Our team
THE PEOPLE DEDICATED TO HELPING YOU
RICH WALLACH
US Marine Corps Veteran
CEO & Marketing
After growing up on a farm in Pittsburgh, Rich's family moved to Philadelphia. At the age of 18 Rich enlisted in the Marines because he didn't want to grow up without having that experience. The issue was the intensified fighting during the Vietnam War and Rich soon found himself assigned to the Yankee Whiskey HMM 165 battalion's division known as the White Knights. As a combat chopper search and rescue pilot for the covert operations involving the Black Knights and the Green Beret, Rich flew 504 combat missions under intense enemy fire including the war's pivotal Battle of Hue and the Battle at Khe Sanh. Rich was awarded the United States Marine Rescue Citation, the Air Medal for Heroic Achievement, the Navy Unit Commendation for Meritorious Service, and the Presidential Citation for Heroism from President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Rich retired from Verizon Communications in 2007. As an active member of the NMB Aquatic and Fitness Center, he "rescued" Lin when she accidentally dunked herself in the pool. On their first date Lin bluntly asked him what his first thoughts were when the transport plane touched down in the darkness of a war zone. He said no one had ever asked him that question before, and a relationship was born. After Hurricane Florence, he proposed and she told him the timing wasn't right, so he stuck by her side till she finished her education, then she proposed to him. They married in 2022 and are members of the Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in North Myrtle Beach.
When Rich mentioned the need for a less-confrontational and less argumentative way to resolve disputes, they decided to team up and help tackle some of life's most stressful and time consuming personal issues. With the number of returning and retired veterans plus the rapid growth of retirees and young families along the Grand Strand, problem solving options outside of the judicial system are needed in a safe, non-judgmental, unbiased, neutral and confidential setting that's timely and cost effective. Rich is responsible for the daily operations and networking. As a veteran, Rich understands the needs of the military community and family members, so he works closely with veteran associations along the coastal regions. And Lin's expertise focuses on the human toll of unresolved conflict.
Life wasn't always easy. Lin never made the National Honor Society in high school. Instead, she made Corvette battery cables while attending Kent State. When the Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on her fellow classmates, she recognized her brave biology prof as the guy trying to disburse the crowds and bring closure to what quickly became a deadly situation. Thus, an interest in conflict resolution began. As the survivor of intense domestic violence, physical abuse, and a narcissistic controller, she's familiar with the different responses to conflict scenarios, and why people react as they do. When the judicial system striped her of everything but her identity, Lin decided an education was something no one could ever take and focused on her passion of resolving disputes.
As a corporate trainer and professional speaker on a variety of subjects, Lin has authored numerous articles on terrorism and conflict scenarios for peer-reviewed academic journals. With more than 20 years of expertise as a mediator for civil and divorce situations, Lin is a doctoral-degreed facilitator, negotiator, arbitrator, and conflict coach. She's completing her final year as a post-doctoral fellow at The Medical University of South Carolina focusing on the Ethics of Clinical and Translational Human Subject Research.
Dr. Lin Kovack, PhD
https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-lin-kovack-00369917
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1281-3151