Roger “RJ” Baez was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Pomona, California. He served in the United States Marine Corps for nearly 26 years, retiring in 2023 at the rank of Sergeant Major. His career included multiple overseas tours and operational deployments to the Philippines, Korea, and Norway, as well as combat deployments to the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq. RJ has an 11-year-old daughter and enjoys reading and hiking in his free time.

A native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Yanitza Mendez spent nearly 10 years with American Airlines as an Office Manager and Trainer before transitioning into service and family support. She worked as an Outreach Specialist for the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, helping families navigate healthcare resources, and later supported Veterans at the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center.

Yanitza joined Veteran Pathways of New England (formerly Clear Path for Veterans New England) in 2021 as the Lead Employment Service Specialist and became the SSVF Program Manager in Fall 2024. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs (who run the house), being outdoors, relaxing at the beach, and experimenting with new recipes—some more successful than others!

Jay Hartmann was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He served as a Field Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army for a combined total of 22 years, including Active Duty and U.S. Army Reserve service. His assignments included six years on Active Duty in Ansbach, Germany, and at Fort Stewart, Georgia, with the 24th Infantry Division.

Jay also held multiple leadership roles in Command, Operations, and Instruction within the 78th Infantry Division (USAR). Before joining Veteran Pathways of New England (formerly Clear Path for Veterans New England), he worked in the pharmaceutical industry in sales, management, advertising, and marketing. Jay has three adult children—Christopher (married to Becky), Jessica, and Kyle—and enjoys road cycling, cooking, live music, swimming, and hiking with his dog, Bear.

Peter R. Squeglia Jr. is a former combat Veteran who proudly served with the 75th Ranger Regiment and brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the corporate technology sector. Throughout his career, he held senior sales, management, and operations roles with leading global technology companies including EMC, VMware, and Dell Technologies, where he was recognized for building strong client relationships, leading high-performing teams, and driving strategic growth.

Peter remains deeply committed to supporting Veterans and strengthening community-focused initiatives across New England. Outside of his professional and volunteer work, he enjoys boating along the North Shore of Massachusetts and traveling with family and friends.