Who We Are
Primarily a volunteer organization, Patriot Resilient Leader Institute (PRLI) employs two full time and three part time staff members. Our dedicated Board of Directors of veterans and local professionals oversee all operations and programming.
Staff
Eric Gurna is an experienced nonprofit executive and consultant committed to supporting the work of organizations dedicated to community and youth development. Eric often serves as an Interim Executive Director, guiding nonprofit organizations through successful leadership transitions. From 2015 to 2021, Eric served as President & CEO of LA’s BEST Afterschool Enrichment Program, a partnership of the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the private sector serving 25,000 children at nearly 200 Los Angeles elementary schools. Prior to leading LA’s BEST, Eric was the founder, President and CEO of Development Without Limits, where he led a team that designed and facilitated staff development, curriculum and other resources for community organizations and schools nationwide. Eric holds a B.S. in Political Science from the University of California at Irvine and an M.S. in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from the New School for Social Research in New York. He has participated in several intensive professional development experiences, including Foundations for Systems Leadership with Peter Senge, Trauma-Informed Practice with Pia Escudero, Open Space Technology with Harrison Owen and Theater of the Oppressed with Augusto Boal.
Lori Sanderson is a dedicated wife, mother, and professional who has spent much of her life balancing family, career, and personal passions. Married to Craig, a retired 30-year military veteran, Lori and her husband have two daughters. The family currently resides in the beautiful Lakes Region after living in Massachusetts and Arizona.
A graduate of Katharine Gibbs School, Lori’s career has included roles at the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work, and AllApartments. During her husband’s deployments, Lori chose to be a stay-at-home mom, focusing on raising their daughters and supporting the family through the challenges of military life.
Lori is excited to be part of Camp Resilience, where she supports an organization that actively assists veterans and first responders. She finds great fulfillment in giving back to those who have served, drawing on her personal experience as a military spouse.
In her free time, Lori enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, as well as traveling to explore new places and create lasting memories.
Kimberly graduated from Western Michigan University with Bachelor of Science in Practical Writing and a minor in History. She received a Grant Writing certification from Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan. Kim has been active in the First Responder community in New Hampshire as a National Registry Advanced EMT and a NHEMT-A. She was previously with the Fire Service and volunteers with the Lakes Region Search and Rescue Team. Kim has been involved with National Ski Patrol for fifteen years as a senior skill level patroller, Instructor, and Instructor Trainer. She has been involved directly or indirectly with nonprofits for fifteen years; writing grants, warrant articles, proposals and organizing capital campaign projects and fundraisers. Kim and her husband Craig have raised three sons in the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire, and still proudly call it “home.”