Meet Our Team
Our Board

Stephanie and Mike Trost
Executive Directors and Founders
Stephanie is a dedicated Veteran Caregiver, Retired Banker and Caregiver to Michael Trost who was combat wounded in 2012. She worked in executive banking for 28 years and retired from SunTrust Bank Alcoa in January 2014. She worked for the Yellow Ribbon Fund from 2917-2920 as a caregiver coordinator for East Tennessee. Stephanie is a graduate of Leadership Blount 2011 and a current member of Leadership Monroe 2020-2021 She is a former member of Alcoa Kiwanis and served on the board for New Hope of Blount County for 7 years and Family Promise of Blount County for 3 years.
Mike Trost is a 32 year Army Veteran combat wounded soldier. He has served in Korea twice, Thailand, Bangladesh, all over the USA, one combat tour in Iraq 2004 (OIF03), and Afghanistan OEF-11 where he was shot 5 times with a machine gun. Mike spent 2 years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he went through 35 surgeries, below the knee right leg amputation and a big toe to right hand transfer. “It took me 5 years to recover with the help of my special wife Stephanie, who got me where I am today as a Farmer! Growing Cascade Hops gave me a new mission, purpose, and direction in my life. I exchanged blood on my hands for soil on my hands. I was now bringing things to life it was good. I now know there is nothing I can’t do with the help of my wife Stephanie, friends and family. Advising other veterans on how to grow plants or vegetables through Frontline Gardens helps me feel whole and it honors those combat buddies that died.
Mike Trost is a 32 year Army Veteran combat wounded soldier. He has served in Korea twice, Thailand, Bangladesh, all over the USA, one combat tour in Iraq 2004 (OIF03), and Afghanistan OEF-11 where he was shot 5 times with a machine gun. Mike spent 2 years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he went through 35 surgeries, below the knee right leg amputation and a big toe to right hand transfer. “It took me 5 years to recover with the help of my special wife Stephanie, who got me where I am today as a Farmer! Growing Cascade Hops gave me a new mission, purpose, and direction in my life. I exchanged blood on my hands for soil on my hands. I was now bringing things to life it was good. I now know there is nothing I can’t do with the help of my wife Stephanie, friends and family. Advising other veterans on how to grow plants or vegetables through Frontline Gardens helps me feel whole and it honors those combat buddies that died.

Logan Clark
President
My name is Logan Clark and I currently reside in Madisonville, TN. I joined the United States Army at age 18 and served as a 11B Infantryman with the 3rd Calvary Regiment. I served one tour in Afghanistan from 2016-2017. I am currently a deputy with the Blount County Sherriff’s Department. I have a passion for serving and helping others and am extremely excited to be a part of this team.

Steven Klumpe
Vice President
My name is Steven Klumpe. I’ve been lucky enough in my life to have had the opportunity to serve in the Marine Corps and travel all over the world. I served ten years including two tours to Iraq, east and west coast of the United States, Japan, Germany, Thailand, and South Korea. I grew up in Kansas but decided to settle out here in Tennessee.
In all honesty I can admit that Mike and Stephanie’s farming and gardening has truly saved my life more times than I care to even count. I was first introduced into their farming world back in 2017. I was asked if I knew how to use a chainsaw and would like to help clearing some trees and brush. I jumped on the opportunity to play with power tools and meet some more vets. Little did I know that it would turn into the place that would help me through so many dark times. During the years I have learned so much from the two of them. Everything from animal care, to land development, construction, machine operation, farming, gardening, and self care. I have left blood, sweat, and tears all over that farm. More blood than I think I should have, but there’s always a learning curve to some things. I have been able to take the things I’ve learned there and help countless other people out. Knowing how to do different types of fencing allowed me to help out folks when they bought land and needed help with animals. Learning about chickens has helped me raise my own and share them and the eggs with neighbors and friends. Learning to operate a tractor allowed me to step up for a friend when he went in the hospital for surgery. I was able to take over for him on his farm seamlessly while he recovered. Getting proficient with a chainsaw has allowed me to help out a lot of people, especially when storms show up and wreak havoc at peoples homes with downed trees.
I could go on and on with all kinds of situations that have crossed over in my life learning from Mike and Steph to helping out so many other people. The most important thing I’ve learned from them is I always have a place to go to find my way out of the darkness. When that wave of sadness or anger washes over me and takes over I know where to go, or who to call. Now I can sit on my porch and watch my chickens, or step off the deck and put in some work in the garden. I know that I can always reach out to Mike and Steph through a phone call, or just stop by to say hello. I have worked on big projects with them, and I have also been able to work alone by myself allowing me time to clear my mind. It has become one of my biggest outlets to be able to focus on myself and come back to a calm state of mind. Sometimes you need to run a loud chainsaw hearing a sixty foot tree come crashing down to relieve some stress, and sometimes you need the absolute silence sitting on your rocking chair on the porch watching your chickens poke at the ground to relieve stress. I have made the kind of friends from all of this that I check in with on a daily basis, and who check in on me to say hello, or just want to grab a bite to eat. This idea of farming and gardening as a way of soul searching and finding that peace of mind that Mike and Stephanie have shown me will stay with me forever. I will do everything in my power to share it with other people, and help them understand how to use it for self improvement.
In all honesty I can admit that Mike and Stephanie’s farming and gardening has truly saved my life more times than I care to even count. I was first introduced into their farming world back in 2017. I was asked if I knew how to use a chainsaw and would like to help clearing some trees and brush. I jumped on the opportunity to play with power tools and meet some more vets. Little did I know that it would turn into the place that would help me through so many dark times. During the years I have learned so much from the two of them. Everything from animal care, to land development, construction, machine operation, farming, gardening, and self care. I have left blood, sweat, and tears all over that farm. More blood than I think I should have, but there’s always a learning curve to some things. I have been able to take the things I’ve learned there and help countless other people out. Knowing how to do different types of fencing allowed me to help out folks when they bought land and needed help with animals. Learning about chickens has helped me raise my own and share them and the eggs with neighbors and friends. Learning to operate a tractor allowed me to step up for a friend when he went in the hospital for surgery. I was able to take over for him on his farm seamlessly while he recovered. Getting proficient with a chainsaw has allowed me to help out a lot of people, especially when storms show up and wreak havoc at peoples homes with downed trees.
I could go on and on with all kinds of situations that have crossed over in my life learning from Mike and Steph to helping out so many other people. The most important thing I’ve learned from them is I always have a place to go to find my way out of the darkness. When that wave of sadness or anger washes over me and takes over I know where to go, or who to call. Now I can sit on my porch and watch my chickens, or step off the deck and put in some work in the garden. I know that I can always reach out to Mike and Steph through a phone call, or just stop by to say hello. I have worked on big projects with them, and I have also been able to work alone by myself allowing me time to clear my mind. It has become one of my biggest outlets to be able to focus on myself and come back to a calm state of mind. Sometimes you need to run a loud chainsaw hearing a sixty foot tree come crashing down to relieve some stress, and sometimes you need the absolute silence sitting on your rocking chair on the porch watching your chickens poke at the ground to relieve stress. I have made the kind of friends from all of this that I check in with on a daily basis, and who check in on me to say hello, or just want to grab a bite to eat. This idea of farming and gardening as a way of soul searching and finding that peace of mind that Mike and Stephanie have shown me will stay with me forever. I will do everything in my power to share it with other people, and help them understand how to use it for self improvement.

April Adkins
Treasurer
Hi, I’m April Adkins. I have been a military brat, military wife (now a Gold Star spouse), WII soldier’s caregiver, mother of 5 and I now reside in East TN with my children. I have been all over the world, but East Tennessee has called my heart since I was 16. We were able to finally make it home in 2016. I am just beginning my homestead, stables, gardening and personal healing journey on my brand new 95 acre farm. Understanding the seen and unseen wounds of the military life and the importance of healing the inside as well as the outside, I am committed to FrontLine Gardens and their mission to serve those who have served us.

John and Kim Cylc
Kim: Secretary | John: Board Member
John and Kim Cylc were married in Costa Rica on April 10, 2002. They are both originally from Philly, but met in Jacksonville Beach, FL in 1998. They have one son, Gage, who was born in 2004. Greenback, TN is their current home.
John is an 8-year U.S. Army veteran. He served as a Forward Observer from 1988-1996, stationed at Hood, Camp Howze in S. Korea, Bragg and Richardson. Employed with the USPS, John also writes political opinion pieces for Newsmax.com, as well as his own website, ThirteenFox.com. Kim received an Associate’s Degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville. She works at Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, currently in the role of Special Projects Coordinator.
John is an 8-year U.S. Army veteran. He served as a Forward Observer from 1988-1996, stationed at Hood, Camp Howze in S. Korea, Bragg and Richardson. Employed with the USPS, John also writes political opinion pieces for Newsmax.com, as well as his own website, ThirteenFox.com. Kim received an Associate’s Degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville. She works at Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, currently in the role of Special Projects Coordinator.

Gus and Melissa Ramirez
Board Members
Gus and Melissa Ramirez are a married couple who believe in service to their country and community. They both served in the United States Army as civil affairs specialists and combat medics. Both deployed to the Philippines during Operation Enduring Freedom and to Mosul, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Gus retired after serving over 20 years, while Melissa served 8 years before receiving her honorable discharge. In addition to his military service, Gus recently retired from the Los Angeles Police Department as a Detective after a 25-year career. Melissa has over 14 years on as a sworn police officer and is currently a Police Sergeant for the Ontario Police Department. Their individual and collective experience, as combat veterans and tenured law enforcement officers, has given them personal working knowledge in supporting fellow service members and first responders living with service-related post-traumatic stress. As board members of Front-Line Gardens, Gus and Melissa are grateful for the opportunity to serve in another capacity, to improve the quality of life for our Nation’s heroes and their families.

Brenda Davis
Board Member
Hi, I’m Brenda Davis. I am a full time real estate agent and a nurse. My family and I live in Hampton, SC. Because I still love to take care of patients and work in the community, I still work PRN nursing. My husband of 25 years is a retired SC Highway Patrol and now a full time investigator for a private law firm. We have a 19 year old son and he loves to hunt, fish and work on the farm.
I grew up and worked in a military town, Beaufort, SC, and I encountered an extremely high volume of PTSD patients in the military and law enforcement. This became even more apparent to me in my own household as my husband grew in his LEO career and the stress levels became more out of control. So to say FrontLine Gardens hit home and my heart, is an absolute understatement. This non-profit is real and it touches families that need help, especially in a way that they would never express or ask for. The founders of FrontLine Gardens, Michael and Stephanie Trost, mean the world to me. They lived the trauma and know what deep down depression can do to the warrior and his/her family, but they also know how the soil of the earth can produce healing in nature along with professional guidance. We thank the Trosts for stepping forward and taking the call to help our fellow officers and soldiers.
I love the fact that FrontLine Gardens has the opportunity to bring the outdoors into the hearts of our warriors by gardening and working with nature. It’s my absolute honor to work with this board, to work with the wounded hearts and minds, and know we are touching them and their families one heart at a time. Thank you for your support. God bless.
I grew up and worked in a military town, Beaufort, SC, and I encountered an extremely high volume of PTSD patients in the military and law enforcement. This became even more apparent to me in my own household as my husband grew in his LEO career and the stress levels became more out of control. So to say FrontLine Gardens hit home and my heart, is an absolute understatement. This non-profit is real and it touches families that need help, especially in a way that they would never express or ask for. The founders of FrontLine Gardens, Michael and Stephanie Trost, mean the world to me. They lived the trauma and know what deep down depression can do to the warrior and his/her family, but they also know how the soil of the earth can produce healing in nature along with professional guidance. We thank the Trosts for stepping forward and taking the call to help our fellow officers and soldiers.
I love the fact that FrontLine Gardens has the opportunity to bring the outdoors into the hearts of our warriors by gardening and working with nature. It’s my absolute honor to work with this board, to work with the wounded hearts and minds, and know we are touching them and their families one heart at a time. Thank you for your support. God bless.

James Splavin
Board Member
I grew up on a small family farm in South Knox County in East Tennessee and started in the 4-H program when I was 8 years old by growing and showing chickens and selling eggs to my school teachers and friends' parents. I worked on the family farm and the farms of friends until the age of 20 when I joined the U.S. Army as an Allsource Military Intelligence Analyst. When I turned 21, I left for Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and was sent to Fort Huachuca, AZ for AIT (Advanced Individual Training). After completing my training, I was assigned to the 3bn 321st Field Artillery Battalion at Fort Bragg,NC.
While in the army, I specialised in Targeting with Indirect Fire Assets and became a Targeting Analyst and was transferred to the 18th Field Artillery Brigade as the only Targeting Analyst for the Brigades Fires and Effects Targeting Cell as the rank of E-3, Private First Class. I participated in many field exercises before the FETC was attached to Headquarters 101st Airborne Division and we deployed to Iraq for OIF 04-05 and was stationed at FOB Speicher Iraq, just North of Tikrit and was promoted to E-5 Sergeant.
Once redeployed, I shortly came off of Active Duty and joined 3rd Army Augmentation Company at Fort McPherson in Atl, GA. While also taking a job with L-3 Communication, C2S2 Systems located at Fort Huachuca in AZ. In 2008, I deployed as a civilian contractor in support of Joint Task force Horn of Africa JTF-HOA in Djibouti Africa for the Anti Somali Piracy Mission as a Field Software Engineer and Targeting Support Analyst.
Upon returning from Africa, I moved back to Knoxville, TN and joined the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion as the Intelligence Analysts NCO and went back to work at the family farm managing crops, new growing techniques, and irrigation maintenance. I also facilitated our off farm sales to several restaurants in both Knoxville and Maryville, and also the Market Square Farmers Market in downtown Knoxville. Our family was one of the first 8 farms on the square since the Farmers Market was created and we set up every Saturday and Wednesday for 8 years. When the situation became too political for us, we refocused our efforts towards restaurant sales and selling to the public with our CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture).
After receiving my Associates of Science Degree In Geology from Pellissippi State in 2015, I took a job at Innovative Garden and Hydroponic Supply as the Aquaponics Specialist and have grown to become the General Manager working with the best team anyone could wish for. Andrea Rzad (Owner) has given me a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform my own research and test my own theories on different methods and techniques for small, large scale, and alternative agriculture projects that can lead to more productivity with less inputs.
I continue to work at Innovative and with the family farm in South Knox County. In 2019, I started my own farm in Wildwood located in North Blount County where I can pursue my own research on renewable energy, aquaponics, cane, and berry fruit production.
I am particularly honored and very excited to become a member of the Frontline Garden team and hope that my skill set can be useful in helping Veterans become more self reliant and sustainable in their own ventures.
While in the army, I specialised in Targeting with Indirect Fire Assets and became a Targeting Analyst and was transferred to the 18th Field Artillery Brigade as the only Targeting Analyst for the Brigades Fires and Effects Targeting Cell as the rank of E-3, Private First Class. I participated in many field exercises before the FETC was attached to Headquarters 101st Airborne Division and we deployed to Iraq for OIF 04-05 and was stationed at FOB Speicher Iraq, just North of Tikrit and was promoted to E-5 Sergeant.
Once redeployed, I shortly came off of Active Duty and joined 3rd Army Augmentation Company at Fort McPherson in Atl, GA. While also taking a job with L-3 Communication, C2S2 Systems located at Fort Huachuca in AZ. In 2008, I deployed as a civilian contractor in support of Joint Task force Horn of Africa JTF-HOA in Djibouti Africa for the Anti Somali Piracy Mission as a Field Software Engineer and Targeting Support Analyst.
Upon returning from Africa, I moved back to Knoxville, TN and joined the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion as the Intelligence Analysts NCO and went back to work at the family farm managing crops, new growing techniques, and irrigation maintenance. I also facilitated our off farm sales to several restaurants in both Knoxville and Maryville, and also the Market Square Farmers Market in downtown Knoxville. Our family was one of the first 8 farms on the square since the Farmers Market was created and we set up every Saturday and Wednesday for 8 years. When the situation became too political for us, we refocused our efforts towards restaurant sales and selling to the public with our CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture).
After receiving my Associates of Science Degree In Geology from Pellissippi State in 2015, I took a job at Innovative Garden and Hydroponic Supply as the Aquaponics Specialist and have grown to become the General Manager working with the best team anyone could wish for. Andrea Rzad (Owner) has given me a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform my own research and test my own theories on different methods and techniques for small, large scale, and alternative agriculture projects that can lead to more productivity with less inputs.
I continue to work at Innovative and with the family farm in South Knox County. In 2019, I started my own farm in Wildwood located in North Blount County where I can pursue my own research on renewable energy, aquaponics, cane, and berry fruit production.
I am particularly honored and very excited to become a member of the Frontline Garden team and hope that my skill set can be useful in helping Veterans become more self reliant and sustainable in their own ventures.

Cherise Candlish
Board Member
Cherise Candlish is a Community Lender, and the founder of Reedie & Company Mortgage & Loan. Ms. Candlish is delighted to assist her clients by “Turning Their Dreams into Their Reality.” She has devoted nearly three decades to this calling assisting thousands of businesses, families and individuals and Fashions herself the “Financier of Dreams.”
Ms. Candlish was also blessed to own Sweet Celebrations Café Bakery in Maryville, Tennessee, voted the City’s Best Bakery and Lunch Spot by her Community. She was nominated to The Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Businesswoman of the Year in the Financial Services Category, was an original member of The Florida Fashionistas, A Member of the Luis Palau Ministries President’s Council, The Chairperson for the Tampa Bay Light The Night For Sight Initiative in Collaboration with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and facilitated the first Internet Based Real Estate Sale on the Island of St. Marteen. Ms. Candlish is the Founder of the Smoky Mountain Mustang Mission wherein she works to provide housing for one of our Nation’s Proudest Heritages, The American Mustang.
Ms. Candlish lives on her farm in rural Tennessee with her pups, her ponies and the multitude of rescues that come her way. She is honored and delighted to be a part of Frontline Gardens with her dear friends, Michael and Stephanie Trost, and is inspired by each and every person, garden and story!
Ms. Candlish was also blessed to own Sweet Celebrations Café Bakery in Maryville, Tennessee, voted the City’s Best Bakery and Lunch Spot by her Community. She was nominated to The Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Businesswoman of the Year in the Financial Services Category, was an original member of The Florida Fashionistas, A Member of the Luis Palau Ministries President’s Council, The Chairperson for the Tampa Bay Light The Night For Sight Initiative in Collaboration with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and facilitated the first Internet Based Real Estate Sale on the Island of St. Marteen. Ms. Candlish is the Founder of the Smoky Mountain Mustang Mission wherein she works to provide housing for one of our Nation’s Proudest Heritages, The American Mustang.
Ms. Candlish lives on her farm in rural Tennessee with her pups, her ponies and the multitude of rescues that come her way. She is honored and delighted to be a part of Frontline Gardens with her dear friends, Michael and Stephanie Trost, and is inspired by each and every person, garden and story!

We are looking to expand our impact and assist more Veterans, First Responders, and Gold Star Families. Do you have the time, dedication, and commitment to help in our mission?