From the Battlefield to the Boardroom - Veteran Business Owners

Gregory Celestan, Chief Executive Officer, Celestar Corporation earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Russian Area Studies from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Mr. Celestan retired from the U.S. Army in 2004 as a Lieutenant Colonel with twenty years of experience leading U.S. and foreign military personnel.

Mr. Celestan commanded several artillery units in Germany and served on staffs from Battalion to Division level during his twenty year career. He also served as an analyst at the Foreign Military Studies Office at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and as a Senior Fellow at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany. Mr. Celestan served as a Team Site Commander for the United Nations Mission in the Western Sahara (MINURSO).

Mr. Celestan published numerous articles related to foreign threats and security studies during his military career. During Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, he organized and led U.S. Central Command’s Coalition Intelligence Coordination Center at the Forward Headquarters in Qatar. During Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Mr. Celestan was the Team Chief of the Unconventional Targeting Cell, responsible for developing actionable intelligence against high-value targets.

Mr. Celestan founded Celestar Corporation prior to his retirement from the U.S. Army. Celestar Corporation was named to the Inc. magazine list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in America in 2009. Celestar Corporation was also named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “Fast 50” list of the Fifty Fastest growing companies in Tampa Bay. Mr. Celestan was selected as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of Florida in 2010 and currently serves as a National Judge for the program. Mr. Celestan has recently been appointed by Governor Rick Scott to the Enterprise Florida Board and the Space Florida Board. Gregory serves as a Director on the Board of the Bank of Tampa and is the Vice-Chair of the Tampa General Hospital Foundation Board. Mr. Celestan is a former Commissioner for Port Tampa Bay and is also a Past Chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

Paul Huszar is the CEO, President, and majority owner of VetCor, LLC, a restoration company focused on creating opportunities for veterans, and recognized as the Bright House Networks Start-up of the Year in 2016, the Greater Tampa Chamber’s similar recognition, along with USAA’s Mission Award, in 2017, Patriots in Business Small Business Award and named as one of the Top 50 Florida Companies to Watch in 2018. VetCor operates throughout south Florida as a preferred vendor for over 40 insurance companies and will begin franchising in 2019. Paul retired from 23 years of active duty military service including four combat tours in Iraq, one unaccompanied tour in Korea, and operational deployments to Thailand, Bolivia, Honduras, Panama, and Haiti. He and his family moved to Tampa, and he became President of VetCor on December 9, 2013.

Todd Wilcox is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Patriot Defense. He founded Patriot Defense in 2005 with the purpose of Serving those who defend America®. Todd is a decorated combat veteran, former CIA case officer and a successful entrepreneur and business leader.

Prior to 2005, Todd Wilcox served as an Arabic-speaking CIA Field Operations Officer (C/O) focused on the Middle East and Counterterrorism issues. His last assignment before founding Patriot Defense was as the CIA Liaison Officer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force – Orlando Office. Todd joined the CIA in 1997 after serving in the U.S. Army. He was commissioned as an infantry officer after graduating with a B.S. in Finance from the University of Tampa’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program and spent the early part of his military time as a rifle platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division with a combat tour during Operation Desert Storm. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army Special Forces where he earned the coveted Green Beret. As a Special Forces A-Team commander in 1st Special Forces Group, he served in East Asia where his team was focused on counterterrorism issues.

After serving as Patriot Defense’s Chief Executive Officer for 10 years Todd stepped out of the CEO role to become Executive Chairman in 2015. In this position, Todd leads the company’s vision and oversees the acquisition strategy and subsequent integration of acquired companies. Todd’s professional and business success has been recognized by the induction into the US Army ROTC Hall of Fame, the Wall Street Journal, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Orlando Business Journal’s Veterans of Influence Award. Todd has served on the board of directors for the National Defense University Foundation, Rand Corporation’s Center for Middle East Public Policy, and the Orlando Economic Partnership. Todd is an active member of the Young Professionals Organization (YPO) and serves as the Treasurer of Business Force, a non-profit political action committee.

As Moffitt Cancer Center’s Senior Strategic Planning Advisor, Dan directly supports the Chief Strategy Officer in the design, development, and implementation of Moffitt’s Strategic Plan; array of Support Plans; and governance activities. 

Prior to joining Moffitt in 2017, he served as a US Army Special Forces (“Green Beret”) Officer, retiring at the rank of Colonel after a military career spanning more than 25 years.  In addition to leading in our Nation’s elite and chosen Soldiery in the Special Forces Regiment, he utilized his extensive strategic planning experience.  He led critical planning efforts of national strategic importance for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.  Dan also served as a specially-selected personal Strategist and advisor to two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Dan is a West Point graduate and combat veteran, with Masters Degrees from Louisiana State University and the US Army War College.