Rick Zello
Utilization Review Specialist / LPC
Rick grew up in rural Western Pennsylvania in a family with a long history of military service. He enlisted in the US Air Force and began his own military career directly after High School. Rick served as a T4C071 (Mental Health and Addiction Specialist) his entire career with the exception of a Special Duty assignment as Professional Military Education (PME) instructor at Goodfellow AFB Texas. In 2004 he deployed with an Aero-medical Evacuation Team that transported wounded service members from Iraq and Afghanistan to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. In 2005 he served as the Detainee Operations Senior Medical Enlisted Manager at the Guantanamo Bay Cuba Detention Center where he worked directly with detainees. He last served as Mental Health Flight Chief at Randolph AFB Texas and retired from the USAF in 2008 at the rank of MSgt (E-7).
Rick has associate degrees in business, allied healthcare sciences and instruction of technology and military sciences. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Wayland Baptist University and a Master’s of Arts Degree in Community Counseling from Webster University.
Rick has been married to his wife Loriann, also a USAF Veteran, for over 30 years and has 3 adult children. He and his family serve in a number of roles with local churches, veteran groups, food pantries and other non-profit groups.
Since Military Retirement, Rick has worked in health care and education in a variety of clinical, academic, and administrative positions working with teens, adults and senior citizens. His heart always brings him back to working with veterans, and first responders who struggle, as Rick has in the past, with addictions, trauma and other personal demons. Rick is honored to be a part of the Warriors Heart team and to be a part of the miracle of recovery and be a part of the heling that takes places. “Warriors Healing Warriors” is far more than a great motto- it is a way of life and Rick is blessed to be part of that journey of healing for his fellow warrior brothers and sisters.
My Why:
As a USAF Veteran of 22 years of service, my heart is with serving our nation’s veterans and first responders and I understand firsthand how hard it is to take the first step in admitting you have a problem and asking for help- especially for those of us that wear a military, police, freighter, medic or any warrior-class uniform. As someone who is recovery from addiction and trauma myself, I am reminded daily here at Warriors Heart that God can make broken pieces into masterpieces if we let Him and do the hard work. Warriors do not quit the mission! The family atmosphere at Warriors Heart, the beautiful hill country setting, first-class facilities and the rock-star team here at Warriors Heart make this best place on the planet for Warriors to take that first step in the journey of recovery that starts with “welcome home”. It is so very good to be home!
