GY6 InitiativeGY6InitiativeHelping first responders stay alive

Meet the Phase 1 Team

Meet the Phase 1 Team

Phase 1 brings together chaplaincy, digital product, video production, first responder, and peer-team experience to turn trusted conference content into practical resources first responders can use.

100% free to every first responder.Because every first responder has already paid the price.
Chaplain John Revell

Lead

Chaplain John Revell

Founder & Executive Director

Chaplain John Revell, MDiv, spent fourteen years as a first responder chaplain in Connecticut, ten of them full-time, embedded with police, fire, EMS, and dispatch through critical incidents, cumulative trauma, and loss.

He served officially with the Stamford Police Department, Stamford 911 Dispatch, Stamford Fire Department, Westport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Newtown Police Department, and was on call for multiple additional departments.

Across eleven years in two Connecticut counties, John walked alongside departments through the loss of 15 officers and first responders to suicide, as well as mass casualty events, child and infant deaths, line-of-duty deaths, and officer ambushes.

That frontline perspective shapes GY6: practical support built around the culture, silence, stigma, and barriers that keep first responders from getting help.

  • "A first responder to first responders"
  • MDiv from Denver Seminary and a bachelor's degree in Marriage and Family Counseling
  • Certified training in critical incident response, suicide prevention, group debriefing, and trauma-informed spiritual care
  • Connecticut State POST and CME certified stress management instructor

Support Team

Specialists shaping the pilot.

Justin Lawrence

Justin Lawrence

Director of Web and App Development

Justin runs Parallel Platforms, a digital experience agency, and leads a team supporting J.P. Morgan's Commercial & Investment Bank. For Phase 1, he leads the product and interface work that turns GY6's mission, content, and giving pathways into a clear digital experience.

Jake Posey

Jake Posey

Director of Video Production and Online Conference Resources

Jake is an online education and video production leader with more than a decade of experience making complex material engaging and compelling. For Phase 1, he leads the work of shaping recorded conference material into practical online resources.

Sgt. Rodney Valdes

Sgt. Rodney Valdes

Advisor on Video Effectiveness and Impact

Rodney is a veteran Connecticut State Trooper and former head of Peer Teams for the Connecticut State Police. He advises GY6 on whether video resources feel credible, practical, and likely to make an impact with first responders.

Kristen Plavcan

Kristen Plavcan

Video Content Advisor

Kristen is a veteran 911 dispatcher and former head of dispatcher peer teams. She advises GY6 on video content so resources reflect dispatch realities and stay useful for first responders and communications teams.

Sgt. John Derisme

Sgt. John Derisme

Video Content Advisor

John is a veteran Connecticut police officer with the Stamford Police Department and a veteran member of SRT/SWAT. He advises GY6 so resources reflect the realities of law enforcement and tactical response.

Firefighter Chad Sanders

Firefighter Chad Sanders

Video Content Advisor

Chad serves with Rescue 1 of the Nashville Fire Department. He advises GY6 so video resources reflect the realities of firefighters and EMTs.