Meet the Staff

My grandfather, Francis “Tennessee” Basler, was a farm boy who had not left the state of Missouri until he was drafted in June 1941. He soon found himself in jungle warfare in the South Pacific, coming home in December 1945 after receiving the Bronze Star Medal. He refused to talk about the war, but sometimes when he was sleeping, he would return to the jungle in his dreams. Recognizing it now, he suffered from PTSD.

Today, it is an honor to work on behalf of military families, many of whom suffer from the repercussions of the battlefield as my family experienced.

An honorable man, he was proud to be an American and of the simple comforts he was able to provide for his family. When my little brother, Jeffrey, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, Tennessee drove us back and forth to the hospital. Understanding the impact a medical crisis had on my family, I often see my face in the faces of the siblings of an ill child at Fisher House.

Having spent more than 30 years in nonprofits, I could not be prouder to work at Fisher House Foundation, where I wake up every day and think about how I can best tell the story to move people to support our mission of helping military families.

Whether it is Josh, whom I met in Bethesda, who was hit by an IED in Iraq, or baby Olivia in San Diego, who was born with Down syndrome and diagnosed with leukemia, the stories repeatedly touch the hearts of so many of you.

Today we are working hard to provide a haven for our nation’s heroes in the following cities: Lexington, Kentucky; Columbia, South Carolina; Bay Pines, Florida; and Columbia, Missouri, and we are always seeking individuals and companies who can help. Whether it is your monthly gift, letting us know you put Fisher House in your will, or connecting us with those who can help us build the next Fisher House, we could not do what we do without you.

Fisher House Vice President Denise Dolan stands with recipients of the Scholarships for Military Children program administered by Fisher House Foundation. The scholarship provides $2,000 each to 500 military dependents. This year, the San Diego Padres Foundation and Dollar Shave Club were some sponsors of the program. The top sponsors of the program to date are the 522 Foundation, Inc.; PwC Charitable Foundation; Synchrony Foundation; Proctor & Gamble; and the Major General Harry