currently is continuing his 40-year career in aviation maintenance as a Lead Technician at the Asheville Regional Airport working for Allegiant Airlines. A lifelong interest in military history began at an early age, inspired by his father — a history teacher and military collector. Tom is the proud owner of LuLu the Jeep, parade participant and official mascot of the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.

John Flynn, Director
A graduate of St. John’s University, NY, with a B.S. in Accounting, John enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in West Germany 3rd Armor Div. (S) H.Q. Drake Kaserne from 1968 to 1970. He joined IBM, working in accounting and finance operations over a 22-year career. After early retirement, John went to FLETC, Glynco, GA, where he worked in Federal Law Enforcement. After a second retirement in 2007, he moved to Brevard, NC, where he is a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, and other charitable organizations.

John Lawson, Board Member
Born and raised in West Virginia, John has called the Appalachian Mountains home for 50 of his 60 years. Those missing 10 years took him to college at Clemson University where he graduated in 1987 and then on to Atlanta, GA for a few years. His work history includes diverse experiences including 20 years as a professional potter, 6 years as a production manager in the entertainment industry, and a number of years in hospitality and bar management. He currently works as a nonprofit consultant specializing in organizational infrastructure and grant funding procurement.

Greg Ehr, Board Member
Greg is a native of Wisconsin and a graduate of Carroll University and Harvard Business School. Greg’s business career was based in New York, where he was a partner in the consulting divisions of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte. He also held corporate positions with Avon Products Inc., Bankers Trust New York, and Sterling National Bank. Earlier, Greg served two tours as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, in Seoul, Korea and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Altogether, he lived, worked, and studied in the Far East for more than eight years. For the museum, he has served as a Pathfinder (docent) and in other volunteer roles since 2021.

Bobby Kotlowski, Board Member
Born in Butler, N.J., Bobby enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1091 and retired in 2001. He traveled around the world as a Logistics Specialist, Embarkation NCO, Force Recon Marine, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Marine, First Sergeant and Sergeant Major. He was the Senior Enlisted Advisor to several Commanding Officers before retirement. He then worked for 18 years at Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum USS Yorktown in museum services, operations and events. He is married to Harriet Reda and enjoys reading military history.

Brent McCrimmon, Board Member
Business graduate of Western Carolina University. Manager of Lowes Store in Brevard. Experienced in asset management, sales management, public speaking, relationship-building, and HR policies. Demonstrated strengths in asset protection, customer service, and employee safety. Married with two sons, residing in Horseshoe, NC.

Honorary Board of Directors Member

Lt. Col. Edwin B. Cottrell, USAF (Ret), P-47 pilot, Battle of the Bulge, 48th Fighter Group, 493rd Fighter Squadron
9th Air Force, WWII-Europe. Serving in the Air Force Reserves after the war, Cottrell represented the new Air Force Academy, speaking to high school students all over the United States about career opportunities. His second career was education, serving as professor, coach, and Assistant Dean at West Chester State College in Pennsylvania. Professional golf became Cottrell’s third career, starting his own golf school and conducting golf clinics all over the world. Cottrell presents educational programs for the museum and visits potential sponsors.