While our executive leadership members come from an array of different backgrounds, they each share the same mission: to upgrade training, increase confidence and help save lives.
John Givens has over 20 years of experience as a board member, entrepreneur, and corporate executive. In 2010, Mr. Givens founded Bohemia Interactive Simulations Inc, and as president, took military simulation products from inception to production. During his tenure he established the first game-based military Program of Record, “Games for Training”.
Prior to BISim, Mr. Givens created a gaming group in the Army Solutions Division of General Dynamics where he introduced the first game-based training in the US Army and DOD using the Un-Real game engine. Mr. Givens has achieved numerous awards and honors, including appointment to the board of directors of the National Center for Simulation (NCS), an association of defense companies, and the “Pioneer Award” for outstanding contributions and innovations to the training and effectiveness of U.S. and overseas soldiers, sailors, and airmen.
Mr. Givens graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Florida Institute of Technology and proudly served in the United States Army.
Boudreau has over 20 years of experience in managerial, financial and operating functions, most recently serving as group controller for The 600 Group PLC (AIM: SIXH), a publicly listed U.K.-based global industrial laser company. At The 600 Group, she oversaw all accounting activities for a business with over $30 million of revenues that included two manufacturing plants and offices in Orlando, Florida and United Kingdom. Prior to The 600 Group, Boudreau was an Accounting Manager at AdventHealth, a leading U.S.-based nonprofit health care company, where she oversaw accounting functions for 12 locations. Boudreau graduated Summa Cum Laude from the New York Institute of Technology, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She received an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Rebecca Valdez joined VirTra in 2016 as Director of Human Resources, and then promoted to Vice President, Human Resources in 2019 and to Sr. Vice President, Human Resources 2023.
Valdez has over 25 years in Human Resources including multi-state and Global HR, including Germany and The Netherlands. Previous experience includes senior staff positions such as Vice President US Operations – Human Resources, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Human Resources. Valdez has 10+ years working at a public company manufacturing audio processors and her previous position at PHD Hospitality was Directing Human Resources for 19 Branded and Boutique hotels with over 2,000 employees in 14 states with 18 off-site locations. One significant accomplishment was onboarding 6 new hotel properties, hiring 250 new team members in 3 states in 4 days’ time.
Valdez studied Business Management at the College of Southern Nevada.
Tony Cianflone has over 25 years of professional sales leadership experience with a proven record of success. Tony has spent the last 18 years leading overachieving sales teams/organizations. Specializing in sales leadership, sales process, hiring, training, developing teams and individuals to consistently overachieve sales quotas. Tony has experience driving revenue of multibillion-dollar corporations and early-stage startups, resulting in the sale of 3 startup companies.
Tony has held leadership positions at CR Bard, a multibillion-dollar medical device corporation offering vascular access devices to surgeons and large hospital systems. After his time at CR Bard, Tony led a team at Intuitive Surgical, the leader in minimally invasive surgical robots.
Tony graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Economics from the State University of New York college at Fredonia.
Bob Ferris founded Ferris Production, Inc. in 1993—which later became VirTra—before becoming the CEO and Chairman in 2008. Since the day he started the company, Mr. Ferris has been pushing the state-of-the-art envelope to achieve the most effective training simulators possible to benefit millions of people throughout 32 countries.
Mr. Ferris has been awarded multiple patents, spoken at numerous trade shows and has written and assisted with ground-breaking articles and studies. In August 2018, Bob Ferris was honored to be the first CEO of a virtual reality/simulation training company to ring the opening bell for NASDAQ.
Mr. Ferris attended the U.S. Air Force Academy followed by the University of Arizona, where he received a degree in Systems Engineering. Outside of work, he is a volunteer mentor for young men at a foster care group home, serves at Redemption Gateway Church and enjoys time with his family.
John Givens has over 20 years of experience as a board member, entrepreneur, and corporate executive. In 2010, Mr. Givens founded Bohemia Interactive Simulations Inc, and as president, took military simulation products from inception to production. During his tenure he established the first game-based military Program of Record, “Games for Training”.
Prior to BISim, Mr. Givens created a gaming group in the Army Solutions Division of General Dynamics where he introduced the first game-based training in the US Army and DOD using the Un-Real game engine. Mr. Givens has achieved numerous awards and honors, including appointment to the board of directors of the National Center for Simulation (NCS), an association of defense companies, and the “Pioneer Award” for outstanding contributions and innovations to the training and effectiveness of U.S. and overseas soldiers, sailors, and airmen.
Mr. Givens graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Florida Institute of Technology and proudly served in the United States Army.
Jeffrey Brown has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1993 and a financial planning service provider since 2004, in which he performed financial services for a wide range of companies. Mr. Brown was the CFO and Controller for Gold Canyon Candles, helping increase the annual gross revenue during a period of growth from $8 million to $55 million.
Mr. Brown joined VirTra’s Board of Directors as an independent director in 2011. Previously, he worked for Ernst & Young, performing audits for multiple organizations. Mr. Brown received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from California State University, San Bernardino, and his CPA designation in 1993.
Jim McDonnell has served for over forty years in the public safety profession and is one of the most respected police thought leaders in the country. He is the first person to serve in senior executive leadership positions in the three largest policing agencies in Los Angeles County: the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD). During his tenure, all three agencies saw a reduction in crime and improved police-community relations.
McDonnell formed McDonnell Strategies Group in early 2019 to advise clients across the nation on a diverse range of issues involving public safety and leadership development. His diverse client base includes entities from both the public and private sectors and from a variety of disciplines, including aerospace, health care, telecommunications, information technology, public safety, counter-terrorism, education and risk management.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, McDonnell obtained a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Executive Institute and has completed executive education programs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Gregg C.E. Johnson, KM, LL.B., J.D. has served as Chief executive Officer and was Director of Serenus Therapeutics, Inc. from its formation in May 2021. In July 2016, Gregg was one of the founding officers and directors of Vivos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVOS), and was a director and Secretary of Vivos from July 2016 until March 2018, and later as a director from December 2019 through May 2020.
Gregg has also served as the CEO of Upeva, Inc. since January 2017. Upeva provides strategic business consulting services to growing businesses. Among other transactions while at Upeva, Gregg was seconded to the management team of Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc. where he oversaw the restructuring, finance and go-public transaction that resulted in its listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE).
