Our Mission

To provide Special Operators and other highly qualified military members a seamless transition to first responder careers.

IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMES DIETZ

Who We Are

Founder, Christopher Shea

Founder, Christopher Shea (right)

Hello, 

My name is Chris Shea, and I am the founder and president of Hero to Hero. I have almost 3 decades of Naval Special Operations, Emergency Medical Services, and  Fire Service experience. While completing my undergraduate degree, I focused my capstone project on looking for a way to tie these career fields and experiences together.


During the course of the capstone project, I gained insight into the D.O.D. Skill bridge Program, a non-profit organization that assists with transitioning veterans to the civilian workforce. I soon realized that there was not an established pathway for veterans wanting to transition to first responder careers. This inspired me to start Hero to Hero, with the mission of facilitating the transition for our nation's service members who wish to continue serving locally after military service. 

We are a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization EIN: 85-3631862

Help our heroes find their next mission.

Learn More

Meet the Team

  • A smiling man with short dark hair, wearing a black V-neck shirt and a blue plaid blazer, standing against a brick wall.

    Christopher Shea

    FOUNDER/PRESIDENT

  • A smiling woman with gray curly hair posing against a brick wall and a wooden fence.

    Anita Shea

    VICE PRESIDENT

  • A woman with dark hair and blue eyes smiling in a cozy wooden interior. She is wearing a gray knit sweater and hoop earrings.

    Andrea Trombley

    SECRETARY

  • A woman with blonde hair, glasses, and a navy blue shirt under a black blazer, smiling and standing with arms crossed in a car dealership. Behind her are a black car and part of a red and black vehicle inside a showroom with large windows showing a green outdoor landscape.

    Gloria Purdy

    TREASURER

  • A professional headshot of a man in a black suit, white shirt, and red tie, against a dark background.

    John Conza

    DIRECTOR

  • A young man smiling, wearing a navy polo shirt with the words 'Hero to Hero' on it, standing in front of American and blue organizational flags.

    Ben Dispoto

    DIRECTOR

  • A firefighter in a dress uniform standing indoors with an American flag in the background.

    Paul Januszewski

    DIRECTOR

  • A smiling young woman standing in front of a large rooster sign on a city street.

    Erika Cellupica

    MARKETING MANAGER

Hero to Hero focuses on connecting qualified military personnel with first responder careers.

Your generous contributions help to defray the costs of requisite training, and associated living and travel expenses, eliminating undue financial stress from this transitional period.

Our history is being written with each candidate we successfully transition from active duty to a successful new career.

  • Medical personnel attending to a patient inside an ambulance at night, with medical equipment and bright blue interior lights.
  • Two firefighters in full gear standing in front of a fire truck at Connecticut Fire Academy, smiling.
  • Four firefighters in full gear extinguishing a car fire with a hose, flames and smoke visible.
  • Two firefighters in protective gear fighting a fire in a metal container using a hose.