Who We Are

In addition to our partners, The Armory Project is successful as a result of the investment and dedication of veterans, community leaders, subject matter experts, and researchers. TAP is supported by an advisory board and community engagement staff from the VA, and the work is led by a VA research team with support from veteran advisors. Together, we’re developing strategies to prevent firearm suicide by creating time and distance between a person in a suicidal crisis and a firearm.

The Armory Project Team

The Armory Project team (formerly known as VISION) is a coalition of Veterans, community leaders, and experts in public health and research who created and tested TAP in their home state of Louisiana. TAP’s work focuses on building collaboration between firearms professionals and instructors, law enforcement, community leaders, healthcare professionals and others to develop and implement strategies to prevent firearm suicide by creating time and distance between a person in a suicidal crisis and a loaded firearm. Members championed TAP because they are united in promoting secure firearm storage messaging and practices to prevent firearm misuse, accident, theft, and suicide. We also seek to connect firearm owners—including Veterans, service members, and their families—with resources and support during times of distress to prevent firearm suicide and to foster healing for those who have lost someone to firearm suicide.

  • A woman with short blonde hair smiling, wearing a black blazer and earrings, outdoors with green trees in the background.

    Jennifer “Gala” True, PhD

    Co-Director

    Gala is Richard A. Culbertson and Susan A. Leary Endowed Professor in Community and Population Medicine at the LSU School of Medicine and an Investigator with the VA’s South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). An anthropologist by training, Gala’s work focuses on community-engaged approaches to suicide prevention. Gala co-founded and co-directs The Armory Project.

  • Smiling man with a beard standing outdoors with palm trees and the ocean in the background on a sunny day.

    Caleb Morse

    Co-Founder

    Caleb Morse is an 11-year Army combat veteran with multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. A Louisiana native, Caleb is the owner and operator of the Rustic Renegade, a firearms retail shop in Lafayette that also offers coffee, gifts, and a gathering place for veterans and firearms enthusiasts. In addition to being a key TAP Storage Partner, Caleb’s current role with The Armory Project includes mentoring other firearm retailers in the TAP network and providing support for recruitment of new TAP partners and expansion to new states.

  • A young woman with brown, shoulder-length hair and light green eyes, smiling, standing against a brick wall. She is wearing a red top with black lace details, a white cardigan, and hoop earrings, with a lanyard around her neck.

    Claire Houtsma, PhD

    Co-Director

    Claire is a Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System and a Clinical Investigator with the South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). Her background in suicide prevention research has focused on the role of firearms, capability for suicide, and sociocultural influences on suicide risk.

  • A woman with gray hair tied back, smiling, wearing a black top, standing in front of an American flag.

    Amber Goff

    Program Manager

    Amber Goff, MBA, is the Program Manager for The Armory Project (TAP) at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, where she coordinates day-to-day operations of a veteran-focused suicide prevention initiative in partnership with the VA. She brings more than 15 years of experience in public health research and community engagement. Amber’s career has centered on building resilient communities in the wake of crises — from hurricanes and oil spills to wildfires — and she has co-authored peer-reviewed publications and presented nationally on disaster research and recovery. She is deeply committed to advancing innovative, evidence-based strategies that reduce suicide risk and strengthen support networks for veterans and their families.

  • Close-up of a woman with short, curly black hair, wearing earrings and a nose ring, outdoors with a stone wall and blue sky in the background.

    Amber Jolla

    Department Coordinator

    Amber Nicole Jolla is the Department Coordinator of The Armory Project (TAP) based at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. As a collective and holistic wellness enthusiast, she passionately contributes her background in public health, community relations, and direct marketing to strategically expand the reach and impact of TAP across communities both within and outside of Louisiana. She is honored to serve her purpose of uplifting and encouraging others as a member of the TAP team. 

  • A young man with short dark hair, wearing a black shirt, smiling at the camera in a cozy indoor setting.

    Kevin Berry

    Marketing and Communications Consultant

    Kevin Berry serves as a marketing and communications consultant to The Armory Project, supporting its mission to promote voluntary, temporary firearm storage and reduce suicide through community-based solutions. Kevin is the founder of Marketing Stable and has over a decade of experience leading marketing strategy for nonprofits and public health initiatives. Kevin brings a unique ability to bridge worlds that often speak past each other. He also leads the marketing efforts for Walk the Talk America, a national nonprofit bridging the gap between mental health and responsible gun ownership. His work emphasizes cultural competence, trust-building, and the power of clear, compassionate messaging to drive real change.

  • A smiling man wearing a black shirt outdoors with a blurred natural background. Text on image reads, "The intersection of guns and mental health."

    Michael Sodini

    Strategic Consultant

    Michael Sodini is the founder and CEO of Walk the Talk America, a nonprofit that brings the firearms community and mental health professionals together to find solutions that save lives. Since creating WTTA in 2018, Michael has become a sought-after speaker, consultant, and advocate for reducing negative outcomes with firearms through education, compassion, and cultural change.

    As a Strategic Consultant with The Armory Project, Mike brings extensive industry expertise and a unique ability to connect firearm culture with mental health and healthcare communities. His experience helps The Armory Project develop practical, culturally informed approaches that promote responsible firearm ownership and proactive care.

  • Professional headshot of a middle-aged man with dark hair and a beard, smiling, wearing a gray suit, blue shirt, and red tie, in a wood-paneled room with large windows.

    Matt Bailey

    Strategic Consultant

    Matt Bailey is a consultant with The Armory Project where he supports organizational development and strategic engagement. An Army National Guard veteran and former Senate aide, Bailey supported the research and evolution underlying TAP first as a Veteran Peer Champion and later as Innovation & Engagement Officer with VISION. He has two decades of leadership experience across civic, nonprofit, and higher education organizations and has guided institutions through periods of growth, transition, and change. Matt has also been an active volunteer leader with Team Rubicon, Team RWB, and The Mission Continues.

Learn about TAP

Community Engagement & Partnership Coordinators

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs logo with an eagle emblem and the text "VA U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs" on a blue background.

TAP aligns with the suicide prevention work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The goals of VA’s Community Engagement & Partnership Coordinator (“CEPC”) programs include:

  • strengthening access to and delivery of suicide care,

  • using community partnerships to create protective environments, and

  • identifying and supporting veterans at risk for suicide (regardless of whether they are engaged with the VA in their healthcare or not).

We are grateful for the ongoing partnership and collaboration with the Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinators (CEPCs) in Louisiana.

  • A woman with long brown hair and blue eyes smiling at the camera in an indoor setting with warm lighting and decor.

    Stacie Buonaura

    Arkansas State Liaison, VA Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator

  • A man with a dark beard and short curly hair smiling at the camera, standing indoors near a glass window or door.

    Ronell Day

    Louisiana State Liaison, VA Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator, and Navy Veteran

  • A man with a beard and mustache, wearing a checkered shirt, looking at the camera against a solid blue background.

    Renard Dominique

    Louisiana State Liaison, VA Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator, and Marine Corps Veteran

  • An older man with a white beard wearing a white shirt and a blue plaid tie, speaking with a boxing ring in the background.

    James Owens Jr.

    Louisiana State Liaison, VA Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator, and Marine Corp Veteran

  • A shield-shaped logo with the word 'TAP' at the top and orange and white vertical stripes below.

    Johnnie Ross

    Arkansas State Liaison, VA Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator

  • A smiling Black man in a suit and tie standing in front of an American flag.

    Hilton Wells

    Louisiana State Liaison, VA Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator, and Air Force Veteran

  • Portrait of a smiling woman with blonde hair, wearing a purple jacket, in front of an American flag.

    Shonda Wintroath

    Arkansas State Liaison, VA Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator

TAP State Outreach Teams

Regional Consultants

  • An elderly man with glasses and a white beard, smiling, wearing a white shirt, against a light green background.

    Chuck Leftwich

    Arkansas State Liaison

    (Veteran - United States Marine Corp)

  • A man with a beard wearing a beige cap, sunglasses, a gray T-shirt, and a camouflage neck gaiter, sitting in a vehicle with a grassy field and trees visible through the window.

    Kelly Waters

    Arkansas State Liaison

    (Veteran - US Navy Seabees)

Additional TAP Team Members

  • A woman with reddish-brown hair wearing sunglasses on her head and a light blue t-shirt, smiling outdoors with greenery in the background.

    Michelle Hall

    Louisiana State Liaison

  • Close-up of a woman with curly black hair, wearing pink lipstick, eye makeup, and a necklace, smiling at the camera.

    Lakiesha Kemp

    Arkansas State Lead

    (Veteran - Army National Guard)

  • A woman with light skin, long brown hair, wearing glasses, a navy shirt, and a gray blazer, smiling against a dark background.

    Lauren Krishnamurti

    Kansas State Lead