We are a small team of talented professionals with a wide range of skills and experience focused on providing relevant content for people who are new to our region and state. We love where we live and we love what we do!
Tammy Sharp
Publicist
Tammy, a native to Vernon Parish, has almost two decades of experience providing communications services to organizations in the area. Currently, she spearheads the communications efforts of Fort Polk Progress. Married to the love of her life, Kenny, they have four children, seven grandchildren, three cows, two dogs, two cats, seven goats and 18 chickens. She blogs about their homesteading experience at Udder Truths.
Email me: tammy@armedforcesalliance.com
Emily McGruder
Director of Membership Development
Emily is a proud spouse of a Soldier on Fort Polk and grew up in a family of Veterans. Being a military spouse has afforded her the opportunity to find a true purpose in serving the military community. In the past five years, she has grown deeply connected roots to the Fort Polk area and is excited to be joining the Fort Polk Progress team as their first Membership Development Director! When she isn’t working on growing and retaining members for Fort Polk Progress, she enjoys spending time with her husband, drinking far too much coffee, playing with her two golden retrievers – Butter and Biscuit, traveling and volunteering in the local area.
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Email me: emily@armedforcesalliance.com
Tori Dahlhoff
Blog Contributor
Tori Dahlhoff is a freelance writer for Fort Polk Progress. She graduated in 2017 with a BA in English from Northwestern State University and also recently became a registered nurse. Writing and reading have always been passions for her, and she says she is thrilled to be using her gift as a writer to create blog posts that will inspire, educate, and entertain. She is a married to Kanon, and they have two little boys who bring her the greatest joy. She lives with her family in Hornbeck, a small, rural town approximately 30 milies from Fort Polk. She is passionate about her work in all aspects of her life, and tries very hard to give every endeavor her best effort. “I hope you all enjoy my posts as much as I enjoy writing them!” she said.
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Email me: toridahlhoff0630@gmail.com
Kimberly Wallis
Blog Contributor
Kimberly Wallis was born in Louisiana and has also lived in Florida, New York, Georgia, and Texas. She has two children, a daughter named Crymson and a son named Zackary. Both are now adults of whom she is extremely proud. She coached little league sports in Vernon Parish for ten years. This included baseball, softball, co-ed soccer, boys and girls basketball, and one season each for football, track, and cheerleading. Her favorite sports teams include the Atlanta Braves, the New Orleans Saints, and LSU baseball. She takes no small amount of heat for claiming dual footballismship as she is an Alabama football fan who also loves LSU’s football program! She enjoys reading, diy projects, and learning new things. She hopes to leave a mark on this world through encouraging sustainable living and strongly supports efforts at waste reduction with special emphasis on recycling, upcycling and repurposing.
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Email me: kimbeaux.75@gmail.com
Charli Stanley
Blog Contributor
Charli is an animal enthusiast and part-time freelance writer. Writing has felt natural to her since the first day she learned to put pen to paper, so she is always excited to put her skills to use. She is a life-long Louisiana resident, but is a recent resident of Beauregard Parish. She is eager to discover the hidden gems of the area and share her findings with incoming Fort Polk families. At home, Charli spends her time with her rescue dog, Ary, who she will tell you is her very best friend. She hopes to one day live the nomadic lifestyle she has always dreamed of, sharing stories of her adventures along the way.
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Email me: charli.stanley98@gmail.com
Tim Whistine
Blog Contributor
Tim Whistine has generations of paternal roots in Vernon Parish. He is a 40-year licensed and ordained minister with a BA in Biblical Theology, a BS in Psychology, a BS in Addiction Studies, and an MA in Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT). Tim is a professional counselor residing in Vernon Parish and is licensed to practice in the states of Louisiana and Texas. He serves as the Dean of the Purpose Institute (PI) hosted by the First United Pentecostal Church in Leesville. PI is a 2- or 4-year program that develops and trains leaders in Biblical concepts and doctrines. As a resident of Vernon Parish with life-long ties to the area, Tim feels the area is rich with great people, great churches, great schools, excellent prospects for outdoor activities, and the ongoing opportunity to say “Thank you for your service to our country!” to the many men and women in the U. S. military stationed at Fort Polk that he meets. Tim’s favorite hobby is serving in his local church and helping people as a counselor to find solutions to life’s challenging concerns.
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Email me: whistinet@gmail.com
Sarah Willis
Blog Contributor
Sarah Willis is a freelance writer, blogger, and journalist. A Louisiana native, she currently resides in Anacoco, a small town located in Southeast Louisiana, with her husband, two cats and a dog. When not writing, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband, working, reading and traveling. Her work has appeared in the Leesville Daily Leader, The Current Sauce, The American Press, Collected Whispers, Untamed and Writerscafe.org. She currently runs a blog https://thewillisfamilyblog.wordpress.com/ where she blogs about saving money, food, travel and her day-to-day life.
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Email me: willisfamblog.sarahwillis@gmail.com