Sheffield Ford
Chief Executive Officer; retired U.S. Army Special Forces
Sheffield Ford III is a United States veteran with 24 years of service within the Army’s Special Forces. He is multi-lingual and has an outstanding record of achievements within strategic, operational, and tactical advisory roles during both combat and peacetime. He has advised and worked with US policymakers, top-ranking military officials, and corporate executives to identify solutions to both current and emerging threats in order to protect the US and its interests.
Shef is an experienced leader who has developed teams, managed budgets, and solved problems all over the world. With his sound judgment, he has built key relationships between international business partners, securing both logistics and transportation contracts. He also expertly identifies business development opportunities within the US and in frontier markets.
Shef is a trusted mission partner – whether the assignment is humanitarian or for business purposes. Ford excels under pressure and strives to accomplish the toughest tasks while achieving success. His military awards and decorations include the Silver Star, The Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
Philip Raveling
Senior Executive Vice President, Founder; retired Central Intelligence Agency
Philip Raveling spent 25 years in the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service (NCS). He has experience in all phases of intelligence leadership, from operations to collection, with a special focus on transnational issues like counterterrorism, counter-threat finance, and counterintelligence. Phil has served throughout the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia, as well as domestically, and can speak French, Italian, and Turkish fluently.
Phil has a proven record of accomplishment at the senior executive level, performing risk analysis and management duties within complex and dangerous war zone environments. He is an expert at both strategic and policy planning and is skilled at interagency collaboration.
In the private sector, Phil has been a successful entrepreneur. He has also served commercial businesses in management and consultative capacities. He has expertise in capital development and private equity financing for projects in Oil & Gas and mining and has executed numerous commercial projects overseas. Phil serves as a board member and strategic advisor to multiple US and foreign enterprises.
David Heldt
Chief Operating Officer; retired U.S. Army Special Forces
David Heldt is a United States Army veteran with over 20 years of experience in Special Operations. His distinguished record includes accomplishments in the areas of leadership, project management and development, and training, and he has served in advisory roles during both war- and peacetime. David has received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and many other prestigious awards.
David is an expert at identifying problems and creating sound solutions. His tactical, operational, and strategic consulting experience has involved US policymakers, interagency partners, and US military officers of all levels. David ensures that his actions always incorporate the whole-of-government approach, supporting the goals and objectives of Higher Command and the interests of the US.
David has worked extensively with US-NATO and other partner countries, foreign militaries and government officials, the Department of State, and federal/local law enforcement. He is passionate about development and excels at taking on challenges in strategic and diplomatic environments.
Paul LeFavor
Operations Manager; retired U.S. Army Special Forces, JSOC Special Mission Unit
Master Sergeant (Ret) Paul LeFavor is a veteran of the United States Army Special Forces. He is a security specialist and expert marksman, with extensive experience training soldiers in combat skills. He served as a Security Site Manager and the acting Deputy Program Manager of a security project in Iraq from 2009-2010. Paul led a transition team there that created a new security program consisting of 200 personnel.
In his most recent role, Paul served as a Cadre Team Sergeant for the Small Unit Tactics phase of the Special Forces Qualification Course from 2010-2015, training, mentoring, and evaluating students in a wide variety of techniques, such as raid, recon, ambush, leadership, close quarters battle, rifle marksmanship, survival skills, and airborne operations. He has served as an Assault Team/Sniper Team Leader and as a Saber Squadron Assault Team member, deploying multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Paul has also performed the duties of Shift Leader for numerous General Officer Protective Security Details, protecting Brigadier General Petraeus and Brigadier General Brown. During his service, he was awarded decorations and medals such as the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star with the “V” – or Valor – device.
Carmela Braxton
Facility Security Officer; retired U.S. Air Force, JSOC
Carmela retired from the United States Air Force in April of 2011. Fifteen of her 20 years were spent assigned to HQ AFSOC units. During her active duty career she was tasked with Working Group Management, Courier Assistant, Unit Administration and was the security manager for 6 units.
After retiring “Coke” worked with Fayetteville’s Festival of Flight as Executive Assistant, and later spearheaded the Industrial Security Program at the Joint Special Operations Command.
Since leaving her position at JSOC she has worked with several defense contracting companies, assisting them with their security programs.
She has over 35 years of experience in Security Management as active duty, a civilian and as a defense contractor. She has worked with all services and has some experience working with other government agencies as well. She is a longtime member in good standing of NCMS: The Society of Industrial Security Professionals and frequently offers her experience to others new to the National Industrial Security Program, or NISP.
