Welcome to the Foster Veterans Association!
The FVA is designed to support service members, past or present, as well as dependents attending Foster through the MBA process. This includes application, career decisions, and networking.
Ease the transition of new veterans and help translate their unique and extraordinary experiences into meaningful careers
Strengthen the veteran network in Seattle and the greater Puget Sound
Grow and deepen the bonds between veterans and non-veterans in the program
Applicants for the Class of 2026 – thank you for your interest in our program! Consider attending a Class Visit or a Shadow Day, they can be located on Foster Admissions Page. If you take advantage of this, please reach out to us at the email below.
If you are a veteran thinking about business school, Foster should be on your list! Contact us via the contact tab for more information about how a Foster MBA/Vet succeeds in making the transition from military to business.
Mission: To help prepare Foster student veterans to celebrate their service and translate their unique experiences into meaningful careers, while also engaging non-veterans to exchange ideas and perspectives in a way that will deepen the bonds between us and the larger veteran community. We will accomplish this by:
1) Promoting the celebration of diversity among our community by creating an environment where veterans and veteran allies can learn from one another.
2) Providing resources to veterans to help their transition and career pursuits.
3) Strengthening the veteran network in the Puget Sound by connecting student veterans with veteran leaders in the community.
4) Retaining the core values derived from the military to further the concept of “servant-leadership” beyond active service.
Vision: To be a model for diversity groups on how to cultivate the principles of service among its members and the community through aiding in the transition from the military, creating and nurturing a strong veteran network in Seattle, and deepening the relationships between veterans and non-veterans.
Gareth Farell
President
Full-time Class of 2026
Gareth is a ten-year U.S. Army veteran, serving as an Engineer Officer across the U.S., and overseas in South Korea and Germany. He has extensive experience leading teams, managing projects, and implementing organizational change. Gareth is interested in finance, strategy, and management and will intern with Amazon as a Sr. Program Manager over the summer. Post MBA he hopes to pursue a career in program or product management in tech or defense. Ask me about applying to MBA programs while overseas, serving in the National Guard or Reserves while in the MBA, or full-time recruiting.
Max Getler
President
Full-time Class of 2026
Max is an eight-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. As an Artillery Officer, he has served across the U.S. and throughout the Middle East and Europe. Max is interested in brand management and strategic marketing and will be interning with the Cigna Group as a Brand Strategy summer associate. Ask me about applying to MBA programs while deployed, how to navigate the West Coast as an East Coaster, or what it’s like to learn to ski when you’re over 30!
Michael Streuling – Senior VP
Michael brings to the team experience leading teams in international settings, as well as communication technology and cybersecurity experience in the government and healthcare sectors. He led a talent development work stream to create learning curriculum and graduate requirements for an early-in-career leadership development program.
He also led initiatives to improve consumer identity security at a major U.S. healthcare company by modernizing authentication flows through the integration of cutting-edge protocols that simultaneously increased security while lowering consumer friction. Michael has extensive experience working internationally in Central America, Africa and Asia, speaks English and Spanish fluently and is proficient in Arabic. This summer, Michael will be interning with Nike for Product Management.
Austin Joyce – Alumni Affairs VP
Austin is a former US Army infantry officer. He chose to pursue an MBA to transition his career
from operations focused roles to finance roles. Working toward this goal, he will be interning at
AT&T in their finance leader development internship this summer.
Stephan Splitstoser – Alumni Affairs VP
Stephan is an eight-year U.S. Army veteran, having served as a Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot during his time in service. Throughout his career, Stephan had the privilege of serving all around the world – he participated in two rotations to Germany in support of NATO Allies, assisted a White House visit to London, and finished his service while stationed in South Korea. Stephan, passionate about strategy and consulting, will spend the summer in New York City interning with Accenture as a Senior Strategy Consultant. Feel free to ask me about applying to MBA programs, transitioning out of the Army, and the consulting recruitment process.
Tyler Gehr – Finance VP
Tyler is a prior Navy Surface Warfare Officer. He went to the US Naval Academy for his undergraduate degree and majored in Chinese language. He served onboard the USS SHILOH in Yokosuka, Japan as well as onboard the USS RUSHMORE in San Diego. For the Summer, he will be interning at Amazon as a Senior Program Manager and hopes to stay within the tech industry post-MBA. Ask me about full-time recruiting, practicing your interviewing skills, or if you just need a sounding board on potential career paths.
Travis Johnson – Social VP
Travis’ background is in U.S. Naval Aviation. His military service involved dynamic airborne decision-making, leadership, strategic planning, and operational program management. Travis offers skills in data analysis, optimization, team collaboration, and project coordination. After attending the University of Michigan and commissioning as an officer, he completed flight school in Pensacola, FL, and flew the EA-18G jet aircraft. He served aboard the USS Nimitz from 2020-2021, leading a department of 56 aircraft maintenance sailors recognized for outstanding safety compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sai Ruhlen – Social VP
Sai Ruhlen is a first-year MBA student at the Foster School of Business, originally from Seattle, Washington. He spent seven years on active duty as a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, serving in a variety of leadership roles both domestically and overseas. As Social Chair for the Foster Veterans Association, Sai is focused on building strong connections within the veteran community and fostering relationships between FVA and the greater UW community.
Grant Riechmann – Recruitment VP
Grant Riechmann is a Full-Time MBA '26 student at the Foster School of Business, with over five years of military experience in U.S. Army Logistics and two years at Amazon. Grant is interested in technology, finance, investments, and management and will intern with Microsoft at Team Xbox as a Business Development Manager. Post MBA, he hopes to return to high tech. If you have any questions about what Amazon is like or how the MBA program is, he is happy to provide candid feedback!
Jordan Harris – Recruitment VP
Jordan is a seven-year U.S. Navy veteran who served as a Surface Warfare Officer, primarily based in Japan with deployments across the Western Pacific. A Seattle native, he’s excited to be back home and hopes to stay in the area post-MBA in a strategy or operations role. Ask him about serving in the reserves during the MBA, applying while deployed, or life in Seattle.
Tony Earll – Engagement VP
Tony is a seven-year veteran of the United States Army. Tony served as a reconnaissance platoon leader, executive officer, operations officer, and company commander during his tenure. This summer, he will intern as a Summer Associate at PwC in Seattle. If you have any questions about the reserves during an MBA or family life during an MBA, Tony is your guy!
FVA Ball – 14 NOV 2025
Veterans Tailgate – 15 NOV 2025
Happy Hours - Every 3rd Thursday of the Month
Alumni: Your time as an MBA candidate may be over, but there are numerous ways to stay connected and continue contributing to the Foster veteran community.
As a veteran or veteran ally, you understand there are many unfamiliar aspects of the civilian job search, particularly for those who have recently transitioned. The different firms and job functions, basic networking etiquette, and even cultural fit can surprise those who have just left the military. If you are willing to offer assistance to transitioning veterans as they navigate through the Foster School of Business, please sign up using the Mentor Registration Form.