ABOUT us
H.E.R.O. was founded by Blake Service, a U.S. Marine Veteran. He wanted to create a community of public servants who could support each other, learn from each other, and decompress in the outdoors. After sharing his ideas with his close friends, family, and members of the community, H.E.R.O. was born. The sole purpose of H.E.R.O. is to provide an avenue for our military and first responders to surround themselves with like-minded individuals, who can relate to the trials and tribulations of those around them, and find peace in the outdoors. This includes, but is not limited to overland adventures, hunting/ fishing trips, mountain biking, hiking, mountaineering, climbing, kayaking, snow sports, powersports, etc. We’ll facilitate these activities in conjunction with the participant, at no cost to them. We’ve also got monthly meetups in the works by way of our Coffee Coalition and our Coordinates and Coffee programs.
Meet the team
Blake Service
USMC || President || Founder
Blake Service is our founder and President. He served in the US Marine Corps from 2009 - 2013. After his service, he returned home and joined the Sheriff’s search and rescue, and also the fire department’s technical rescue team. After his return from the Marine Corps, he realized that sitting around a campfire and chatting with friends/people who can relate to the stressors of serving, was so healing and helpful. He was able to make friends through camping and overlanding who he could relate with that have become life-long friends. Blake founded the Teton Overland Show to help share the overland space with the community, which ran for 3 years. He then created H.E.R.O to share those experiences with fellow service members and first responders at no cost to them.
Erick Heywood
ARMY || Vice President
Erick Heywood serves as Vice President, bringing a lifelong commitment to leadership, service, and community. Erick joined the U.S. Army in 1989, serving as a Blackhawk crew chief and completing multiple deployments over a 30-year career before retiring in 2019. Throughout his service, Erick prided himself on leading by example and fostering teamwork in any environment.
Today, Erick channels that same dedication into his role with the nonprofit, as well as volunteering as a member of Search and Rescue. He is passionate about giving back and staying connected to the outdoors. When he’s not serving others, Erick enjoys woodworking, fishing, camping, and all things outdoors—but his favorite role is spending quality time with his family.
Crystal Heywood
Secretary & Treasurer
Crystal Heywood serves as Treasurer and Secretary, bringing years of leadership, community service, and family advocacy to the team. She has held numerous volunteer roles supporting military families through the Family Readiness Group, and previously served with the local fire department. Most recently, she continues to give back as a volunteer member of Search and Rescue.
Professionally, Crystal is the Director of Investor Relations for an investment offering, where she supports investors and fosters strong relationships built on transparency and trust. Outside of work and volunteering, Crystal enjoys spending time with her family, video games, crafts, and anything that gets her outdoors.
QUESTIONS? LET’S CHAT.
We’d love to hear from you, whether it’s a nomination of somebody for our services, ideas for fundraising/ collaboration, or just to say hi!