Dr. Chris Frueh – Clinical Director

B. Christopher (“Chris”) Frueh, PhD is a clinical psychologist by training and Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawaii-Hilo. He has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans and active-duty personnel, and has conducted clinical trials, epidemiology, historical, and neuroscience research. He has co-authored over 300 scientific publications, including a graduate textbook on adult psychopathology.

His work on “Operator Syndrome” is helping change the way we understand and treat the complex set of interrelated health, psychological, and interpersonal difficulties that are common downstream outcomes of a career in military special operations. He devotes effort to the SEAL Future Foundation (chair, medical advisory board), Boulder Crest Foundation (scientific advisory panel), Military Special Operations Family Collaborative, The Mission Within, VETS, Inc., Quick Reaction Foundation (Houston) and to the military special operations community in general.

Chris has testified before US Congress, and served as a paid contractor for Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, US State Department, and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He has also published commentaries in the National Review, Huffington Post, New York Times, Time, Men’s Journal, and Special Operation Association of America; and has been quoted or cited in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Washington Post, Scientific American, Stars and Stripes, USA Today, Men’s Health, Los Angeles Times, Reuter, Associated Press, and NBC News, among others.

Under the pen name Christopher Bartley, he has also published nine historical crime novels, including “THEY DIE ALONE” (2013) and most recently “A SEASON PAST” (2019), a collection of novellas about men with guns and their search for meaning and intimacy. Eight of these novels form a series, set in 1934 America, at the end of Prohibition as the country was still in the grip of the Great Depression. These are stories about America and its people. The protagonist is a fictional bank robber and roving conscience in the era of Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, and Al Capone.

David Rutherford – Director

David is a former Navy SEAL Medic and Instructor who served for 8 years in the NSW community. After his honorable discharge from the Teams, he went to work for Blackwater as an international curriculum development and training specialist for two years. In 2005 he launch his motivational performance company, Froglogic Concepts to initially help children develop resilience and confidence. In 2008, David was recruited to work for the CIA as a curriculum and training specialist for two years. He then went to become operational for the agency as a security threat and protection specialist. After hanging up his kit in 2011, he kickstarted Froglogic Concepts again.

For over a decade David and his Froglogic message has reached over 50 million people world wide as a top motivational speaker, performance coach, podcast host and author. Some of his notable successes include his role as a motivational performance coach for the 2018 NCAA World Series champions Oregon State Beavers baseball team, and the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. He is currently working with a top asset management firm with over $200 billion under management as part of their advisor consulting group. He also continues to work with top college and professional athletes and teams. 

David’s passion to help people has also been focused on supporting veterans charities. For the past decade, he has assisted seven different veterans charities to raise awareness, money, and support struggling vets. For the past two years David, Jana, and Chris have been developing the Operator Syndrome Foundation. Due to the continued increase for SOF veteran suicides, they decided to start their own charity to target the specific needs of individuals and their unique medical and mental health issues. 

Jana Rutherford – Treasurer 

As Jana began working as the Chief Operating Officer of Froglogic Concepts, she began to write and help create curriculum for the Froglogic Institute. Her extensive experience as a Division I athlete, combined with a necessity to focus on the mental health crisis, inspired her to receive a masters degree in positive psychology and coaching psychology. Her thesis was focused on the well-being of high-performing student athletes, which transitioned into her working closely with student-athletes in leadership development.

When Jana and David were married in 2021, Jana had been widowed for 10 years as a result of mental illness. She and her two young daughters began to navigate a life with substantial loss. She was also raised in a family with her paternal grandfather being a paraplegic as a result of serving in WWII. Her intimate experience of mental health and the disabilities of veterans, combined with having a husband who struggles with Operator Syndrome, has inspired her to dedicate her time to supporting the people who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.