49 North™

A Division of Techwerks, LLC

Driven by Purpose, United by Values

Our journey is driven by a commitment to others, and we invite you to discover the story behind our success. Learn more about our brand, our dedicated team, and our vision that makes us a trusted leader in resilience and wellbeing training.

ABOUT US

49 North™ isn’t just a name; it’s a symbol of our heritage and values. Nestled at the geographical latitude of 49° North lies the Landstuhl Military Medical Center in Germany, a place that stands as a beacon of hope and recovery for countless soldiers.

Our story is woven with the experiences of extraordinary individuals. Retired Lt. Col. Mike Fravell, the visionary CEO of our parent company Techwerks™, played a pivotal role as the Chief Information Officer at Landstuhl. It was here that he joined forces with our Chief Medical Officer, Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum, PhD, a dynamic leader who commanded the hospital during its most critical period from 2003 to 2005. Under their leadership, Landstuhl became the lifeline for soldiers wounded in the Iraq War, providing essential care and hope in the face of adversity.

The soldiers who passed through Landstuhl exemplified extraordinary strength, resilience, and selflessness. These are the same values that we at 49 North™ strive to embody every day. Our name serves as a constant reminder of the courage and fortitude demonstrated by these men and women in the face of adversity.

49 North™ symbolizes the strength that comes from deftly navigating challenges and turning obstacles into opportunities for growth. We are committed to embracing and exemplifying the same unwavering resolve and dedication to service that characterized the soldiers who inspired us.

Join us on this journey as we continue to honor their legacy by putting our best foot forward, facing each challenge with resilience, and striving to make a positive impact in everything we do.

49 North™ is a service disabled veteran owned small business

Meet our Experts

LTC. Mike Fravell (Ret.)

President

Techwerks™ & 49 North™

Lieutenant Colonel (retired), Mike Fravell is a highly respected Chief Information Office (CIO) / Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with 20+ years of experience in healthcare technology, and a sought-after expert in rapid application development, implementation and training.  He retired in 2009 as the Chief, Technology Integration, Headquarters Department of the Army, where he served as senior advisor to the Army Chief of Staff on the development and implementation of an information technology strategy for Comprehensive Soldier Fitness. His previous positions include Chief Technology Officer, Defense Health Information Management System (DHIMS), and Director of Engineering, Clinical Information Technology Program Office (CITPO), Military Health System, in both positions he served as senior technical advisor supporting garrison and theater clinical systems, Wounded Warrior initiatives, and information sharing between the DoD and VA. His previous positions include Senior Fellow, Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical CIO, United States Central Command, Chief Information Officer Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and Chief Information Officer, US Army Dental Command. Mr. Fravell was personally selected for assignment by many senior government leaders including the Commanding General, United States Central Command, the United States Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G3/5/7, the Chairman, House Veterans Affairs Committee, and the Under Secretary for Health, Department of Veterans Affairs.  He personally led teams that developed, implemented and trained the Veterans Tracking Application, Joint Patient Tracking Application, the Corporate Dental Application, and the Soldier Fitness Tracker.

Mr. Justin Bacon

Chief Operating Officer

Techwerks™ & 49 North™

Justin is a growth-focused leader with over a decade of executive-level experience of successfully expanding and scaling high performing organizations. As Chief Operating Officer of TechWerks, Justin provides strategic vision and day-to-day management of the organization while ensuring the success of corporate goals. Justin works closely with the senior management team to oversee project delivery and implementation to help customers execute their mission in new and innovative ways.

Prior to TechWerks, Justin served as the Chief Growth Officer of Planned Systems International (PSI). In his role, Justin oversaw business development, M&A and strategic initiatives for the firm and successfully captured more than $700M in prime contract awards. Prior to his role at PSI, Justin served as Senior Vice President of QuarterLine which he brought to acquisition in 2018. Justin holds a bachelor’s degree in corporate finance from the University of Delaware.

Gen. George Casey Jr. (Ret.)

Senior Advisor

Techwerks™ & 49 North™

General George W. Casey, Jr. (retired) enjoyed a 40+ year career in the US Army following his graduation from Georgetown University in 1970.  He is an accomplished soldier and an authority on strategic leadership.  As the Army Chief of Staff, he led one of our largest and most complex organizations during one of the most extraordinary periods in our history.  He is widely credited with restoring balance to a war-weary Army and leading the transformation to keep it relevant in the 21st Century. Prior to this, from July 2004 to February 2007, he commanded the Multi-National Force – Iraq, a coalition of more than 30 countries.  He guided the Iraq mission through its toughest days and set the conditions for our ultimate success.  In his retirement, he remains committed to our servicemen and women, and, in addition to the numerous boards that he sits on, he lectures on leadership at business schools and to business leaders and teaches at the Korbel School in Denver.  He has published a book, Strategic Reflections, Operation Iraqi Freedom, July 2004-2007, about his experiences in Iraq. 

Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum (Ret)

Chief Medical Officer, PhD, MD

Techwerks™ & 49 North™

Brigadier General (retired) Rhonda Cornum, PhD, MD has a unique perspective, having served as the first Director of the U.S. Army’s novel Comprehensive Soldier Fitness initiative. Recently renamed Army Comprehensive Fitness, this strategy represents the model for universal implementation of physical and psychological health promotion within the Department of Defense.  She previously served as the Assistant Surgeon General for Force Projection, responsible for the policies and procedures to prepare Soldiers and units for deployment, and commanded the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the evacuation hub for Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and Europe.  During this assignment, she commissioned development of the Joint Patient Tracking Application and pioneered use of the Nova Lung during critical care air transport.  Doctor Cornum has written or co-authored one book, five book chapters, and numerous scientific articles.  She sits on numerous committees and advisory boards, including the Secretary’s POW Advisory Committee for the VA, the External Advisory Board for the Millennium Cohort Study, and is a Professor of Military and Emergency Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr Cornum is Board certified in Urology, a Fellow in both the American College of Surgeons and the Aerospace Medical Association and is a member of the American Society of Nutrition.

Dr. Jill Antonishak

Sr. VP of Behavioral Health, (PhD)

Techwerks™ & 49 North™

Jill Antonishak is a community and developmental psychologist with significant experience in evaluation and the development and implementation of strengths-based prevention programs.  Dr. Antonishak was an American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Congressional Fellow for the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.  After her fellowship, she was hired as full-time staff on the Committee, with a focus on family support, military mental health, and suicide prevention. She received her Ph.D. in Community and Developmental Psychology from the University of Virginia and her B.A. from Goucher College. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in adolescent development at UVA, where she worked on a longitudinal study of adolescents, their friends, and family. She has received fellowships from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.

Mr. Guy Feltenstein

Chief Solutions Architect

Techwerks™ & 49 North™

Guy Feltenstein has worked in Information Management/Information Technology in the federal health IT space for over 15 years.  He started his career in the federal IT world in Landstuhul Germany, where he ran network operations and security for several years.  He later worked for US Central Command’s Chief Medical Information  Officer as an IT analyst during the peak of the OEF/OIF conflicts. He has worked at the AHLTA/CHCS program office, specializing in Health Information Exchange and Interoperability initiatives and systems, later working for General Dynamics on a variety of DoD, VA, and DHS health data initiative. From 2014-2016, he worked with the VA based Knowledge Based Systems group, leading the development of SNOMED Reference Sets to map a variety of VA data sources and sets. He currently works across our multiple contracts providing technical guidance and support. He is also instrumental in developing technical solutions for our clients.

Guy holds a DoD Top Secret Compartmentalized (TS/SCI) security clearance and is an HL7 Voting member.

1SG Christopher Poe (Ret)

Dir. of Community Development

49 North™

Christopher Poe (First Sergeant, ret) is a decorated Combat Infantryman with over 27 years of service to the U.S. Army. His career has included combat, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in Cuba, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Hercegovina, and E. Africa. For almost a decade, Chris has been successfully delivering research focused, well-being and resilience skills in- and out- of uniform. As a resilience skills trainer and a former Drill Sergeant, Chris brings a truly unique and authentic experience to his audiences. His training comes from the heart. 

Maj. Donna Crews (Ret)

Operations Manager

Techwerks™ & 49 North™

Donna provides our customers and associates with the infrastructure and organization essential to training with 49 North. Her witty sense of humor, particularly during challenging times, is a welcome addition to any team. Donna has a Business Management degree with a focus on Finance, which laid the groundwork for serving as a Program Manager for over 15 years. A retired member of the Air National Guard, Donna began her career as an enlisted member and became an officer, acting in multiple leadership positions.

Mrs. AJ Adams

Team Lead and Sr. Trainer (MAPP)

49 North™

As one of the first 150 people in the world to graduate with the Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, AJ is a pioneer in her field. Over the last decade, AJ has applied her education and work with organizations such as the Wharton School of Business, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force and with various other groups around the globe. Aside from her passion for helping others, AJ is a professional photographer, world traveler and a lover of vintage VWs. 

Mr. Terry Brazil

Team Lead and Sr. Trainer (MSW)

49 North™

Terry started his career teaching 7th graders in the Bronx (which he claims means that he is going straight to Heaven). After completing his MSW at the University of Maryland, Terry served for 12 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard as a Commissioned Officer in the Medical Service Corps. His focus has always been creating environments where employees and leaders can perform at their best. This has given him the opportunity to provide training to many organizations, including Coca Cola and Lockheed Martin.

Agent Gerald Scott Bryant (Ret)

Team Lead and Sr. Trainer (USCBP)

49 North™

Gerald “Scotty” Bryan is a transformational leader and proven collaborator with extensive experience in developing and implementing pioneering initiatives for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal government agencies. With a strong track record of national success, Scotty excels in building teams and capacity, as well as instructing, presenting, and facilitating in dynamic environments.

Throughout his career, Scotty has held key leadership roles, including Throughout his career, Scotty has held key leadership roles, including Director/Associate Chief at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Assistant Chief Patrol Agent at the Border Patrol Academy. His notable achievements include coordinating a groundbreaking study with the RAND Corporation on CBP employee resilience, partnering with the U.S. Air Force to implement resilience training within DHS, and launching the CBP Veteran Support Program. Scotty also pioneered the CBP Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT) pilot and the CBP Traumatic Incidents and Events Response (TIER) Team, significantly impacting the agency’s approach to employee wellness and traumatic event response.

As a founding member and National Commander of the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Team (BORSTAR), Scotty played a crucial role in establishing national training programs and response protocols, earning BORSTAR recognition as a top-tier law enforcement response team. His efforts in various roles have been recognized with multiple awards, including the DHS Exceptional Meritorious Achievement and the CBP Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Accomplishment.

Scotty holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law Enforcement/Police Science from Sam Houston State University and has completed numerous job-related training and certifications, including the CBP Leadership Institute and U.S. Air Force Master Resiliency Trainer program. With a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and excellence, Scotty continues to influence and enhance federal government operations and employee resilience.

In his retirement from USCBP, Scotty has enjoyed building his “forever home” with his wife Tracey in the majestic and rural countryside of the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.

Col. Eddie Crews (Ret)

Team Lead and Sr. Trainer (PhD)

49 North™

TBD