HISTORY
To his comrades in the 1st Special Forces Group, Staff Sergeant Michael H. Simpson was affectionately known as “the unquiet professional”. Instead of being low-key about his Green Beret status, as is the norm for most Green Berets, Simpson proudly announced his Special Forces title whenever he could. It was an honor for him to be considered among America’s best, and certainly an honor he earned.
While deployed in 2013 with C Company, 4th BN, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Simpson sustained injuries from an improvised explosive device just 20 days after arriving in Afghanistan. He died five days later on May 1, 2013, leaving behind a beloved wife, two young sons, and his large loving family.
Despite her sorrow, Krista, Simpson’s wife, was in complete awe of the support she received from the military community. Organizations like The Green Beret Foundation, Special Ops Warrior Foundation, USO, the Fisher House, and wear blue: run to remember stepped up immediately to be there for her family through the most difficult time of their lives - to include the USSOCOM Warrior Care Program, 1st Special Forces Group and U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Inspired to give back to other military families, Krista and her close friend Andrea Rinaldi decided to do something. Together, they founded The Unquiet Professional that May, the same month Krista laid her husband to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
ONGOING VISION
Today The Unquiet Professional strives to educate, advocate and empower. Our programs support active duty, guard/reserve, veterans, families and survivors. .
From family and financial readiness to casualty support (and so much more in between), The Unquiet Professional has created programs and cultivated a community that offers specialized care to prepare for the unexpected and alleviate any immediate needs. Relationships are important and we believe in collaboration.
“There is nothing more beautiful than a community coming together and choosing you.” - Nicole Reyes.
OUR TEAM
As an all-volunteer organization, we have the ability to provide personal one-on-one interactions with our families. Meet our team here:
Krista Simpson Anderson
President & Chief Operating Officer
Krista Simpson Anderson is the proud wife of retired MSG Gus Anderson and a Gold Star spouse of Green Beret SSG Michael H. Simpson, who passed on May 1, 2013 due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan.
Krista Simpson Anderson is the proud wife of retired MSG Gus Anderson and a Gold Star spouse of Green Beret SSG Michael H. Simpson, who passed on May 1, 2013 due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan. She is a dedicated mother to two wonderful sons.
Krista co-founded The Unquiet Professional to support military families and survivors and founded Brave Group, LLC to help educate the community on the importance of preparing for the unexpected. She has participated in working groups with the Army and the Department of Defense, focusing on improving quality of life for military members as well as the casualty process.
Currently, Krista advises on boards for Newrez and The Grateful Nation Project. She is also a policy advisor, strategic connector and passionate advocate for military families, veterans, caregivers, and survivors.
Her awards and recognitions include the “2018 Armed Forces Insurance Army Spouse of the Year and overall Military Spouse of the Year,” the “2019 Green Beret Foundation Keeper of the Brave,” the “top 17 Change Makers to follow in 2021” by Military Influencer, and the Army’s Superior Public Service Medal.
Andrea S. Rinaldi
Co-Founder
Both Krista and I hail from Western Massachusetts, meeting many years ago through mutual friends. As she moved from the Northeast to the Southeast to the Pacific Northwest engrossed in the Army life she very happily became a part of, I remained on...
Krista Simpson Anderson is the proud wife of retired MSG Gus Anderson and a Gold Star spouse of Green Beret SSG Michael H. Simpson, who passed on May 1, 2013 due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan. She is a dedicated mother to two wonderful sons.
Krista co-founded The Unquiet Professional to support military families and survivors and founded Brave Group, LLC to help educate the community on the importance of preparing for the unexpected. She has participated in working groups with the Army and the Department of Defense, focusing on improving quality of life for military members as well as the casualty process.
Currently, Krista advises on boards for Newrez and The Grateful Nation Project. She is also a policy advisor, strategic connector and passionate advocate for military families, veterans, caregivers, and survivors.
Her awards and recognitions include the “2018 Armed Forces Insurance Army Spouse of the Year and overall Military Spouse of the Year,” the “2019 Green Beret Foundation Keeper of the Brave,” the “top 17 Change Makers to follow in 2021” by Military Influencer, and the Army’s Superior Public Service Medal.
Lauren Nakazono
Director of Operations
For over a decade, Lauren has passionately advocated for service members and their families, a commitment ignited by her partnership with Krista.
For over a decade, Lauren has passionately advocated for service members and their families, a commitment ignited by her partnership with Krista. As a 19-year Army spouse, she brings extensive experience in training, development, and advocacy to her role as Director of Operations at The Unquiet Professional.
Lauren is deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve Gold Star, Surviving, and Veteran families. With a BA in International Relations and an MA in Early Childhood Education, her diverse background fuels her dedication to impactful program management.
When not supporting The Unquiet Professional, she's cheering on her three teenage sons in their various sports
Mollie Parsons
Director of Development
My passion for veterans and military families was born in my volunteer work for my husband’s unit. I’ve been inspired and humbled as I’ve watched the sacrifice of our service-members...
For over a decade, Lauren has passionately advocated for service members and their families, a commitment ignited by her partnership with Krista. As a 19-year Army spouse, she brings extensive experience in training, development, and advocacy to her role as Director of Operations at The Unquiet Professional.
Lauren is deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve Gold Star, Surviving, and Veteran families. With a BA in International Relations and an MA in Early Childhood Education, her diverse background fuels her dedication to impactful program management.
When not supporting The Unquiet Professional, she's cheering on her three teenage sons in their various sports
Paul Joyce
Director of Veterans Programs
Originally from Cincinnati, OH and the eldest of 4 children. I joined the U.S. Army on September 10th, 2001 and spent 14 years on active duty...
Originally from Cincinnati, OH and the eldest of 4 children. I joined the U.S. Army on September 10th, 2001 and spent 14 years on active duty and two years in the Army Reserve. I served in the 3rd U.S. Infantry, (The Old Guard), as an Army recruiter, and in the Intelligence Community. To all that I do, I bring my experience as a former Senior Noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army with years of planning, outside the box thinking, and project management. Currently I wear multiple hats.
I am the CEO for Layer 8 Technologies where we help decision makers make informed decisions about protecting their intellectual property and identify insider threats. We use decades of experience and a staff fluent in several languages around the globe - most at a native language speaking level. I help to lead business development, company strategy, and client engagement with strategic partners.
I am also the Territory Manager at Kloeckner Metals - Temtco Steel Division in Tumwater, WA. At Kloeckner I help to find new customers, build relationships, and focus on finding solutions for my customers' steel needs all over the west coast and Pacific Northwest.
At the Unquiet Professional I serve as the Director of Veterans Programs. I plan and lead outdoor adventures all over the U.S. with transitioning veterans and build programs that aid Gold Star Family Members. These trips and programs help to serve as an alternative to traditional therapy and help to provide the sense of community that military members have while serving in the military. For Gold Star Family members, we strive to provide opportunities that they may not have with the loss of a parent or other family member.
I spend most of my time outdoors with my Wife and three daughters or planning for my next adventure.
Frank DiGiovanni
Executive Board Member
Thirty-nine years of government service. Twenty-six years as an U.S. Air Force officer holding aviation ratings as a B-52H navigator and F-15A and A-37B pilot.
Retired from the Air Force at the rank of Colonel. Held several Command, Director, and staff positions across the Air Force related to training policy, advanced training technologies, and sustaining the military's access to land, sea, and air training resources.
Three operational deployments with the last in Pakistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). A member of the DoD and Navy Senior Executive Service, served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for eleven years as the Deputy Director and Director responsible for the programming and execution of the $900M the Department of Defense invests in worldwide joint training and training technologies. This position also provided oversight, training policy, and training and training technology shaping guidance across all branches of the Military and the Joint community. Created the DoD SkillBridge service member transition program as authorized by 10 U.S. Code Section 1143.
Developed the first ever DoD policy and recruited private sector organizations to support the SkillBridge transition program. Recruited for one year to serve as the Deputy to the Chief of Navy personnel as the Navy sought to transform their governance, technical architecture, and people strategy for the $32B a year they spend on manpower, personnel, training, and education.
Currently serves as the Deputy Director for Navy Expeditionary Warfare, which includes requirements and programming for Amphibious Assault Ships, Mine Warfare, Navy Special Warfare, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, and the Navy Seabees.
Holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona, a Masters of Public Administration from Old Dominion University, a Master of Science in Education and Doctorates in Education from the University of Pennsylvania.