Our board

Tabitha Renbarger

Board President

I am a Shelbyville resident, proud wife of a law enforcement officer, mother of amazing children, and a loved one or friend to many people who have struggled with one or more of the causes we support. Helping people through some of the hardest moments of their lives is more than a passion for me. It is deeply personal.

I am committed to advocating for those facing mental health challenges, addiction, and suicidal crisis, and to breaking the stigma that too often prevents people from asking for help. I am passionate about supporting our veterans, active duty service members, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders, the people who spend their lives showing up for others but may struggle to ask for help themselves.

For me this work comes down to something simple: show up, listen without judgment, connect people with help, and remind them that someone cares. If that helps even one person choose hope and keep going, it is worth everything.

Brandon Smith

Board Vice President and Treasurer

Hi, I am Brandon, and I serve as the Vice President and Treasurer of Buddies Helping Buddies. My commitment to this organization comes from a deeply personal place.

Having watched my own friends and family navigate mental health struggles, I am passionate about suicide prevention and about bringing mental health awareness into the open. I also carry a deep compassion for everyone fighting the brave battle against addiction.

When I am not balancing our budget, I am focused on building a community where no one has to struggle alone.

Jessica Montgomery

Board Secretary

My name is Jessica Montgomery and I am the Board Secretary. This organization is dedicated to helping community members facing mental health and addiction struggles, and while all of it is meaningful to me, mental health is the piece closest to my heart.

I am the mother of a teenage son and an Employment Coordinator who helps soldiers and their families find stable work and connect to the resources they need. That work has shown me first hand how much early intervention matters, and how much difference an open conversation can make.

As a leader and as a mother, I try to build resilience in others, listen with compassion, and make sure nobody has to face a hard battle alone.

Dane Bandy

Board Member

I am a proud Hoosier, a husband and father, an Army veteran, a plumber and handyman, and most importantly someone who believes no one should have to face their battles alone.

I served eight years in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, and deployed twice to Afghanistan. I was injured in combat and awarded the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge. Back home in Indiana I am now an apprentice plumber with Local 440.

My road has not been easy. I am a recovering addict, and I have battled alcoholism and the mental health struggles that came out of my service. Those years taught me that strength is not pretending everything is fine. Sometimes strength is just having the courage to ask for help and to be there for someone else.

If you are struggling, hurting, recovering, or simply having a bad day: you are not alone, and there is no shame in asking. I would rather use what I have been through to reach someone than hide it.

Ricky Becktel

Board Member

I am a retired Army combat veteran. I served as a medic with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and spent fifteen years in the medical field altogether.

The last ten of those years I worked in palliative care and chemotherapy at the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis. I left nursing for something less strenuous and spent seven years supervising outside warehousing for Knauf Insulation.

In 2021 I started my own business, and my wife and I now run Cadillac Jack's in downtown Shelbyville together. I have spent most of my life around people at their hardest moments, and I would rather be useful than comfortable.

Kiel Bensheimer

Board Member

I was once on the losing side of addiction, struggling with my mental health and fighting suicidal ideation. Reaching back out to a community I once terrorized, and extending a hand to people in the deepest part of a struggle they do not yet understand, matters more to me than almost anything.

I want to show my gratitude to the people who helped me through the mess my life had become, by showing up for someone else the way somebody once showed up for me.

My older brother and sister both served. My hero is my brother Kurt, who put his life on the line as a Ranger in Operation Iraqi Freedom and still serves as a state police officer. He lived on one side of the razor wire and I lived on the other, and that has given me a deep respect for people in every situation.

My hope is that you win the battles you are too afraid to tell anyone you are fighting. You are not alone.

Lacey Griggs

Board Member

Bio coming soon.

Thomas Miller

Board Member

I grew up in rural Shelby County, so being able to give back to this community matters a great deal to me.

I am passionate about helping with the issues that trouble our neighbors here, and about making sure that all of us can get the help we deserve when we need it.

John Renbarger

Board Member

My name is John Renbarger. I have been a police officer with the Shelbyville Police Department for twenty seven years, and I served with the 38th Aviation Brigade for twenty.

Most importantly, I am a lifelong resident of Shelbyville. This is the community I grew up in and the one I have spent my career answering calls in.

I am nearing the end of my law enforcement career, and this is a perfect opportunity to help and give back to my brothers and sisters in both uniforms.

Britain White

Board Member

My name is Britain, and I am a proud mother and the soon to be wife of an Army veteran. Having grown up surrounded by military family members and friends, I have a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who serve and by the people who stand beside them.

My passion extends beyond supporting service members in uniform. I am equally committed to advocating for the spouses, families, and close friends who carry the emotional and personal weight that so often comes with military and first responder service.

Our mission is to honor and support those who have served, those who continue to serve every day, and the families whose strength makes that service possible.