OUR TEAM

Board of Directors

JIM KEMTER

Co-founder and President

Jim retired from active duty in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Corps of Engineers. Jim is a PADI Master Scuba Diver and actively working toward his Divemaster rating. He found scuba diving to be very therapeutic and even mission driven in various water conservation activities such as PADI's Project AWARE - Dive Against Debris. He co-founded Hero Scuba Group to help other Veterans experience many of the undocumented benefits of diving that he and his colleagues have found to be so beneficial. In addition to his passion for diving, he is a licensed private pilot, and enjoys traveling, sailing, hunting and fly-fishing in his spare time.

KARL "JUNIOR" WHITEMAN

Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer

Karl “Junior” Whiteman retired from active duty in the U.S. Navy as a Chief Warrant Officer. Junior suffers from PTSD, depression and anxiety and struggled with his transition to the civilian sector. He is a certified Rescue Diver and is currently working on becoming a Master Scuba Diver. Karl is passionate about ocean conservation and supports PADI’s Project AWARE and Dive Against Debris initiatives. Scuba diving is one of the few places Karl finds tranquility and wants to share this therapeutic benefit of scuba with his fellow veterans. In his free time, he likes to be at the beach, travel and spend time with his family.

BRANDON SEIBERT

Co-founder and Vice President

Brandon medically retired from active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a Staff Sergeant as a Medic. He is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Instructor and a PADI professional since 2010. Brandon has been utilizing SCUBA as a tool to treat his PTSD since 2008. Besides diving Brandon enjoys camping, hunting, fishing and traveling.

LARRY RICE

Treasurer

Larry is a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served as a Medic. Larry is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer who enjoys sharing his passion of diving with others. He wants to help other Veterans and First-Responders experience how SCUBA can help heal the body and soul. Besides diving, Larry enjoys camping, hunting and spending time with his family.

STEPHEN “SCUBA STEVE” BRADFORD

Co-founder and Secretary

Steve is an Army Veteran of 5 years who suffers from symptoms of PTSD,  depression, and anxiety. Steve has been teaching scuba diving since 2005 for PADI and has found scuba diving helps minimize his symptoms.  When not diving, he likes to be at the beach, sail on cruises, and spend time with his family.