Thomas Winkel, MA, LPC, NCC is a Founder and Director of the Arizona Coalition for Military Families – a public/private partnership in Arizona that leads statewide and national efforts to support service members, veterans, and their families with resources to bolster their financial, emotional, physical, and educational wellness to reduce stress and prevent suicide. Thomas is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Army National Guard. His service in the infantry included tours in Japan, the Philippines, and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm during the first Gulf War.  
Thomas has been invited to speak at the White House, The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the National Governor’s Challenge Policy, and numerous other national events. In conjunction with the office of the late Senator John McCain, Thomas launched Be Connected, a statewide ecosystem of support for Arizona’s service members, veterans, and their families.
Be Connected, which will be the major focus of Thomas’ presentation, serves as a model for state-level collaboration on upstream veteran suicide prevention. The Arizona Coalition for Military Families and the Be Connected program have been nationally recognized by the White House, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Department of Military Affairs and many other national organizations
Thomas works tirelessly to expand public/private collaborations that benefit veterans and serves as one of the nation’s leading veteran suicide prevention programs.