The leadership Team
Who We Are
Amy Cotta
Founder & Executive Director
Amy Cotta is the Founder and Executive Director of Memories of Honor, the Founder and President of Wearable Gratitude, a Blue Star Mom of a US Marine, Author of Six Weeks to Skinny Jeans, Fitness Expert, TV Host, and a mother of six. She has called the greater Nashville area home for over 20 years.
Amy’s love and respect for Gold Star families and veterans lead her to create Memories of Honor in 2014 and has become her life’s passion to honor the sacrifices made by military families by making EVERY day Memorial Day for families of the fallen.
Jim Cotta
President & Director of Fitness
Jim Cotta is the President of Memories of Honor, the Director of Fitness, and a member of the Board of Directors. He is the Fitness Director at The Grove Golf Club in The Grove, TN, and has held roles as the Head Strength Coach for the LA Lakers, is a published author of “Workout War” as featured in Men’s Health, is an on-air Radio and TV Sports Injury Analyst and a Blue Star Father of a US Marine. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.
Dr. Traci Uribe
Chief Operatons Officer
Dr. Traci Uribe joined as the Chief Operations Officer in 2019. Traci is a member of the Board of Directors and has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the organization. She is an active member of the Society of Emotional Intelligence and also serves as a board member for Earn-a-Bike, a local non-profit organization in San Antonio. She resides in San Antonio with her husband, a US Army Combat Medic, and their three children. Traci earned her Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies) from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2021.
Martin Plumlee
Development Director
Martin joined as the Development Director in 2023. Martin is an active duty officer in the US Army Reserves and business owner where he is the Chief Commercial Officer & Talent Strategist at Plumlee & Associates LLC. In addition to 20+ years as a successful "headhunter," he also serves as a Military Academy Liaison Officer (MALO) in Middle Tennessee. He is a resident of Nashville and holds a B.S in Economics from West Point and an MBA in International Business from Tennessee Tech University.
BRIAN WHITE
Director of Family Outreach
Brian White joined as the Director of Family Outreach in 2019. He is a US Army veteran and Gold Star Father. Brian is no stranger to helping non-profits having served four years as a running coach for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. Brian obtained his Bachelor’s in Applied Management in 2021. Brian and his wife, Gold Star Mom Kimberly, spend countless hours sharing the MOH mission through various avenues including serving as T.A.P.S. (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) Peer Mentors to other Gold Star parents.
"Words can't describe the feelings we experience when we see our loved one honored and remembered, to know their spirit and memory are being kept alive. Thank you for being a hero to a hero's family and helping us make EVERY day Memorial Day."
TAMMY STURGILL
Community Outreach/Gold Star Liaison
Tammy Sturgill resides in Spring Valley (San Diego), CA. Has been married to Ken Sturgill for 38 years. They became Gold Star Parents 7 July 2016 when their only son, A1C Kenneth “K3” Sturgill, died in service while serving in the Air Force as part of the Guardian Angels platform. Tammy has been volunteering since an early age beginning with the Benevolent Order of Elks, as a teenager, and started working with Elks National Foundation over 22 years ago managing grants from application through execution on behalf of BPOE 2117. Tammy herself is disabled and has dedicated her life to family, community, state, and nation through her volunteer service and has been blessed with numerous “surrogate sons and daughters” from those that her beloved “K3” influenced in his time on earth.