Walter Reed Society Officers
The Society’s vision is to serve as a strong voluntary organization which actively supports Walter Reed National Medical Center , its people and its legacy.
Meet the Walter Reed Society 2024 Board
John R. Pierce, M.D.
Colonel, Medical Corps Army (R) President/Historian
John Pierce is the current president of the Walter Reed Society. He served 30 years on active duty in the U.S. Army with assignments in Hawaii, Germany, Colorado and Washington DC. He is board certified in pediatrics and neonatology. During his Army career, he served as Pediatric Consultant to the Army Surgeon General for 7 years; he was also Chief, Department of Pediatrics and residency program director at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). Also while at WRAMC, he was Deputy Commander for Clinical Services and Director of Medical Education. Following retirement from active duty he was The Medical Inspector for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs for 10 years.
For many years Dr. Pierce has been the historian for the WRS and has published a book and several articles on the history of Dr. Walter Reed and yellow fever. Co-written with Jim Writer, Yellow Jack – How Yellow Fever Ravaged America and Walter Reed Discovered Its Deadly Secrets was published by John Wiley and Sons in 2005. He was the lead editor on Walter Reed Army Medical Center – A Pictorial History 1909-2009 published by the Borden Institute in 2009.
John and Kathe, married 55 years, are blessed with three children and six wonderful grandchildren. They live in Rockville, Maryland.
Brian Foley
Colonel, Medical Corps Army (R)
First Vice President
Brian Foley is the current Vice President of the Walter Reed Society. He spent 30 years on Active Duty in the U.S. Army with fifteen different assignments in numerous locations in the United States and abroad. Noteworthy assignments were Deputy Commander for Administration of Walter Reed Amy Center, Career Manger and Assignment Officer for Medical Service Cops Officers, Deputy Commander for Administration of Kenner Army Community Hospital, Ft. Lee, Va., Inspector General for the 18 th MEDCOM in Korea,
Executive Officer of the 43 rd MAS*H in Korea, Commander of the 690 th Medical Company, Ft Benning, GA.
Following retirement from the Army, as a Colonel, he was a Senior Healthcare Consultant followed by several positions at Northern Virginia Community College to include Dean of Allied Health followed by selection as Provost of the Medical Education
Campus. The Army provided him an undergraduate degree (ROTC), a M. ED from Georgia State University and a MHA from the US Army Baylor University Graduate Program in Healthcare Administration. He is a Fellow of American College of Healthcare
Executives.
Avery Davis, M.D.
Colonel, Medical Corps Army (R)
Vide President of Communications
COL(R) Shelton Avery Davis, MD, currently works as a physician in the Department of Rehabilitation at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) where he is faculty with the Anesthesia Pain Fellowship Program and faculty/staff, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Rehabilitation at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Prior to returning WRNMMC as a civilian physician, Dr. Davis was in private practice for several years as a physiatrist and interventional pain management physician at Parkway Neuroscience and Spine Institute (PNSI) in Hagerstown and Frederick, MD. Before joining PNSI in 2013, Dr. Davis was an active duty physician and Chief, Integrated Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service and
faculty/staff physician, Anesthesia Pain Clinic at WRNMMC.
Dr. Davis was instrumental in transitioning the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service from WRAMC to WRNMMC in 2011. Dr. Davis also deployed as a Battalion Surgeon, 1-505 th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82 nd Airborne Division, Baghdad Iraq in 2008-09. Prior to his deployment, he had been Chief, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at WRAMC and Assistant Chief, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at Tripler Army Medical Center.
Dr. Davis is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute in 1988 where he was a Merit Scholar, Gottwald Scholar and Distinguished Military Graduate. He was commissioned as a Chemical Officer and served with distinction with 1/5 Mechanized Infantry in the Republic of Korea and as a biological weapons detection specialist at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. He is a graduate of Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1996 and he completed his internship, residency and
fellowship training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Dr. Davis is published in the medical literature and the recipient of numerous awards and accolades to include to the Bronze Star Medal and the Order of Military Medical Merit.
Ricardo Alcantara
Command Sergeant Major (R)
Vice President of Communications
Ric Alcantara is the currently serving as the Vice-President of Communication. He served 30+ years on active duty in the U.S Army and served in numerous leadership positions with assignments in Germany, South Korea, JBLM, Somalia, Fort Sam Houston Tx, and Washington D.C. He served as NCOIC of Directorate of Medical Administration and Operations, WRHCS Operations Sergeant Major and Command Sergeant Major of Walter Reed Army Medical Center 2000-2002, Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point, 18th Medical Command and culminating his U.S Army career as Command Sergeant Major of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, second time around 2007-2008.
Following retirement from active duty he worked as Director of Business Development for 3M Health Information Systems Public Market for 13 years. Upon retirement from 3M he joined “VFW 10203” Hamburg WI, in addition he joined “Veterans Weekly Cup of Coffee” as one of its Directors and lastly he is a proud member of “Man of Honor” a local Veteran Organization. Traveling and seeing the world is now his main occupation.
Ric and Terese call Wausau WI their home, they have three children and 2 beautiful grandchildren.
Dan Bullis
Sergeant Major (R)
Vice President of Patient Services
Sergeant Major Bullis served thirty-one years in the United States Army Medical Department, including a tour in Viet Nam and during his career he served in numerous leadership positions cumulating with his
selection as the first Sergeant Major Army Medical Department /senior enlisted advisor to the Surgeon General, U.S. Army and Corps Chief of the Army Medical Department Hospital Corps, Dan was also appointed as the first Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army Medical Department Regiment .
Shortly after his retirement Sergeant Major Bullis joined the DoD Deployment Health Clinical Center (DHCC) as the Senior Administrator and was later promoted to the Chief of Staff. Mr. Bullis served in the DHCC for over fifteen years before his retirement in 2017. Dan was also the Chairman of the Montgomery
County Commission for Veteran’s Affairs from 2015 to 2019, advocating for Veteran programs and issues in Montgomery County. In addition Dan is currently the Commander of American Legion Post 41, Silver Spring, MD and was selected as the District 5 Commander of the year for 2024. He holds membership in Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disable American Veterans and the American College of Healthcare executives. Mr. Bullis continues to serve as a lifetime advocate for the
military family and has a BA in Management and Human resources from Park University and currently serves as the VP, Warrior and family care, Walter Reed Society.
Tansill Johnson
Public Affairs
Tansill Johnson received her English degree from Goucher College, a master of arts degree from Salve Regina and graduated from the U.S. Army War College. She worked for the U.S. Army in public affairs for over thirty years. After retiring, she authored four children’s books, based on simple stories based on real-life experiences as a grandmother.
Janet Southby
Colonel (R)
President Emerita
Janet considers Walter Reed her Army home. Walter Reed General Hospital was her first assignment as a pediatric nurse and her last as Chief Nurse, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Chief Nurse, North Atlantic Regional Medical Command after more than 31 years of service.
Her military assignments included clinical, education, research and administration positions stateside and overseas in Vietnam and Korea. She was also a Military Social Aide at the White House for six years and was the first female officer to serve as the Senior Military Social Aide.
After retiring from active duty, Janet served as the third president of the Walter Reed Society for 12 years. She coordinated the move to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center acquiring office space and a postal address at that site.
Janet remains actively engaged in several health-related activities and volunteers as an Army
Arlington Lady at Arlington National Cemetery. She and her husband, Dr. Richard Southby, reside in Washington, DC.
Joe Konzelman, DDS
Colonel (R)
Past President
Dr. Konzelman’s undergraduate degree, AB was from St. Peter’s University, New Jersey and his DDS was from Seton Hall College of Dentistry, now Rutgers University. He completed a residency in Oral Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, School of Graduate Medicine. He is board certified and served as Director and President of The American Board of Oral Medicine, President of the American Academy of Oral Medicine and President of the Walter Reed Society.
Dr. Konzelman retired as a Colonel after a 21-year career with the United States Army Dental Corps. While in the Army he served for 10 years as Consultant in Oral Medicine to the Surgeon General, and to many military hospitals and dental services. Having served in Korea and Vietnam, he was also Chief of Oral Medicine, and Chief, Hospital Dental Clinic, Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He then served for five years as Associate Professor and Chairman, Department of Oral Medicine, Emory University, School of Dentistry. He returned to Walter Reed as Clinical Director of Oral Health Research until his faculty appointment to the Medical College Georgia from which he retired as Professor Emeritus.. Dr. Konzelman continued his consultant activities after
retirement. He has lectured widely throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. He has
contributed to the professional literature in the fields of dental radiology, chronic pain, oral soft tissue disorders, infectious diseases, dental sleep medicine and the management of medically complex patients.
Dr. Konzelman is a member of numerous professional societies including: OKU Dental Honor Society, The American Dental Association, The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, The American Academy of Oral Medicine, American Academy of
Craniofacial Pain, American Dental Education Association, the Walter Reed Society, Knights of Columbus and others. He is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, The Pierre Fauchard Academy, The American Academy of Oral Medicine and The
International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics. He is past president of The American Academy of Oral Medicine. He is also a Life Member of the American Dental Association, Walter Reed Society, Military Officers Association of America, American
Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Pierre Fauchard Academy and American Academy of Oral Medicine.
An avid barbershop harmony devotee, he has been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for over 50 years and has sung in a number of quartets and choruses. He most recently was bass singer with the quartet: Ricochet, as well as the Sounds of the
Shenandoah Chorus and the Garden City Chorus of Augusta, Georgia.
Rick Erdtmann, M.D.
Colonel (R)
Liaison Other Local Non-profits
Dr. Frederick (Rick) Erdtmann graduated from Bucknell University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. He attended Medical
School in Philadelphia where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Temple University School of Medicine. After completing his internship served in
the U.S. Army for a 30-year career. While in the Army he completed a residency Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in 1975 after earning his Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley. He is board certified in General Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Erdtmann had a variety of assignments in the Army, serving as public healthdirector at Army installations in the US and in Germany and in Office of the Surgeon General. Dr. Erdtmann assumed command of the Evans Army Community Hospital from 1995-1997 and in 1998 assumed Hospital Command at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Following his military service, Dr. Erdtmann joined the Institute of Medicine
(now the National Academy of Medicine) at the National Academies serving Director of the Medical Follow-up Agency and senior Board Director, managing health policy studies.
Now in retirement, Dr. Erdtmann spends time enjoying his 3 children and 6 grandchildren as well as volunteering for various groups such as the Walter Reed Society where he serves as the Liaison to Non-Profit Organizations.
Hermalene M. Taylor
Administrator
Hermalene Taylor serves as WRS Administrator — a position that supports operational efficiency; assists
with planning annual events and fundraising; and manages and develops information and communication resources to promote the organization’s mission. Taylor’s professional background spans non-profit, public and private sector arenas including: Deputy Director for Internal Communications for the initial start-up of the Transportation Services Administration (TSA) at then-NCS Pearson; Special Assistant to the Director of
Human Resources and the Director of Field Services Communications Resources at AARP; and Special
Assistant to the Executive Director of the DC One Fund — the District government’s charitable fundraising campaign.
Taylor has a Master of Arts in Public Affairs (MAPA) from Howard University, and a BA in Business Management and Political Science: Public Administration from Fisk University.
She is currently a volunteer with the American Red Cross at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), where she has worked in the office and as a member of the 4th deck patient visitation team. Taylor has also worked in the community as a volunteer reader at The Washington Ear; and developed a Beauty in Giving holiday fund-raising campaign to benefit Children’s Inn for an area medical practice. She is and has been active in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; Jack and Jill of America; Auxiliary to the National Medical Association; White House Volunteer Center, Correspondence Unit; and Junior League of Washington, DC. Taylor has also served on executive boards and committees for education, scholarships, and membership.
She enjoys the performing arts and tennis. Taylor and her husband have an adult daughter.
Ed Coll, M.D.
Colonel (R)
Secretary
Ed Coll is the current secretary of the Walter Reed Society. He served 30 years active duty in the U.S. Army with assignments Baghdad (2008), and family tours to Germany and Korea. He is board certified in pediatrics, and previously over 20 years in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics and Neuro-developmental Disabilities.
While at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), and finishing at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, he served 20 years as Service Chief of Developmental Pediatrics, in the Pediatrics Department. While at WRAMC, he was their last Chairman, Walter Reed Ethics Committee, 2006-2011. After military retirement, he worked as Developmental Pediatrician, Kaiser Shady Grove office in Rockville for almost 5 years.
All 3 of adult children and grandson live in the local Maryland vicinity. He lives in Silver Spring. Maryland with 2 rescue terriers.
Appointed :
Administrator: Hermalene M. Taylor
Historian: COL (R) John Pierce
Liaison Sports and Recreation: Carl Kammerer
Liaison Augusta Military Medical Center: Clarice Gross
Liaison Other Local Non-profits: COL(R) Rick Erdtmann
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