Board of Directors

Mark Pfetzer, President

Mark was born in Newport, Rhode Island and is 3rd generation law enforcement. He started his police career in 2002 as an officer for the Mason, Ohio Police Department. In 2004 he moved to Farmington, New Mexico to continue serving with the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, where he remained until his retirement in 2024 at the rank of Captain. Since retiring, Mark has taken a position with the Durango Police Department as the administrative manager and provides consulting services to law enforcement agencies in the field of risk management. Mark is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Class #266, and a certified risk manager. Mark and his wife Robyn love all things outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

Jason Oberholser, Vice President

Jason grew up in Pennsylvania where he acquired a love for agriculture and the outdoors at an early age. He is a graduate from the Ohio State University – Agricultural Technical Institute with an associate’s degree in Dairy Cattle Production and Management. Jason enjoyed working in the dairy industry. However, in 2008, he and his wife Rebekah were invited by their church to move across the country to serve people in San Juan County, NM. For several years, Jason worked with addiction recovery ministries, assisting individuals who desired to make a better life for themselves and their families. In 2020, Jason began volunteering with San Juan County Fire & Rescue as a chaplain. This sent him on a journey to learn as much as he could about first responder wellness and assisting those who’ve been affected by trauma. Jason is passionate about assisting first responders to reach their full potential! He believes in the mission of Guardian Initiatives and is excited to serve the first responder community in practical ways. Jason and Rebekah, along with their 6 children enjoy gardening, raising goats, and getting out in nature any chance they get!

Noelle Phillips, Secretary

Noelle grew up in Farmington and moved to Texas in 2013 where she worked as an EMT for 5 years. She saw a need for growth in mental health and wellness in first responders and decided to pursue a degree in psychology and obtained her master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology, focusing her research on first responders. While in school she was able to gain experience in applied behavioral analysis work with individuals on the autism spectrum. She also worked in treatment foster care as a behavior support specialist and a case manager where she learned how to navigate crisis situations and behavioral de-escalation, and further work with individuals facing adversity and managing trauma. Noelle now runs her own small business doing mindset coaching for first responders. She enjoys being outside and traveling, from gardening to exploring with her son.

Jarrod Slindee, Treasurer

Jarrod was born and raised in Medford, Minnesota and graduated from Alexandria Technical College in 2008 with an Associate of Applied Science in Law Enforcement and is continuing his education at Eastern New Mexico University. In 2008, Jarrod moved to New Mexico and began his career in law enforcement where he currently serves as the Detective Lieutenant with the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. He is a graduate of the 290th session of the FBI National Academy. Jarrod and his wife, Jill have two children, Brock, and Kade. Jarrod enjoys spending his time outdoors with family and friends.