Reinforcements Inc Leadership

John O’Flahavan retired from the University of Maryland in 2023, where he was a professor and administrator in the College of Education (1988-2023). He earned his PhD in Education at the University of Illinois and his M.A. in Education and B.A. in English at the University of Colorado-Boulder. At an early age and through the years, he learned carpentry and woodworking skills, built and renovated homes, and developed a general interest in the components and systems found in residential construction. Today, he is a licensed home inspector.

John founded Reinforcements Inc in memory of his father, Capt. Lawrence (Larry) V. O’Flahavan, Sr., a helicopter pilot with the Army 6th Transportation Co., and in honor of his mother, Millie O’Flahavan, a public health nurse. His father died in a helicopter accident while on a routine military transport flight near Seoul in 1961, leaving Millie with five boys under the age of six and an uncertain future. Within a year of Larry’s death, she sold their home in Williamsburg, VA, moved to the Washington, DC, suburbs, and proceeded to raise John and his four brothers on her own. Money was always tight. As John grew up, he witnessed times when his mother hired local contractors to make repairs, and they charged her a fraction of the cost. These acts of generosity stayed with John and inspired him to find a way to help military families who often must defer maintenance in order to put food on the table.

John lives in Silver Spring, MD, with his wife, Leslie.

As a lifelong educator and social equity advocate, Maggie comes to Reinforcements Inc dedicated to its mission to improve the quality of life for Gold and Silver Star families. She has served on several boards, spearheading investments that sustained the physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being of families and children, including Supporting People in Need (SPIN) and Colorado Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CoTESOL). She was Co-Founder and served on the board of the Denver School of the Arts Orchestral Fund. She advocates for local Denver history, co-producing art exhibits, films, and walking tours in collaboration with Denver’s museums and libraries.

She remains steadfast in her belief that every transformation from despair to repair reinforces us all. Maggie lives in Denver, CO, with her husband, Jim.

Aaron Lewis is a native Washingtonian with deep roots in the D.C. area. He began his career in finance before starting his own business, which provided essential services to low-income families who had children with special needs. A licensed home inspector in Maryland, Aaron has spent nearly six years flipping homes, focusing on creating affordable housing in underserved communities. His passion for real estate and construction led him to his current role as a project manager for a residential development firm.

Coming from a predominantly military family, Aaron’s lineage of service dates back to the Spanish-American War. His family has served in most major conflicts since then, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, and they continue to serve today. His family farm in Culpeper County, Virginia, was a Civil War battle site. This deep personal connection to military history aligns with his commitment to supporting Gold Star and Silver Star families.

Terence (Terry) Flynn joins the Board as an extension of his longstanding commitment to public service and pro bono activity, and his deep belief in our mission of supporting military families in need. Terry recently retired from the U.S. Postal Service, where he served as Chief Counsel with oversight of labor relations. Before joining the Postal Service, he held key positions as Board Member and Chief Counsel at the National Labor Relations Board. He has also served as the Senior Director of Labor Relations for the Dr Pepper Snapple Group and practiced law at several prominent firms in Washington, D.C.

Greg Colevas has served in numerous roles within the Clark organization during his 40 years with the company. He spent a significant portion of his career in field operations, project management, and field supervision. He served as the Director of Mid-Atlantic Operations, the Director of Sports and Public Assembly projects, the Director of Major Projects, and President and CEO of the National Projects Group. In his current role as Clark Construction’s Corporate Director of Safety, Greg oversees the company’s safety and environmental compliance programs.

Greg has numerous public and private projects to his credit, including World Bank Headquarters (DC), National Archives II (MD), Washington Convention Center (DC), Nationals Ballpark (DC), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center (MD), National Museum of African American History and Culture (DC), Kansas City International Airport (MO), and Miami Beach Convention Center (FL).

Greg lives in Arlington, VA, with his wife, Anne; they have seven children.

Leslie O’Flahavan is the owner of E-WRITE, a writing training consultancy. She leads customized writing courses for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Leslie is a LinkedIn Learning author of six writing courses and the cohost of the monthly LinkedIn Live broadcast “Fix This Writing!”

For Reinforcements Inc, Leslie uses social media to create connection between the veterans and families we serve, the support organizations who let us know who needs our help, the providers who make expert repairs, and the people and organizations that donate to support our efforts.

Leslie lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband, John.