America's Freedom Lodge Board Members

Mark Armstrong is the Founder of America’s Freedom Lodge.  Mark was born in central Ohio in 1960. He is proud to be a citizen of the United States of America and feels blessed to have been born here. He understands how, led by God, our forefathers structured this great republic. Many sacrifices have been made, again and again, in forming and preserving of the rights and privileges that we so often take for granted.  America’s Freedom Lodge grew out of Mark’s overwhelming respect for the men and women who have served in the U.S. Military; the defenders of freedom here at home and around the world. America’s Freedom Lodge gives us all a way to show appreciation to our U.S. Military service men and women-past, present and future. Mark Armstrong’s passions for people, his country, and the outdoors will serve him well as he purposes to "give back". He has support of his wife of twenty-five years and their family. You are invited to be a supporter of America’s Freedom Lodge and join with Mark in this endeavor.

Rob Pierpont, President, was born in Knox county, Ohio in 1967. His father and two uncles served in the Army, one served during Vietnam. Yet another Uncle served in the Air Force as a Load Master. Rob's nephew is a Navy Corpman attached to a Marine logistic group out of Camp Lejeune who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and is still serving. Rob has served his local community for over twenty-five years as a volunteer firefighter and is currently serving as Assistant Chief. He is also a member of Licking Lodge #291 F&M for over eight years is a member of QDMA, NRA as well as NWTF and Ohio Bowhunters  Rob is a member of The Utica Church of Christ where he serves as a Decon. Rob also has four nephews that are Eagle Scouts with one of them doing his project for America's Freedom Lodge. Rob loves the outdoors and enjoys spending time with his children and family in the woods. Rob was excited to accept the challenge when asked to be part of America's Freedom Lodge saying " If it weren't for the men and women of our armed forces, I believe many of the things we take for granted would not be possible". Rob looks forward in giving back to our veterans as this journey unfolds. He and his wife Lisa have two young children and they all enjoy being a part of this project.

Trent Davis, Vice-President was born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, in 1970.  Trent is a Marine Corps Veteran and served 8 years from 1989 - 1997.  He also served in the Gulf War 1990 - 1991 as a small arms technician in the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.  Trent has numerous family in the service including one uncle and a cousin who are also Marines; one uncle who is a 31 year retired Army Veteran; one grandfather who served in World War II in the Navy and another cousin in the Navy.  As you can see Trent and his family all believe in the freedom of our county and understand what it means to give back to those who have given for all of us as a Nation.  Trent was also a member of the Utica Volunteer Fire Department for 13 years.  He is also a member of the American Legion Post 92 for 16 years.  Trent has worked as a supervisor in the decorative concrete industry since 1993 in the construction field.  He has been involved in hunting and the outdoors since he was introduced to it by his father when he was a very young child.  This is where his spirit lies.  Trent has been married to his wife, Angie, for 16 years and they have two children, Corey and Jaeli.  He has given to his country by serving in the Marines but he does not intend to stop there.  

Jeff Moseley, Secretary, was born December 1958 in Columbus Ohio.  He has four children and is a member of the Centerburg Church of Christ. Jeff recently retired after 27 years with the Ohio Highway Patrol, As a State trooper, Jeff has been recognized in the field of traffic crash reconstruction and holds a degree in Engineering.  Jeff has been active in World War II living history and reenactments with the Central Ohio Living History Association of Marysville, Ohio. The group is tied to the Boy Scouts and both Jeff and his friend, Bruce Johnstone, encourage the participation of younger boys to become involved in the study and presentation of World War II. Jeff loves the outdoors and has spent many years in the Boy Scouts of America, he became an eagle scout in 1974.  Jeff’s’ father was a forward observer during the war with the 282^nd  artillery battalion, and his oldest son, Avery, served 8 years in the Army.  Ethan is currently serving in the Army.  Jeff is committed to the idea behind America's Freedom Lodge and supporting those who have served our country.  “I was asked by the lodge to take Jim Stamper on his last wish trip to Florida to bass fish.  I was excited to go and nervous at the same time.  I knew he was given a short 6 months to live and I was not sure what to expect.  That week opened my eyes even more to the need to serve those who served our country.  I only pray the Lord will allow me to serve a long time with America's Freedom Lodge.  Vets deserve it and we need to remember".

Richard (Dick) Gorney, Corresponding Secretary, was born and raised in upstate New York where he received his Catholic education and life-long love of hunting, fishing and God's creation.  He is a 1963 graduate of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY with a degree in business administration.  Upon graduation he received a commission in the Marine Corps and served three years of active duty at several duty stations.  Dick and his wife, Loretta, (Rett), have been married for 46 years and have 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.  Dick and his wife are blessed to live among the hills and valleys of east-central Ohio. Dick's career was in information systems management where he developed, managed and implemented computer systems.  During his career he worked at Carrier Corporation, Computer Sciences Corporation and Ernst Young (formerly Ernst Ernst, Ernst and Whinney).  He retired in 1996 as a partner with Ernst & Young.  Since retirement, he has enjoyed working with Rett on their retirement property, participating in ministries at their church, trying his hand at farming and experiencing the deer and turkey hunting seasons with his two sons and friends.  Dick first became aware of America's Freedom Lodge when he met Mark Armstrong, basically to share their experiences about developing their properties for wildlife.  Dick joined the Lodge as a board member in 2007.  He describes his experience with the Lodge as the opportunity to combine love of country, love of God's creation and love of neighbor in a mission larger than one's self.  Dick and Rett are communications at The Church of the Nativity in Utica, OH where he is a member of the choir, lector, Finance Director and leads the parish's annual bishop's appeal.  

Christy Rodeniser, Treasurer, was born in Licking County, Ohio in 1971.  Christy has volunteered with the America's Freedom Lodge since 2009 at hunts and events.  She was introduced to the Lodge when her husband, Kevin, became involved as a volunteer and board member.  Christy has been employed by the Ohio CSEA Directors' Association in Columbus, Ohio for the past 10 years as their Program Manager.  Along with the Treasurer duties, Christy also maintains and updates this America's Freedom Lodge website.  Kevin and Christy have been married for 20 years and have 2 children, Owen and Olivia. 

Renee McDaniel, Accountant, has been a Certified Public Accountant for nearly 20 years.  She has worked a variety of accounting positions including public accounting, private for-profit corporations and not-for-profit organizations.  She loves accounting and enjoys helping others to understand financial statements or situations.  She also values education and has earned a master’s degree in business administration.  During her career, she has managed the accounting department, as well as, worked more independently.  She is a hands on manager who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and work hard.  She enjoys serving her community in leadership rolls.  She currently serves on the East Knox School Board and has just been elected to her 3rd term.  She has served on the Knox Energy cooperative since its inception in 1998 and is currently the board President.  Renee has been the treasurer for America's Freedom Lodge since the beginning and was instrumental in obtaining the 501 (c) 3 status.  Renee has been married to her high school sweetheart, Don, since May 1987.  They relocated to Knox County in 1996 to raise their family in the beautiful Apple Valley community. 

Daryl Hayman, Co-Founder, was born in northeast Ohio in 1955. He grew up with seven sisters on a dairy farm. He was very involved in farming until 1984 when he graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor degree in Agriculture.  In 1985 Daryl responded to the call of God into ministry and attended Rhema Bible Training Center from 1985-1987. He served as an Associate Pastor in central Ohio for 14 years. Beginning in September 2001 he founded Daryl Hayman Ministries, a traveling, teaching ministry. Daryl has helped start three churches and currently assists several others.  Daryl has been married for 31 years. He and his wife have three grown daughters. Two of their daughters are married and have given them eight grandchildren to enjoy.  In 1990, Daryl was in an accident. A fall from a tree left him confined to a wheelchair. The years he has spent in a chair have given him experiences that enable him to identify with the specific needs of the wheelchair-bound. America’s Freedom Lodge is pleased that Daryl has agreed to come on board.

Kevin Rodeniser, Trustee, was born in Newark, Ohio in 1971.  Kevin and Christy were married in 1991 and have two children, Owen and Olivia.  Kevin is employed by the City of Newark, Water/Wastewater Division.  Even though Kevin lived in the city during his childhood, both he and his dad, Jim, loved to hunt and fish whenever they could.  In 1993, a friend introduced Kevin to turkey calling and hunting.  He harvested his first bird that year and many since then.  In 2007, Kevin guided a youth on his first hunt.  During this hunt, the youth harvested his first turkey.  This same year, Kevin guided another youth who had been hunting for a couple of years, but had never harvested a bird.  The youth harvested two birds with Kevin.  In 2008, Kevin saw an article in the local paper about the America's Freedom Lodge.  He debated whether or not to contact Mark to volunteer.  After some convincing, he did contact Mark and was able to guide a veteran on a turkey hunt.  This is where Kevin found his passion.  He learned that his desire is not to harvest, but to guide others in this unique experience. 

Derek Miller, Trustee, was born in 1984 in Salisbury Maryland and moved to Ohio when he was 10. Derek started hunting soon after his family moved to Ohio. It wasn’t long before he was spending every possible moment in the woods. At age 20 Derek started taking out some first time hunters for turkey and deer. That’s when he realized how much he enjoyed guiding for other hunters. Working with America's Freedom Lodge has been a wonderful experience. This is a small way Derek can say thank you to some of the veterans. He has a sister that is an Air Force medic and is currently serving in Iraq. She is the first one in Derek's family to serve. and they are thankful for her and everyone else that has served our Country. Derek is a member at the Vineyard Church of Knox County where he enjoys leading worship and playing on the worship team. Derek and Sara were married in 2007 and they both enjoy being involved with the church youth group. Derek is employed at Handcrafted Furniture, where they make custom kitchen cabinets. Derek also owns a gutter business and his brother in law works with him.

Danny Potes, Trustee, was born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio in 1970 and graduated from Mt. Vernon High School in 1988.  Woodworking and cabinetmaking has been Danny's trade since graduating. His father served in the U.S. Army, his grandfather was in the U.S. Army during WWI and 2 uncles served in Vietnam.  Danny grew up hearing the pride his father had for his own service to our country and how we are the great nation that we are because of those who believed and fought for freedom.  Danny started trapping and hunting at the age of 4.  He has been a supportive member of organizations such as NRA, NWTF and Amvets Post 95.   Danny is married with 2 boys that have also been introduced to hunting and the outdoors.  His stepdaughter, Chelsee Wood, has been his extraordinary hunting buddy since she was 11. 

Lodge Staff Members

Tom Melin was born in 1969 in Muskegon, MI. He served in the Army as an Airborne Combat Engineer for 5yrs and fought in Iraq during the Gulf War 1990-1991. He also made a parachute jump into Honduras during the Honduran/Nicaraguan conflict. He also took part in the invasion of Panama. His father served in 20th Engineer Brigade in Vietnam and he has a cousin currently serving in the Marine Corp and he's served in Iraq and is currently serving in Afghanistan. Serving our country was an important part of his life and he's still working with our men and women in uniform today. He was paralyzed in a drunk driving accident and now travels around the United States volunteering as a speaker with Forever Changed Productions, LLC. He speaks in schools and Military bases about the consequences of abusing alcohol and drunk driving. He's turned his mistakes into a way to teach others life lessons to keep them from making the same mistakes he's made. He's also filmed the documentary, "Forever Changed; A True Story That May Save Your Life," to help in this endeavor. He's been married to his wife, Kim, for 3yrs. He has 2 children, 2 step children, and 2 grandchildren. He began hunting with his Dad when he was 12yrs old and he's still hunting deer and turkeys to this day. His experience with America's Freedom Lodge began with him being a hunter and he realized just how important our mission is and he asked to become a part of our staff. He's looking forward to see what the future brings for the America's Freedom Lodge and to see just how many men and women can be given the opportunity to hunt and enjoy the freedom's that they have provided for each and every one of us who live in the amazing country.

Shane Anderson was born in Mansfield, Ohio and currently lives in Columbus. He has a 13 yr old son, Micah.  Shane has been hunting for 20 years.  He is in his 4th year at OSU majoring in Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife Management and expects to be a certified wildlife biologist in 2011.  Shane has been a volunteer Hunter Education Instructor with the Ohio Division of Wildlife since 2006.  He is a member of the following organizations: The Wildlife Society, American Fisheries Association, Society of American Foresters, Ohio Fisheries and Wildlife Management Association, Quality Deer Management Association, National Wild Turkey Federation and National Rifle Association. When Shane isn't volunteering his time he enjoys skiing, motorcycles, camping.