We Have Been Where You Are.
After Watch Foundation was not built in a boardroom. It was built by first responders who lived the job, carried the weight, and found their way through. Everything we do comes from that experience.
Why After Watch Exists
There is a wall that nobody warns you about when you take this job. You sign up to serve, to protect, to show up when everyone else runs the other way. And for a while you do exactly that. Then one day the calls start to stack up. The things you have seen do not stay at work the way they are supposed to. The sleepless nights come. The distance from the people you love starts to grow. And you start to wonder if something is permanently wrong with you.
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It is not. This is what the job costs. And you do not have to keep paying it alone.
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After Watch Foundation was built because the people who founded it hit that wall themselves. They were not advocates who chose a cause. They were officers, veterans, and first responders who said I am not okay, found their way through, and decided to spend the rest of their lives making sure others could do the same. This organization exists because they refused to let the next person figure it out alone.
The People Behind After Watch
Every founder of After Watch Foundation has worn a badge. Every single one has lived what you are living. That is not a talking point. It is the foundation everything here is built on.
Veronica Leroux
Co-Founder and CEO
Veronica Leroux spent 17 years on the front lines of law enforcement. She served as a patrol officer, homicide and robbery detective, child and sex crimes detective, and internal affairs investigator. She comes from a law enforcement family. Her late father, her brother, her husband of 23 years, and several other family members have all worn the badge. She knows this world from every angle.
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Her career was profoundly shaped by PTSD. Rather than letting that define her, she turned it into a mission. In 2018 she began advocating for mental health awareness in law enforcement and co-founded After Watch Foundation to break the stigma and build the support systems that first responders actually need. As CEO she works every day to make sure no officer has to face what she faced alone.
Patrick is a disabled United States Marine Corps veteran and retired police officer with more than 20 years of combined service to his country and community. Originally born in Germany and naturalized as an American citizen at a young age, Patrick felt a strong calling to give back through a life of public service. His military and law enforcement careers reflect his unwavering dedication to protecting and supporting others, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to duty, integrity, and community well-being.
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Patrick Kreuzer
Co-Founder and COO
Burke Roberts
Co-Founder and Director of Support Services and Development
Burke Roberts gave 35 years to law enforcement. He began his career in Missouri before moving to Phoenix in 1988, where he spent 30 years with the Phoenix Police Department before retiring as a sergeant in 2018. He also served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Much of his career was focused in control operations, where he built a reputation for discipline, dedication, and steady leadership. Burke brings that same steadiness to After Watch Foundation every single day.
Bill Mitchell has spent his life in service. He began in the United States Army before transitioning to law enforcement with the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, where he served a vast jurisdiction that includes the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. During his time on the job he discovered a deep passion for training and supporting fellow officers through the mental health challenges that come with the work. In retirement he continues to present specialized trainings on PTSD and resiliency in public safety careers. Bill bridges the gap between first responders and the behavioral health support they need and deserve.
Co-Founder and Director of Training and Department Relations
Bill Mitchell
Josh Grandinetti
Director of outreach
I’m Josh Grandinetti, the founder of Foundation Fortified and a medically retired firefighter. I spent 15 years in the fire service—six of those as a captain—and have held my paramedic license for over 12 years. Today, I continue serving my community as an emergency transport paramedic.
Nearly ten years ago, I turned to meditation as a personal practice. What I quickly realized, though, was how little existed for first responders who live with constant high-stress demands. Few mindfulness leaders understand the pressures of running into a burning building, and few firefighters have the tools—or the time—for meaningful mindfulness. That gap pushed me to create my own approach.
Six years ago, I began building a meditation curriculum tailored specifically to the needs of first responders. After a recent on-duty injury, I finally had the opportunity to bring that vision fully to life.
Through Foundation Fortified, I provide practical tools to strengthen mental resilience and emotional balance—created by a responder, for responders. I also lead in-person mindfulness sessions at Runestone Ranch in Liverpool, California, and share weekly insights every Wednesday at noon on Midweek Mindfulness with The Thin Line Rock Station. Learn more at foundationfortified.org and connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
The Team That Keeps Us Running
After Watch Foundation is powered by volunteers who believe in this mission with everything they have. Our board brings expertise in law enforcement, law, human resources, military service, and nonprofit leadership. Every one of them shows up because they care about the people this organization serves.
Leah Terrano
Board Member
Leah Terrano is a seasoned HR leader with over 15 years of experience driving human resources strategies across diverse industries, including renewable energy, manufacturing, and start-ups. She holds a master’s degree in human resource education from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor’s degree in HR and Organizational Leadership from Rasmussen University, in addition to being SHRM-CP certified. Leah specializes in aligning workforce strategies with organizational goals, fostering inclusive workplace cultures, and leveraging data-driven solutions to optimize talent acquisition, employee engagement, and operational efficiency.
april lopez
Board Member
April Lopez is a seasoned leader with over a decade of experience in military, civilian, and nonprofit sectors. As an Administrative Investigator with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, she oversees complex internal investigations to uphold transparency and ethical standards. A U.S. Navy veteran, April held key roles in administration, personnel, and security, excelling in emergency management and global operations. In the nonprofit realm, she led major initiatives for the Enlisted Leadership Foundation, including organizing Chief Petty Officer Pride Day, a large-scale networking event for thousands of senior leaders. She holds a Master’s in Psychology with specializations in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Child and Adolescent Development from Capella University and is currently pursuing a second Master’s in Forensic Psychology at Arizona State University.
Brian Kovacs
Board Member
Brian comes from a Law Enforcement career of nearly 10 years working in Specialty Gang Units as well as Tactical Emergency Response Teams and High-Risk Transport, as well as being an E.M.T., before being medically retired. Brian started into the civilian world staking a claim in real estate, quickly rising through the ranks after realizing a niche selling bank-owned properties to real estate investment firms.
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After a year in Real Estate Brian decided to give back to his Law Enforcement brethren and work to supply new more durable and comfortable uniforms and equipment. Brian then saw a need to develop a more reliable duty-ready AR-15 platform which has sold thousands of units worldwide, to law enforcement, military contractors, and government agencies. Brian has been called to work on specialty projects for several well-known corporations and manufacturers in the small arms industry. Brian has also assisted in the development of many new accessories and advancements on weapons platforms for Special Operations units.
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Over the last 17 years Brian has been a business development and project manager to several businesses working on the sales of military/government Technology and equipment. Focused on the Research and Development of new or enhanced weapon platforms, as well as the Testing and Evaluation of complex firearm hardware systems.
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Brian is a staunch Constitutional advocate who can be seen on major media outlets to include Newsmax, iHeart Radio, Sirius/XM Radio, Patriot Radio, The Sean Hannity Show, The David Webb Show, and FM Radio shows as well as numerous Podcasts. Brian is also the founder of Talking Guns, a media and informational resource relating to the firearms industry.
Jessica Lockett
Board Member
Jessica M. Lockett is a California licensed attorney and has been practicing law since 2013. She is a partner at Corporate Securities Legal LLP in Costa Mesa, California. Ms. Lockett’s practice focuses primarily in the areas of corporate transactional law, securities, and general business and contract matters. Ms. Lockett holds an NACD Directorship Certification and sat on a NASDAQ listed company board for four years. Ms. Lockett has represented a broad range of public and private companies at various stages of development with corporate entity formation and maintenance, corporate governance, securities regulations compliance matters, and Mergers and Acquisitions. Ms. Lockett earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, law minor, from the University of Arizona in 2007 and earned a Juris Doctor degree, graduating cum laude, from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2012.
TORI SCHWARTZ
Media & Technology
With nearly a decade on the front lines as both an EMT and police dispatcher, Tori brings real-world first responder experience to the After Watch Foundation. She leads the foundation's branding, website development, and graphic design, shaping the voice and visual identity behind everything you see and hear, and you can catch her regularly on the After Watch podcast bringing insight, humor, and firsthand perspective to the conversations.
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By day, Tori is the founder of The Steward's Ink, a full-stack digital marketing agency bringing that same strategic lens to organizations that matter. She knows how to make a brand not just look good, but actually work.
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Around here, she is known as a professional "figure-outer." Tech issue, website glitch, broken microphone, mysterious internet meltdown? She is already fixing it before anyone else finishes saying, "Is it plugged in?"
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Outside of her work with the foundation, Tori is a proud law enforcement spouse of 10 years, a mom of two, and a lifelong horse lover. She understands the first responder lifestyle from every angle: on the job, at home, and in the heart.