Squad Leadership

The Whitehouse Rescue Squad is made up of a variety of talented individuals who come from Readington, Tewksbury, Lebanon, Clinton Township and as far away as Pennsylvania to volunteer their time. They serve as Emergency Medical Technicians, Rescue Services Personnel, Administrative Support, and for Community Outreach. Our diversity is represented in our leaders. Please take a moment to read about their backgrounds.

The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for finance, planning, community outreach, recruitment and retention, etc. The Board is elected annually for one and two year terms in December. The Board appoints a Chief, and the Chief appoints his operational leaders.

Operational Leadership

Chief: Jeff Herzog

Jeff has been part of emergency services for many years and a member of the Whitehouse Rescue Squad since 1993. As Chief, he provides leadership for thousands of calls including Hurricanes Sandy, Irene and Floyd, Y2K events, response to the September 11th attacks, and other localized major incidents. Jeff has extensive rescue services training in various disciplines of rescue services, as well as a keen business acumen from holding executive level positions in several small businesses.  In addition to serving on various countywide agencies for leadership and management, Jeff is responsible for the overall operational management and strategic planning of the organization.

Deputy Chief of EMS: Harrison Laverty

Harrison has been with Whitehouse Rescue for over 7 years. He spent 5 years working as a 911 dispatcher and earned his bachelors degree in criminal justice. In addition to EMS, Harrison is a certified firefighter of over 10 years. Harrison previously oversaw the onboarding of new members before transitioning into the role of Deputy Chief.

Deputy Chief of Rescue Services: George Liothake

George is responsible for the WHRS Rescue Services Division. Despite over 30 years of extensive training in rescue services, George, still regularly attends ongoing education in the latest rescue methods and techniques. As a 20+ year resident of Readington, he has volunteered with the Whitehouse Rescue Squad in various capacities, from front line EMT to former Chief of department and currently heading rescue services. As a squad wellness advocate, you will often see George walking/running/biking around Readington or hiking across our preserved open lands and trails. If you do, make sure to say hello and ask how you too can support the squad and our community!

Assistant Chief of Operations: Lewis Moore

Lewis has been with the Whitehouse Rescue Squad since 2016 and has also served as the Deputy Chief of EMS. Lewis holds many rescue and firefighting certifications and is also a career firefighter with the Jersey City Fire Department. Lewis continues to support many of the operational functions for the squad.

Admin Captain: Bob Rainey

Bob has previously held the roles of President, Treasurer, and Chief. He is also active with the squad’s Rescue Services Division and is a member of the Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force as well as many other local community organizations. He is also certified as a CPR/First Aid instructor.

EMS Captain: John Skinner

John has been a member of WHRS since 2014, serving in many roles within the squad. John has previously served as an EMS LT and is currently active in the EMS and rescue services divisions. John is the training coordinator for the squad and is a CPR instructor. John also serves on our Board of Trustees.

Rescue Services Captain: Dan Campbell
Dan has been with the Whitehouse Rescue Squad since January 2007. He has held numerous positions within the organization both on the operations and administrative side. Dan has extensive training in different rescue capacities and has also received numerous meritorious awards for his actions in the community. Dan is always offering ways to assist the organization as well as train newer and senior members.

EMS Lieutenant: Mike Stano
Mike has been a member for over 10 years, and has many years of experience. He has 23 years of service with the U.S. Coast Guard, with experience in Maritime Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue and Port Security. Mike is one of our driver trainers and is the Field Unit Leader during the Balloon Festival. Mike also works for a large corporation as an Environmental, Health and Safety Engineer.

EMS Lieutenant: Avery Schaefer

Avery has been a member of WHRS since 2020, and is currently active in the EMS and Rescue services divisions. Avery is also a Registered Nurse (RN), and has experience in both the hospital and prehospital setting. She currently works in the Emergency Room at Hunterdon Medical Center in addition to her roles here at WHRS. Avery's roles include medical supplies as well as assisting with onboarding duties. Avery enjoys taking rescue classes, and holds many certifications including firefighter and technician level rescue.

Rescue Captain: Brad Fagan  

Brad has been a member of WHRS since 2019, active in both EMS and Rescue Services Divisions. Brad has extensive rescue and firefighter training and also currently serves as a line officer with the Peapack Gladstone Fire Department.

Rescue Services Lieutenant: Matt Conner  

Matt has been a member of WHRS since 2016, active in both EMS and Rescue Services Divisions. Matt has extensive rescue and firefighter training and also currently serves as the Deputy Chief at Oldwick Fire Department. Matt works full time for the Tewksbury DPW, and is an irreplaceable member of our department.

BOT Leadership

President of the Board of Trustees: Bob Rainey

Bob has previously held the roles of President, Treasurer, and Chief. He is also active with the squad’s Rescue Services Division and is a member of the Hunterdon County Technical Rescue Task Force as well as many other local community organizations. He is also certified as a CPR/First Aid instructor.

Vice President of the Board of Trustees: Mike Pikulin

Mike joined the rescue squad in 2016 as an EMT and has previously served as a Board of Trustees member. He has a background in Engineering and Corporate Management as well as consulting. He also represents the rescue squad as a member of the Medical Reserve Corps in Hunterdon County.

Treasurer: Kathy Zielinski

Kathy was voted onto the Board of Trustees in June 2014 and was chosen to act in the Treasurer role. She has many years of experience as an accountant and has also helped manage funds for many local organizations.

Secretary: Bob Spielberger

Bob joined as an EMT then became more involved in the organization as Buildings and Grounds Chairperson. Accepting the nomination for Trustee, Bob continues to serve as our Secretary. He contributes to various committees including fund raising events and our Open House. He partnered with a clothing collection organization to obtain a quality donation shed. We realize a monthly revenue towards expenses. With his strong belief in supporting our community, Bob continues to be a local volunteer firefighter, Boy Scout merit badge counselor, various township initiatives and responds nationally as a Red Cross Disaster Shelter Manager and Technical Lead.

Board Member: John Skinner:

John is an EMS Captain with the squad and has substantial leadership
experience with rescue operations and command structure.

Board Member: Jeff Zielinski:

Jeff joined the rescue squad as a supportive member in 2015 and became
a Board of Trustee member in 2016. Currently, he is Fundraising Chair for
the squad. He is retired from Bristol-Myers Squibb and International Flavors
and Fragrances. He has background in Finance, Accounting and Strategic
sourcing. He is an adjunct professor instructing supply chain concepts for
Rutgers University.